Remember when people would send postcards to friends and family members when they were away on vacation? Usually, these postcards depict an image that the sender wanted the recipient to see and then include a brief update about their trip on the back.

While social media and the ease of international and distance calling decrease the demand for travel postcards, they are effective tools for automotive direct mail campaigns. To help you learn more about USPS postcard sizes and how you can effectively use them, Epsilon Individual Automotive is here to help.

Keep reading to learn more about using postcards in your next campaign—or contact us today for a consultation.

What are the Sizes for USPS Postcards?

When mailing a postcard through the United States Postal Service (USPS), you can create a standard-size or extra-large postcard. Let’s take a closer look at the USPS postcard sizes!

Standard Postcard Size Requirements:

 

 

• Must be rectangular
• At least 3.5 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inches thick
• No more than 4.25 inches high x 6 inches long x 0.016 inches thick

 

If you’re looking for more surface area or to have your postcard stand out more, you can opt for a larger postcard size. However, this larger size is only offered when using USPS Marketing Mail, which is another way to send out bulk quantities of mail.

USPS Marketing Mail/First-Class Mail Postcard Size Requirements:

• Must be rectangular
• No more than 6 inches high x 9 inches long x 0.016 inches thick

This extra space allows for more space to effectively promote your business, as well as incorporate technologies like QR Codes into your design. You can also now add return to sender, address correction, and informed delivery capability to these postcards.

Now that you know the USPS postcard size requirements, let’s take a look at the benefits of postcard marketing and sending your postcards through USPS marketing mail.

What is USPS Marketing Mail?

USPS Marketing Mail is your way to send more mail for less. Another term for USPS Marketing Mail is either commercial or bulk mail. This type of mailer is offered at a discounted rate to help your dealership send out plenty of mailers.

In addition to having size requirements, USPS Marketing Mail needs to meet certain criteria, some of which include:

• Quantity: To qualify for USPS Marketing Mail, your campaign must include 200 pieces or 50 pounds of mail.
• Mailing Permit: A mailing permit is required to utilize USPS Marketing Mail for each marketing campaign. To obtain this permit, contact your local post office to learn more.
• Presorting: Before sending your postcards to the post office for delivery, you must presort the mail by zip code.

Once these steps are complete, you can take advantage of discounted mailing rates and larger postcard sizes.

Why Use Postcards?

Postcards are an excellent tool for marketing campaigns because of their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. They make it easy to share important information with recipients in a fun, creative way. Let’s take a closer look!

Cost-Effective Marketing Options

Sending postcards to your targeted audience is a cost-effective marketing campaign. Sending a standard-size, rectangular postcard costs as little as $0.51 via First Class Mail.

If you take advantage of United States Postal Service (USPS) promotions, like USPS Marketing Mail, you may be eligible for a discounted postage rate of as little as $0.19 per piece postcard.

Master the Art of EDDM

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a cost-effective mailing service provided by the USPS. It’s designed to help businesses reach specific neighborhoods without needing a mailing list. It’s an ideal option for businesses that want to promote their services locally. With EDDM, you choose the areas you want to target, and the USPS handles the rest, delivering your mail exactly where you want it.

One key benefit of EDDM is that businesses can send up to 5,000 mailpieces per day through Standard Mail. This means there’s no need for a postage permit or detailed customer addresses—this simple process saves time and money, making it easier to reach potential customers while reducing postal costs.

Understanding EDDM Requirements

To ensure your mail qualifies for EDDM rates, some specific size and weight guidelines must be followed. For example, if you’re sending out postcards, here are the dimensions the USPS requires:

• Minimum Size: One side must be over 6 1/8 inches high or 10.5 inches long.
• Maximum Size: No side can exceed 12 inches in height or 15 inches in length.
• Weight Limit: Each mailpiece should weigh no more than 3.3 ounces.
• Thickness: Postcards must be thicker than 0.007 inches but not exceed 0.75 inches.

Following these requirements is essential, as mailpieces outside these specifications won’t qualify for EDDM pricing. When you work with Epsilon Individual Automotive, we ensure every piece of mail meets USPS standards so you can focus on growing your business.

Popular EDDM Postcard Sizes for Maximum Impact

Based on years of data, we’ve identified four standard postcard sizes that perform exceptionally well for businesses using EDDM. These sizes allow for effective design without increasing costs:

• Standard Size: 6.25” x 9”
• Large Size: 6.25” x 11”
• Jumbo Size: 8.5” x 11”
• Oversized Postcard: 12” x 15”

Did you know that oversized postcards, which grab attention with their bold presence, cost the same to mail as smaller, standard-sized postcards? This feature makes EDDM a highly cost-efficient way to send larger, more engaging mailpieces—great news if you want to make a solid first impression without a hefty price tag.

Can You Fold EDDM Postcards? Absolutely.

If you’ve thought that EDDM postcards must remain flat, you’re not alone. However, you can fold EDDM mailers, giving you more room to share detailed information or create a more interactive experience for your audience. Just remember that the total weight still needs to stay under 3.3 ounces, and all dimensions must meet USPS guidelines.

EDDM is a Smart Choice for Dealerships

Whether you run a small dealership or a larger operation, EDDM is an excellent option. With this service, you can easily reach local customers without breaking your marketing budget. It’s an effective way to boost lead generation and get more eyes on your business.

At Epsilon Individual Automotive, we specialize in helping businesses like yours create postcard campaigns that make the most of EDDM. Reach out to one of our experts today to learn more about how we can tailor your next direct mail campaign for success.

Flexible Design Options

While postcards are small in size, they make it possible to create a standout design in little time. Because of their size, you’re forced to present the most important information, making it highly skimmable for readers, and use eye-catching colors, images, and a layout.

It’s especially true that when you utilize the design experts at Epsilon Individual Automotive, you can say more with less!

Easy to Track

Tracking the effectiveness of a marketing campaign is essential. That way, you can make any necessary adjustments to ensure a future campaign with a higher return on investment (ROI).

Tracking the effectiveness of a postcard campaign is easy, especially when you include personalized URLs (PURLs) or 1-800 lead-generating tracking numbers. Epsilon Individual Automotive can help you track the number of postcards sent out and compare it to the number of people who opened the PURL or called the tracking number.

Postcards Cut Through the Digital Noise

Direct mail, including postcards, has the unique feature of being a physical object in a world that’s cluttered with online marketing. With a postcard, it physically exists in your potential customer’s hand. They have to look at it, likely with no other distractions like email or social media notifications. This gives them an opportunity to process it, remember it, and even keep it around the house for a little while. There’s no swiping it away. Throwing something out is a physical action.

If a postcard remains in the house for a little while, it also gives your potential lead an opportunity to return to the postcard again and complete your call to action.

Direct Mail Postcard Statistics

Are you interested in the numbers that can tell us how postcard direct mail marketing performs? Check out the statistics below!

Postcards Have a Response Rate of 4.25%

Postcards have the second-highest response rate of all direct mailers, at 4.25%. That’s just behind oversized envelopes at 5%.¹

Postcards, like oversized envelopes, stand out when collecting mail from a mailbox due to their size. They are not the same as a standard letting, grabbing attention right away, based on feel. Postcards also have the additional benefit of bright and colorful design, which stands out against white envelopes, too!

50.9% of Recipients Say They Find Postcards Useful

Postcards are an easy way to communicate simple messages and share promotions with your potential customers. A coupon for your service center is something that someone may hold onto and use when it’s time to get their oil changed.¹

This gives them a reason to keep the postcard around and follow up on the call to action.

90% of Millennials Believe Direct Mail Is More Trustworthy Than Email*

Direct mail marketing, including postcards, is often considered to be more trustworthy than email or online marketing methods. This approach separates itself from the concept of junk email that people receive every day.

Twenty-four percent of people even say they are more likely to recommend a company or product based on direct mail than email or other digital marketing channels.

Tips for Creating an Effective Postcard Campaign

Want to elevate your campaign further? Our design specialists are here to help you create a postcard that will stand out in the mailbox. Some of the things they’ll focus on when designing your campaign include:

• Personalization
• CTA (call to action)
• Imagery & design
• The promotion or offer

Here’s a quick look at our design team’s tips on creating an effective campaign!

Personalize Each Postcard

It’s no surprise that personalization is key to direct mail success. Personalization is as easy as adding the recipient’s name to the postcard. That simple act alone helps the mailer get the recipient’s attention and helps it feel more like communication rather than trying to sell something.

Make Your CTA Clear

A CTA, or call to action, is your way of telling the recipient what they need to do after reading your postcard. Should they visit your website and fill out a pre-approval form or visit your dealership and tour your showroom? Having a clear CTA will surely help you see results with your campaign.

On top of that, you’ll want to make sure that your CTA converts, meaning that the CTA should be trackable. Examples could include a PURL, a trackable 1-800 number, or a QR code.

Experiment with Imagery

One of the benefits of sending postcards is their visual component. Make sure to use an eye-catching photo that clearly represents your message. You’ll also want to ensure that you only use high-quality images to avoid grainy pictures or blurriness when printing.

Other visual components you can experiment with include contrasting colors, bold fonts, and even textured paper.

Make Your Offer About the Benefit, Not the Feature

Think of your potential customers’ needs. From this, build them an offer they can’t resist. The key to creating an offer that sells is to focus on the benefit of what you’re selling and not the feature itself.

For example, if you want to clear out your used car inventory, talk about all the benefits of purchasing a used car. Doing this, instead of focusing on the features of these used cars or your inventory as a whole, will help the recipient better understand why they need to purchase a used car from your dealership.

By following these tips, you’re more likely to see a higher ROI for your campaign.

Start Your Postcard Marketing Campaign Today!

Ready to kickstart a postcard marketing campaign? Trying to figure out where to start? The Epsilon Individual Automotive team is here to help with data solutions, design, production, and more. With our help, your postcard will stand out in the mailbox.

To get started, simply give us a call or send us an email today!

 

¹ https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/direct-mail-statistics/#gref