What Size Postcard Is Most Effective?

People ask me all the time "What size postcard is most effective?" If you want to know then you came to the right place. here is a brief overview of what to consider when choosing your postcard size.

Before we jump right into the most effective postcard size, it is good to consider what the main options are.

What Are the Most Common Postcard Sizes?

The most common postcard sizes are 3x5, 4x6, 5x7, 5.5x8.5, 6x9, 6x11 and 6x12. However, almost no one uses the 3x5 except for traveling mail ins. Also, the 5x7 is a waste of money because for the same price you can get a 5.5x8.5 postcard. So for the sake of determining what size postcard is most effective, these two options are eliminated.

Top Considerations For Determining The Most Effective Postcard Size

1. Are you mailing the postcard to existing customers or to prospects?

If you are mailing to existing customers you can get away with a smaller card like 4x6. This smaller size will save you money and still get the message accross. It is less likely to get lost in the mail because your customers will recognize your brand. If you are mailing your postcard to new prospects then the most effective postcard size will be a larger one - at least the 5.5x8.5 size. This size are larger will stand out in the mail apart from the bills and other envelopes. 

2. What king of postcard mailing is it?

The big question here is really whether or not this is an EDDM, that is Every Door Direct Mailing, or not. If it is an EDDM mailing then you would go with the 6x12 size postcard as the most effective. The 6x12 size is considered a flat by the USPS and is larger than the more commonly used 6.5x9 flat size card. If you are going to mail a flat size card then you may as well go big with the 6x12 and get the extra real estate. For this reason, the 6x12 size postcard gets my vote for the most effective when doing EDDM.

3. How much postcard space do you need for your content?

This may seem like an obvious question. However, many do no consider this when designing their card. You do NOT want a crammed postcard design. For tips on how to design the most effective postcards check out my post on that topic. 

Consider how much space you need. Main postcard components are below 

• • Headline
  • Offer
  • Main image
  • Logo
  • Bullet points of your offering or services
  • Customer Testimonials / Quotes
  • Call to action
  • Contact info
    • Name
    • Phone
    • Address
    • Email
    • Website
    • QR code
    • Your image?
    • Map of location
  • Address area
  • Indicia / Postage area

If you are going for a more direct sales approach, how much text do you have? Are there legal disclaimers you need to include? Is there a reply form to fill out? And on and on. You can see there is much to consider. It may be helpful to start sketching out these items and see how much space it takes up.

In some cases, the most effective postcard size may be no postcard at all! You may even want to move away from a postcard and go to a letter format in order to get all your content included. 

4. Who are you mailing the postcard to?

Why would this matter when considering the most effective postcard size? Simple, consider the readers eye sight. If you are mailing to a target market over 50 then you better step it up a couple notches on the size. Think much larger fonts and bigger images. I tell all clients if they are mailing postcards to this market then the most effective postcard size is likely a 6x12 unless the content requirements are low in which case they may be able to pull off a 5.5x8.5 or a 6x9.

5. What is your postcard mailing budget?

How much you have to spend over the course of the year may very well determine the most effective postcard size, at least for your campaign. Repitition helps with response so if the larger size prevents you from mailing consistentantly due to lack of funds then you are better off mailing a smaller size but sticking with it all year long. 

So What Size Postcard Is The Most Effective?

It depends! Ahhh! You knew I was going to say that already, but if you read this far then hopefully you have at least learned a little something about what to consider when picking the right size for you.  If budget is not a concern, then I always recommend clients splurge on the extra 5 cents per postcard and upgrading to the 6x11 size. This is my favorite size postcard because it is the largest you can go and still get the cheaper letter class postage rates. It is larger then most everything else out there and doesnt cost you much more. 

Ready To Start Mailing Your Most Effective Postcard Size?

Give us a call at Mail King USA today or request a direct mail postcard quote now.