In today's competitive (sometimes cutthroat) marketplace, savvy business owners need to constantly look for ways to get and, more importantly, keep their customers. When used properly postcards offer a great opportunity to do both.

1. Mail systematically to a targeted database of prospects. Most people who use postcard mailings as a way to acquire new customers mail to a list once and then stop. It's far more effective (provided that your postcards have an enticing offer, and provided that you are mailing to a group of "ripe" prospects) to mail regularly to the same group of potential customers.

Think about it this way. How many times have you received something in the mail or seen an ad on TV and thought, "that's a good idea, I need to look into that." Only to forget about it the next day and never take action. That's just human nature. And that's why it's better to mail systematically and regularly to a group of prospects than it is to just mail once or twice. It may take 3 or 4 contacts with a customer before they are willing to do business with you.

2. Systematically contact your customers. Once a business gains a new customer the tendency is to do nothing but hope that the customer will come back. Bad idea. It's far better to be proactive and mail monthly, weekly, quarterly, etc. to your current customers offering them special incentives, additional products, or just to simply thank them for their business. It's amazing what kind of growth you can achieve if you get even a small percentage of your customers to make an additional purchase or two throughout the year.

3. Allow your customer to be a hero. One great way to build a relationship with your current customers and potentially gain new customers is to send them a postcard with a special offer that is only good for previous customers or friends and family of previous customers. When you send a postcard with a coupon or special offer on it, state very clearly that your valued customer is free to use the coupon for themselves or they can pass it on to someone else. This will make them feel good, and will potentially build a repeat purchase, or develop a new client. It's like killing two birds with one stone.

Postcards can quickly and inexpensively communicate your message to prospects and consumers. When used as part of an integrated system, post cards can be a very powerful tool to generate new customers and then ensure that those customers keep coming back to you over and over again. In business, what could be better.

Brett Curry is a Marketing Consultant and Marketing Director for Brochures.com. Brochures.com is the home of top quality, full color brochures, business cards, postcards and more at up to 70% off of retail. http://www.brochures.com marketing@brochures.com