Postcard vs. letter mail

Postcards have several advantages for many direct-mail campaigns: lower production cost (no envelope, no insertion), immediate visibility (the offer or image is seen instantly), and they are typically cheaper to print and mail per piece. Letters allow more copy — useful for detailed proposals, multi-page brochures, or communications that require a sense of privacy or formality (e.g., billing notices, medical communications). For local-business marketing — recalls, seasonal offers, reactivation campaigns — postcards are usually the more cost-effective and eye-catching choice. Research consistently shows postcards are opened (or more precisely, seen) at a higher rate than enveloped mail simply because there is nothing to open.