brief, episodic, evanescent, fleeting, flitting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, short, short-lived, temporary, transient, transitory, unenduring, volatile
As much as we love email to our consignment, resale, thrift customers, email is ephemeral and all of the above. Great for instant (Just received, 16 pairs of Blahniks, sizes 7-8) and reminders (Don’t miss the Bag Sale today and tomorrow!) …but email communication does tend to the transitory. On to the next email, forget your message.
enduring, eternal, everlasting, lasting, long, permanent, perpetual
Ah, but postcards. Tangible (and touchable and smellable and all that.) Save-able. Stick on the fridge to remind myself that It’s Time for Early Fall Consignments or Paying Top Dollar for Top Brands. Tuck in the glove box or use as a bookmark in my beach novel. See it time and time again for continual exposure to the call to action on it. This Coupon Good all August.
Can’t justify the printing and postage for postcards? Bag-stuffers, while their distribution is limited to current customers, are at least tangible.
Lesson: Don’t rely solely on email for your direct mail. Send something enduring and “real”…6 to 8 times a year. Are you?
All those who comment on this post will be entered into a drawing for a gift from TGtbT.com’s Products shop, our Postcard Idea Kit: 24 Layouts and Mailing List Kit.
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
birthday cards that are personlized are the best in my opinion, they really come from the bottom of the heart of the sender,,:
We send at least 6 postcards a year. 1 for each of seasonal clearance sales, 1 for our birthday, 1 for the beginning of each season, and 1 for Thanksgiving. These are the “planned” ones.
There is always an incentive on the card so the customer will return the card. It might be a $ off coupon, a % off or maybe a gift with purchase.
Great! Great! Great! I do send out postcards ocassionally, they usually bring in good response…I need to do it more often. I’m guilty of not sending out as many as I should. You always come in the nick of time for many many reminders of things that we should all be doing, but sometimes put on the back burner, when it should be front and center. Thanks Kate, for all of your wisdom and advise.
I am going to pull out some of my TGTBT goodies, and get the ideas onto paper!
Thanks again! Michelle
I agree that the emails are immediate, and I get a small surge in shoppers. I do see a larger return from the postcards I send out, I only send these out about 4 times a year; time to re-think that one. I love sending out my birthday cards too, people love them. I am trying to get better about sending out handwritten notes, but find that excuse of ‘no time’ keeps getting in the way. :~(
Wish I were going to conference, I’m gonna miss a lot of fun and some incredible learning. Somone please have a drink for me….anything except tequillla.
Molly