As a businessperson, there are probably many ways in which you try to promote your business (if you are not, you should be). You advertise in the local papers. You place unique, attractive signage outside of your store. You might even record a spot to use in a radio ad. If you have a really big advertising budget, you may even be able to do a local television commercial.

Still, even with all these marketing strategies, perhaps the most reliable way to advertise is the oldest: by word of mouth. If someone hears about your company through a friend or associate, they trust that information (whether it’s good or bad) more than they trust what they see in ads. If one of your customers tells his friends that he had a great experience at your store, and was served well, his friends are much more likely to come to you for business.

So, ideally, you want every one of your customers to go out and promote your business by telling everyone they know about you. But they are not going to do it on their own. You have to encourage them to spread the word.

A very effective way to gently prod your customers into helping you is by sending them a postcard. A good-looking, quality postcard, with some encouraging words on it, can really do wonders for promoting your business via word of mouth.

But you should make sure the postcards you send are of very good quality, and are attractive. Do not get boring, black-and-white ones. Spring for full color postcards; it will be well worth it in the end.

The design you choose should be associated with your business, including the color scheme. Make it something that will remind the customer of your business every time they look at it. A very good place to go for postcard printing is someplace where you can choose from hundreds of different options and a place where they will literally do everything for you, even mailing.

Whatever you do, just focus on printing good, attractive postcards, and only send them to former customers. Put a few words on the card asking these customers to tell their friends and family about your services. You will be amazed at the results you can achieve.

Think of it this way: postcard printing is a whole lot cheaper than making a television commercial!