Then watch as your contest takes on a life of its own.

3. Explore their personal interests!

What are your target clients' interests besides their work / their business / their job?

Do most of them watch same television show, subscribe to same print magazine, or patronize same chain of restaurants or cafés?

Work these other interests into your contest, and you would've captured their attention as well as their friendship, even as you're promoting your own product & website.

(PLUS! You can even propose profitable partnerships with local distributors/owners of their favorite show, magazine, or café -- creating more benefits and opportunities for both you & your clients.)

4. Promote for profitability!

So you've come up with a cutting edge contest idea, you've challenged your target clients, and you've even tapped into their interests & needs.

The last thing to do now is to make sure people hear about your extremely exciting contest -- not just participants, but spectators and media, too!

Top off your contest with a catchy name, a funny theme, a memorable jingle. Announce it in your mailing lists, in flyers, in press releases and on radio.

Make people so intrigued & interested in your contest that they can't wait to visit your site, call your number, or sign up for your mailing list.

And if you've put in all needed preparation & planning to make everything flow smoothly, rest will simply become history...

...marking an upturn in your PROFITS, and your prominence on web.

From ancient Roman gladiators to today's "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire," contests have always drawn hordes of participants & spectators alike, and can bring much needed activity, traffic, and profit to anyone who needs it.

So it only makes perfect sense to add history to creativity, and turn contests into profitable promotional tools for you AND your business TODAY.

© Tatiana Velitchkov

4) Make It Your Brochure

Who says postcards are only supposed to have 2 sides?

If you print your company information on card stock that's double regular postcard size, you can fold it in middle and -- viola! -- you get an instant 4-panel brochure to carry around or send through mail.

On other hand, there is no hard-and-fast rule that says effective brochures have to be multi-paneled, either. A 4½ by 6 inch postcard can carry 2 medium sized images, prominent recipient & return addresses, plus 325 words in 10 point Arial font -- which may be more than enough to invite new clients to try out your service.

5) Send A Series As A Mini Course

Taking off from idea behind successful correspondence courses & schools, you can offer to teach a special skill / expertise through a series of postcard-sized modules -- otherwise known as postcard mini-course.

Whether you're sending them as a free service or as a purchasable product by itself, postcard mini-course appeals to busy "students" who can't make time for longer instructional materials, but are attracted to idea that they can still improve themselves on a regular basis.

(Which practically describes most busy business owners & internet marketers. :-) )

6) Design Them As Tickets or Coupons

We've already seen theater & concert tickets designed in size of a regular postcard; maybe we've even kept them as souvenirs because we just couldn't bear to throw them out.

We can use this same "special event" appeal when we send postcards designed as tickets or coupons to our most valuable clients, offering them unique discounts or inviting them to an "online event."

Even after your sale/event is over and done with, chances are they'll still keep your postcard close, reminding them of you & your services for many months to come.

7) Finally -- Why Not Turn Postcards Into A Marketing Kit?

One graphic arts company did just that: they designed their entire marketing message using high-impact inspirational quotes on a set of 7 postcards, then bound cards in ribbon before presenting to prospective clients.

On one side of each card they showcased inspiring quote, then inserted a small statement underneath about how quote describes their company.

On other side of card they used same inspiring message as a jump-off point to discuss one of their specific abilities / achievements, ending always with their full contact information.

Each quote was powerful enough to encourage clients to display cards on their company bulletin boards -- and their strategy practically made their marketing kit as welcome to their prospects as valuable gifts.

Whether you've used postcards before or are just about to try and see how they'll affect your sales, remember that any marketing strategy can only be enhanced by your own creativity.

So jumpstart your imagination and add your own ideas into postcard promotion -- and all your efforts are sure to get that winning edge!

© Tatiana Velitchkov