Tips for Postcard Layout and Design

Written by Brandon Cornett | © 2010

In this lesson, we will talk about the most common postcard layouts, and why they are so popular. Layout is slightly different from design. It’s how you organize the key elements of your postcard, such as the headline, the image, and the body copy.

Next time you read your favorite magazine, pay attention to the full-page ads. I’m willing to bet most of them follow the same format — headline at the top, big picture in middle, message and call-to-action at the bottom. Advertising pioneer David Ogilvy made this layout popular decades ago, and it’s still the most popular ad layout today.

Why is it popular? Because it works.

You see, David Ogilvy was passionate about testing his ads. He was downright scientific about it. And his research kept leading him toward what is now known as the “Ogilvy ad layout.” Readers responded to it more than any other layout. That’s why so many advertisers still use it. They don’t follow the formula because they’re unoriginal (though some may be) — they follow it because they’re smart.

As with magazine ads, successful formulas have emerged for postcards. Remember, we’re not designing for the sake of the design, but for the success of the message. Following a proven layout does not make you unoriginal—it makes you wise. It’s the strength of the offer that generates the response, no the originality of the design.

Later on, when we’ve graduated to that point, we’ll look at some actual postcard designs. For now, let’s look at some common postcard layouts. These layouts are used frequently by professional postcard marketers for the simple reason that they work.

What These Postcard Layouts Have in Common

These postcard layouts are simple, clean and easy to comprehend. They all have a certain “billboard” quality to them, which is ideal for postcard marketing. They are designed to capture the reader’s attention at a glance. After all, a glance is all you get when your postcard is pulled out of the mailbox.

The front of these postcards would capture the reader’s attention by stating the primary benefit or offer. On the back, the reader would find more information about the offer, as well as the call-to-action (instructions on how to respond).