In the world of direct mail, the postcard is the business equivalent of the office memo. Like the memo, the postcard has a specific audience and sends a single idea to its readers. The mantra in direct mail has always been, the bigger the package the better the response rate. But with companies looking for more cost effective ways to market to consumers, the postcard proves cheaper and, some would say, more effective.

Think about it. When you come home from a long day of work and have to sort through the daily mail, what appeals to you more: opening up the traditional envelope package, unfolding the letter as a buckslip falls out and clutters your floors, and then reading through a brochure that virtually repeats everything you just read in the letter-or- reading a simple postcard. No paper cuts opening the envelope. No pesky buckslips you have to pick up off the floor. No heavy verbiage to have to read and reread to understand. And no pressure. Because the job of a postcard is to drive consumers to the next step, not to close the deal.

With regard to the actual writing, there are a couple of rules. Any marketer should have a basic understanding of psychology. Not just because of the unreal deadlines or pushy clients that drive us to insanity; but also because it is psychology that helps us to understand why so many people skip to the "P.S." line first. Or how merely personalizing the salutation makes a person feel more connected to the brand.

Furthermore, some experts recommend keeping words down to 1 or 2 syllables. That's a hard skill to master. My last sentence followed the rule. So did that. Ok, this is the last one, I promise. But my point is that if a return to brevity is desperately needed in business communication, the postcard, due to its space constraints, absolutely mandates brevity and conciseness. The challenge is in doing it on a 4x6 piece of paper. Under a 48 hour deadline. With your boss hanging over you. And your client wanting it yesterday. Happy writing. (Under 2 syllables again).