What You Need to Know About … Postagrams

Postagram is an emerging app that combines the old with the new. For 99 cents per Postagram, users can employ their smartphone or tablet to design and order physical postcards to be mailed. The postcard can include photos from Instagram, Facebook or your camera roll, along with a personalized message. The finished product includes a perforated photo that can be torn out of the postcard, which the recipient can hang on his bulletin board, computer monitor or fridge. Retirement plan advisers interested in this app can send Postagrams to plan sponsor clients and prospects, participants, industry connections and others.

Here are a few ideas to get you started on using Postagram to grow your advisory business. As always, it is important to check with your compliance department before using the app for work-related marketing:

Send pictures of industry events. Advisers can snap photos at industry conferences or other relevant events and send a Postagram—with an event photo included—to industry connections. The message could be something like, “Great to see you at the (event’s name)!” and include your contact information so the recipient can get hold of you in the future.

If your company hosted the event, you could also send a Postagram to those who could not attend, with a message such as, “Sorry you couldn’t make it to our event. Hope to see you at the next one!” and again add your contact information.

Send business cards to prospects. Rather than include a photo in the space, you could also design a “postcard” business card: Create a simple JPG, PNG or GIF image that includes your contact information and drop it into the photo box. Recipients can then tear out your business card and refer to it when needed.

This is a particularly useful way to reach out to potential clients. A simple message on the Postagram can offer the prospect assistance: “Need help with your retirement plan? Call or email me, any time.”

Send news to your clients. If your company is relocating, Postagram is a great way to spread the news. Include a photo of your new location and a message such as, “We’ve moved! Here’s our new address.” This can also be used to announce that you have opened a new location or merged with another company.

Encourage participation and education. Advisers can send plan sponsors reminders via Postagram, such as, “Have you discussed the cost of health care in retirement with your participants lately?” On a periodic basis, advisers can send sponsors Postagrams to encourage participants to save more; this message can include statistics about the average participant account balance. Advisers can also send Postagrams with educational or communication tips for sponsors.

Say thank you. In the world of email and social media, it means a lot to receive physical mail. Clients will appreciate receiving thank-you notes in their mailboxes, and it will show the client that you are willing to go the extra mile. Best of all, the app’s convenience allows the adviser to create the thank-you notes directly after a meeting without worrying about the need to find stamps or a mailbox.

• After downloading the app, click “Create Postagram.”
• Select a photo from your camera roll, Instagram or Facebook. According to Postagram’s app information, the photo should be at least 612 pixels by 612 pixels and no more than 8MB in size.
• Move and scale the photo—it can be a JPG, PNG or GIF image.
• Click “Tap here to personalize your message,” then input your text.
• Search your address book, via Facebook, or input the recipient’s address by clicking the “+” sign.
• Complete your order and send.