When is PostBug the right choice for my campaign?

Helpful tips below:

1. When not to use PostBug
2. Practical considerations for using postbug
3. Strategic considerations for using postcards
4. Tactical considerations for using postcards

1. 🚫 When not to use PostBug?

Avoid using postcards and other PostBug actions if:

• You're trying to reach a mass digital audience fast.
• The campaign is hyper time-sensitive (less than 48–72 hours lead time).
• You have no strategy and just want a new tactic for a change
• You're targeting recipients who routinely discard paper mail (e.g., some corporate settings).
• The issue is too complex for a postcard message—in that case, combine with long-form lobbying or briefing papers.

2. 📮Practical considerations for using PostBug

1. Supporter reach: Can you reach supporters and other allies to ask them to send a postcard?
2. Enagement: Will enough of your audience reply to make the impact you need?
3. Wider initiative: Is this part of a wider campaign? It should be. Single tactics rarely win alone.
4. Skills: Do you have designers and copywriters to develop the content (if not, you can commission PostBug for it)
5. Time: Physical postcards take time to print, post get delivered and get noticed.
6. Budget: Printing and postage has a small cost. How will this be covered?

3. 🎯 Strategic considerations for using postcards

a. You need to grab attention in a crowded advocacy space

• Why: MPs, councillors, and corporate decision-makers receive hundreds of emails daily. Printed postcards are tangible, visual, and hard to ignore.
• Use case: Competing against louder campaigns or during parliamentary moments with lots of lobbying.

b. You want to demonstrate constituent pressure

• Why: Decision-makers are more responsive to visible, local pressure—especially from constituents.
• Use case: Influencing MPs ahead of a vote, a budget proposal, or during a consultation period.

c. You want to show public sentiment physically

• Why: A desk stacked with postcards carries emotional and symbolic weight, unlike digital data that can be closed or ignored.
• Use case: Symbolic moments like a “delivery day” to Parliament, or showing support for a community cause.

d. You're targeting a select set of recipients (not a mass public campaign)

• Why: PostBug is ideal for reaching specific individuals (e.g., MPs, councillors, board members) rather than trying to influence broad public opinion.
• Use case: Persuading a company board, a regulatory body, or key local officials.

e. You're building a relational campaign (supporter + decision-naker)

• Why: A postcard can carry a story, a photograph, or a personal message. This can help humanise an issue for the recipient.
• Use case: Health, disability, education, or environmental campaigns where storytelling matters.

4. 🔧 Tactical considerations for using postcards

a. 🧠 Know your goal

✔ Influence a vote?

✔ Raise profile of an issue?

✔ Show widespread opposition?

✔ Build supporter engagement?

🔑 Define this upfront—it shapes everything else.

b. 🗺️ Choose the right targets

✅ MPs (especially wavering or marginal-seat MPs)

✅ Local councillors or mayors

✅ Executives of private or public bodies

✅ Voters (if using PostBug for persuasion/mobilisation)

🔍 Tip: Localised targeting is especially effective when combined with local constituency stories.

c. 🎨 Make the postcard visually compelling

• Use strong imagery tied to your cause.
• Keep messaging concise and emotive.
• Encourage handwritten-style messages or pre-set phrases that sound personal.

📌 Good visuals + brief, impactful text = higher chance of being read and remembered.

d. ✍️ Empower supporters to add their voice

• Let users customise the message or choose from options.
• Make it easy: pre-written templates with space for personal notes.

🤝 This enhances engagement and ownership.

e. ⏱️ Time it right

Use PostBug in advance of:

• Key votes or debates
• Committee hearings or consultations
• Policy announcements or spending reviews

🕒 Allow time for production and delivery—aim for postcards to arrive a few days before the decision point.

f. 📈 Follow up with recipients and supporters

• Tell recipients you’ll publish or share responses (if appropriate).
• Report back to supporters with updates—did the postcard pile grow? Did it get noticed?

📢 Closing the loop reinforces impact and supporter motivation.