What is a Buck Slip?

THE BUCK STOPS HERE

What the heck is a buck slip? This was my first question when a client asked me to design one. Well, after researching and having a few designs under my belt, I feel like I can give a pretty decent rundown on the benefits of how they work, and how businesses can use them to their marketing advantage.

Buck slips, also commonly referred to as “buck inserts” or “buck sheets” are approximately the size of a dollar bill. Measuring at around 8.5“ x 3.5” or smaller, they are single, unfolded sheets frequently used as inserts. They are usually placed in envelopes or boxes that are mailed out by businesses as a promotion, or just as a fun design that customers might enjoy. The small size makes them an excellent envelope stuffer, and the “go to” for direct mail campaigns. Another use for buck slips would be companies using them for routing slips to communicate, or to keep track of products. So basically, just think of buck slips as miniature flyers.

In the printing world, many different forms of marketing materials can be printed in bulk. Buck slips are common in specific sales offers because they are small in size. Businesses use them as a way to reduce printing costs, and if the marketing message isn’t text-heavy, buck slips get the job done perfectly. The impact is greater with minimal space.

When designing one, it’s important to think about the space, or guidelines that you have. You want your design to be well thought out. A clean, well laid out design goes a long way. Always make sure your message is direct and straightforward to understand.

The ultimate goal of a buck slip is to grab attention. You want the targeted audience to take action. Marketers order buck slips printed in full color and double-sided the majority of the time. Buck slips remain one of the most effective print marketing tools there is because they are on the inexpensive side and they don’t use a ton of ink. They can also boost response rates when they include sales messages or time sensitive offers.

Many companies include buck slips with their regular correspondence to customers. It’s a great idea because the message ultimately is delivered without tacking on any additional postage expenses. Sometimes, they are even given to you by hand. Think of the last time you shopped for clothing – the salesclerk will usually place additional promotional information or coupons in your checkout bag. This is an example of how retailers boost their sales and keep marketing costs down.

All-in-all the buck slip is an excellent way to market your business or product while keeping printing costs down. You save money while you make money. So really, using your out-of-pocket bucks stop when you use buck slips.

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