Right, let’s talk about scratch cards. Yes, actual physical scratch cards. And no, I haven’t lost the plot.

We’re All Sick of Digital Spam

Hands up if you’ve deleted about 20 promotional emails today without even opening them. Everyone? Thought so.

We’ve all become completely blind to digital marketing. Banner ads? Don’t see them. Email newsletters? Straight in the bin. Facebook ads? Scroll past without even registering what they were for.

Your customers are doing exactly the same thing with your marketing. Doesn’t matter how clever your subject line is or how much you spent on those Instagram ads – people are just tuning it all out.

Why Scratch Cards Actually Get People’s Attention

There’s something about a scratch card that people can’t ignore. Maybe it’s because we all remember getting them as kids and that little hit of excitement when you scratched them off. Maybe it’s just because nobody else is doing it so it stands out.

A mate of mine runs a barber shop in Leeds. Gives out scratch cards with appointments. Nothing massive – most people win a quid off their next cut, sometimes they get a free hot towel shave. He reckons about 80% of his customers actually use them, which is mental when you think about how many loyalty cards end up forgotten in a drawer.

The lads at North Star Design print these things and they’ve been saying everyone’s asking for them lately. Not because they’re some new trendy thing, but because they’re different. When everything else is on a screen, something you can hold and scratch feels a bit special.

Where They Actually Work

You’re not binning off your Google Ads budget for scratch cards. That would be stupid. But they fit in alongside all your digital stuff really well.

At the till: Just hand them out when people pay. “Here’s a scratch card, might be your lucky day.” Takes literally two seconds and suddenly you’ve turned a boring transaction into something people remember.

With gift vouchers: Someone’s just bought a £50 voucher? Stick a scratch card in with it. Even if they don’t win anything big, they’ll remember you did something a bit different.

Loyalty schemes: Forget boring stamp cards that people lose. Give out scratch cards instead. Makes the whole thing feel less like homework and more like a bit of fun.

Trade shows: You know how you come back from those things with a bag full of pens and flyers you immediately chuck in the bin? Hand out scratch cards instead. People will actually keep them.

Welcome packs: New customer signs up? Post them a scratch card. Costs you basically nothing, makes them feel like you’re not just another faceless company.

Why Your Brain Loves Them

There’s some psychology nonsense behind why these work so well. Something about variable rewards and dopamine – same reason fruit machines are addictive, but obviously we’re not trying to bankrupt anyone.

When you don’t know if you’ll win, your brain gets all excited. That excitement gets linked to your business. So even if they don’t win anything, they’ve had that little buzz and it’s your brand they’re thinking about.

Plus once someone’s holding your scratch card, they feel like they’ve got something. They’re invested. Even losers will probably keep it in their wallet for a bit.

How to Not Mess It Up

Don’t just print 5,000 scratch cards and start chucking them at people. You need an actual plan.

Most prizes should be small: You’re not giving away the farm. Free delivery, 10% off, buy one get one half price. Small stuff that keeps people interested.

A few prizes should be decent: Stick a couple of bigger prizes in there – free product, big discount, that sort of thing. People will talk about whoever won, and that’s free marketing.

Be clear about the rules: If it’s one per purchase or only on Tuesdays or whatever, make that really obvious. Nothing winds people up more than thinking they should’ve got something and didn’t.

Link them to your digital stuff: Stick a QR code on them. Post winner photos on Instagram. Use both together instead of treating them like separate things.

Track what’s working: Put codes on them so you know how many are getting used. If nobody’s bothering, you need to know that.

Getting Them Printed Matters More Than You’d Think

I’ve seen businesses get scratch cards printed on the cheap and they’re absolutely rubbish. The scratch-off bit comes off in weird clumps, or it’s so thick you practically need a chisel, or the text underneath smudges so you can’t read what you’ve won.

North Star Design do them right. The coating goes on smooth, scratches off easily, and everything underneath stays clear. Sounds basic but you’d be amazed how many printers get it wrong.

They can also do basically whatever you want – shaped like your logo, specific colours, security features so people can’t fake them, whatever. I’ve seen some really creative stuff come out of there.

Is This Actually Worth Bothering With?

Look, most of my day is spent faffing about with Facebook ads and Google Analytics. I’m not anti-digital. But I’ve watched enough local businesses use scratch cards to know they work.

They’re not replacing your email marketing or your PPC campaigns. But for actually getting people to engage with your brand and remember who you are? They’re brilliant.

And they’re cheap as chips. If you’re ordering a decent batch, you’re looking at pennies per card. Compare that to what you’re paying for Facebook ads that people scroll past without even seeing.

Just Try It

If you’re thinking about this, don’t go mental and order 10,000. Get 500, run them for a month, see what happens.

Sort out what your prizes are before you start printing anything. Nothing kills a promotion faster than promising stuff you can’t actually deliver.

And talk to someone who knows what they’re doing. The team at North Star Design have printed thousands of these and they’ll tell you straight if your idea’s going to work or if it’s daft.

Digital marketing’s great and everything, but sometimes the best marketing is the stuff that makes people smile when they scratch it and find out they’ve won a free coffee.