To put a street view of a home on a postcard, use the thanks.io Dynamic Image Builder: pick a base template, leave the street view image turned on, add a headline with the recipient’s address, and generate a preview. thanks.io then pulls a photo of each recipient’s own home and prints it on that recipient’s card automatically. You design the card once, and every person on your mailing list receives a postcard showing their house.
Here’s a quick walkthrough I recorded on adding AI effects to dynamic street view postcards. Watch it first, then use the steps below as a reference.
Supplemental resource: for the full end-to-end session, watch the Dynamic Card Generator Deep Dive webinar replay. It’s a longer Mailroom strategy session I ran that covers the entire build, including overlays, mailing lists, and automation. The step-by-step details and conversion numbers in this article come from that session.
What is a street view postcard?
A street view postcard is a mailer whose front shows a photo of the recipient’s actual home, taken from the street, with your offer and a QR code layered on top. In the video, I describe the image as “usually the street view image of the recipient’s home” and explains that the card is dynamically personalized for each person who receives it.
How do I put a street view of a home on a postcard?
- Open the Dynamic Builder. In your thanks.io dashboard, go to Image Templates on the left side and choose Dynamic Builder. Name your template, for example “Check Home Value.”
- Choose a base template. The base template controls where the dynamically inserted home image appears on the card. Pick one that leaves room for your headline and, if you want, a pointing graphic.
- Keep the street view selected. You can choose the view of the recipient’s home, or swap in a custom image instead. For a home photo, leave street view on.
- Optional: add an effect. The builder includes AI effects such as Halloween theming, Christmas lights, and snow. They let you send a seasonal card without paying for a seasonal design, because the effect is applied right on top of each recipient’s house.
- Write your headline with merge tags. Insert tags such as the recipient’s first name and address. In the demo, the header reads “See how much [address] might sell for today,” so each card names the home shown in the photo.
- Add a QR code. I recommend choosing message side QR and placing the destination URL on the back of the card. If you have no landing page, the default thanks.io page shows your contact info, and you are notified in real time when someone scans.
- Add your logo. Click your logo and it is added automatically from your branding settings.
- Generate a preview and save. Click Generate Preview to see the card with a home photo, then save it. It is stored like any other template and can be used in any postcard order.
How do I put myself or a logo in front of the house?
Use an overlay graphic. A common approach is a photo of yourself pointing at the QR code, placed over the home image. To build one:
- Create a Canva file at the exact overlay size shown in the builder (1875 by 1275 pixels in the demo). Use a custom project to set the dimensions.
- Remove the background so your image is transparent.
- Download the page as a PNG with the transparent background option ticked.
- Upload it as the overlay in the Dynamic Builder and generate the preview.
If you would rather not build it yourself, my team will help you create an overlay — just ask.
How do I send the street view postcard?
- Write the message side. Keep it short and focused on one benefit, such as “Scan the QR code to find out what your home might sell for.”
- Build a mailing list. Upload a CSV of your existing contacts (I recommend starting with people who already know you), or run a radius search around an address. In the demo, a radius list of 100 nearest neighbors, excluding condos, costs five cents per record.
- Create the order. Choose a 4×6 postcard, select your saved template and list, and choose to append “or current resident” so the post office is more likely to deliver the card.
- Send now or drip. Send immediately, or use Automated Campaigns to release one card a day or trigger a card when someone is added to a list. Orders go out the next day and arrive in about a week.
Does putting a house photo on a postcard actually work?
From what I’ve seen across thousands of these mailers, adding the picture of the house “definitely increases conversion.” For real estate and mortgage mailers with a “scan to get your home value” offer, conversion runs “drastically higher” than without the house, and it is “not unusual” to see 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 percent of recipients scan the QR code when the messaging is right. I don’t have formal published numbers yet, so treat these as reported results, not guarantees — but the attendees in the session reported the same.
Who should use street view postcards?
- Real estate agents: “Check your home value” cards to your sphere of influence, or monthly market update cards.
- Mortgage professionals: “See how much equity you can take out of your house.”
- Insurance agents: “See if you can lower your homeowner’s insurance.”
- Home service companies: Paving, landscaping, roofing, solar, fencing, and pavers. Send “we’re in the area” cards, or mail a radius list of new homeowners with a housewarming offer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use something other than the street view?
Yes. The Dynamic Builder lets you choose the view of the recipient’s home or place a custom image in the same spot.
Do I need design skills?
No. The base templates, merge tags, and effects handle the layout. Design skills are only helpful if you create a custom overlay in Canva.
Will each card show a different house?
Yes. The image is inserted dynamically per recipient, so each person sees their own home along with their name or address.
How do I know if someone scanned?
By default thanks.io sends an email and a text when someone scans, plus a daily activity log. You can change these settings in your profile.
Can I automate it?
Yes. Use Automated Campaigns to drip cards from a list, or connect your CRM through integrations such as Zapier, Lofty, and Follow Up Boss.
Ready to try it? Create a thanks.io account, open the Dynamic Builder, and preview a card with your own address.
