I mailed a card.
After reading that sentence, you may think to yourself, “seriously? Who does that?”
But really. I took a physical card, I physically wrote in it, physically put a stamp on it, and I physically put it in the mail.
But, like you, I have friends, and I value those friendships. A lot.
This particular friend and I have only really been friends for a few years now, but we have both had hardships that brought us close together — very quickly. In this case, my friend had a Birthday.
Now this friend is the type of person that will write cards, have her kids write you cards, and hand deliver them to your mailbox. She’s that thoughtful.
So I thought writing her a card was the least I could do to express my sincere appreciation for her friendship. She’s Miss Card-Writer over here, she probably gets lots of cards in return, right?
This was the response I received:
I got your card today!
You are the sweetest and most thoughtful friend. Thank you Lauren! I was so delighted to receive an actual card. You just never get these anymore. Thank you for taking the time to write and send one. Love you!
Talk about humbling. I just wanted to express appreciation for her friendship and she took it up a notch!
The Personal Effect of Mail Marketing
But I want us to think about that response for a moment. About much getting something personal in the mail means. Getting something personal in the mail:
- Shows appreciation and thoughtfulness
- Brings joy and delight
- Is considered rare
Do you want those three qualities reflected in your business? If so, send some mail! EDDM is one thing (and it usually does at least get a quick glance), but handwritten letters (or even letters that look handwritten) are in a totally different category.
Make Your Mail Stand Out
I know not all of us have time to hand-write letters to all of our clients, but there are things you can do to make your mail stand out:
- Make it different. Making an envelope a different size or color automatically grabs more eyeballs.
- Handwrite the address. Or even use a handwritten font. Those envelopes get opened at our house.
- Use a stamp. Nothing says personal like a stamp. I know it’s less expensive to do bulk mail, but how much do you really want customers to look at your letter?
- Personalize it. This is almost a must now. Most people are so used to seeing their names on cards, envelopes, and letters that not to have it is almost like asking them to throw it away.
- Make it simple. Nobody has time anymore. Everybody is overwhelmed. To get your message across easily and memorably, you have to make it simple.
So what can you do to get started making your company memorable in this simple way?
Send a card on special occasions (Birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) to show customers you’re thinking of them.
Send a thank you. Thank them for being a customer. Thank them for being a friend. Kindness deserves a thank you also. There’s always a reason to say thank you, so send customers a thank you to show you really mean it.
Once you do these things, your other marketing efforts have more weight. Reminding your customers you exist also keeps your company top-of-mind for when they do need your services.
Do you want more information? Do you need your mail, designed, personalized, or printed?
