Sending a hand addressed envelope has always been an effective direct mail strategy—almost all hand addressed mail gets opened and read—but many businesses are now embracing a variety of handwritten mail solutions to increase customer engagement. By utilizing personalized handwriting in innovative ways, you can create mail pieces that don’t just get opened, but also…
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The internet has truly revolutionized how we buy and sell things—anyone can buy practically anything with just a few clicks—but the convenience of online shopping has also created unintended hurdles: decision fatigue and marketing fatigue. Too Many Choices: Decision Fatigue In the pre-internet era, consumers were usually limited to whatever was available in local stores.…
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The digital advertising market is booming—businesses spend over $500 billion every year to show trillions of ads to internet users. That’s a lot of ads, but most of us are just tuning out. We’re scrolling past the ads to get to the content we actually want to see, and around 40% of computer users have…
Read moreEvery day, American mailboxes are filled with flyers, coupons and letters promoting products and services. We’re all used to it, and we’ve even coined a not-so-affectionate name for the direct mail advertisements that clog our mailbox: junk mail.
Consumers clearly aren’t impressed—over two-thirds of these ads are immediately thrown away, and typical direct mail response rates average just 1-2%. But what if you could double your response rate just by hand addressing the envelope?
Studies show that 99% of hand addressed mail will be opened and read. That’s a dramatic improvement over regular junk mail, and response rates soar even higher when a potential customer finds a handwritten note inside. In this competitive market, you have to stand out, and there’s little value in wasting money on expensive advertising campaigns that never convert to sales.
Here are three reasons why custom handwriting helps you connect with new leads:
Have you ever opened a package for something you bought online and then find a handwritten note inside thanking you for your order? It’s a fun and personalized touch, and it just feels nice to know that a real person wants you to enjoy your purchase. That’s why many small businesses include this note, because they know that customers are much more likely to buy again if they associate a positive experience with their last order.
Handwritten direct mail evokes that same kind of response. Receiving a hand addressed letter in the mail is a welcome experience that most of us don’t get to enjoy very often. It makes us interested to see what’s inside, and if a customer finds a handwritten note, they’re even more likely to respond to that advertisement.
Most consumers aren’t looking to switch from the products and services they’re already using—you have to compel them to make a change. Real handwriting shows a potential customer that you’re offering something more: not just a better price or new product, but a real person they can connect with to help them switch or upgrade. Even in the digital age, a lot of people still rely on great customer service as part of their decision-making process. You don’t want to lose those leads, and real handwriting shows consumers that you’ll take great care of them.
Everyone is simply inundated with ads. We can’t spend more than a few minutes online without encountering hundreds of offers for goods and services, and our natural response is to tune out. But a handwritten mail piece won’t get lost in the crowded jumble of online advertising. You’re delivering a customized communication directly to your potential consumer and, with a hand addressed envelope, it’s a lot harder for them to ignore.
If you’re a business that’s offering something new and unique, it’s a great way to explain what makes your product different. Your ad won’t be limited to a small box on Facebook; you can send letters, pictures and testimonials with a handwritten note. Response rates for this kind of customized direct mail can exceed 7-10%—double that of a traditional advertising campaign!