Take the time to get personal
December 2nd, 2008 by Ingrid Cliff
It is Christmas card season again – how many of you have received a card that doesn’t even have your name on it, just an impersonal printed greeting and possibly a few scribbled signatures from the people in the office? Why bother? It is very unlikely that this sort of card would make any lasting effect on the reader. People love to read about themselves and their name is one of the most powerful words you can use in marketing.
Over the years it has been proven that personalised cards, letters, invitations and surveys get significantly higher response rates. How much higher? Well the Neuromarketing blog talks about a study where the simple addition of a handwritten note on a post-it note, attached to a pre-printed letter increased the response rate by 75%, whereas a scribbled note on the paper itself only increased it by 48%.
The writer suggests businesses should also try to add a “From the desk of the CEO” note in lieu of the ubiquitous post-it note to test the response rate. A number of my clients have used this approach with their letters and we have had great results! I certainly recommend trying it.
I would like to add that things such as thank you notes and cards should also be handwritten for maximum effect. It shows you have taken the time to think about the client, that they are valued and important. If your writing is best described as hieroglyphics (like mine), then certainly type your letter so they can read it – but make sure the letter is personal and from the heart rather than a stock letter, and include a handwritten section if you can.
Until next time
Ingrid Cliff
We put your business into words
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 at 8:08 am and is filed under Marketing writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I love the handwritten post it note. What a great idea Ingrid. Attention grabbers are great for increasing readership and response rate from your customers.
December 5th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Aside from the fabulous information on your blog, I enjoy learning about the Australian culture and the difference that are in contrast to the U.S. As for cards, in the U.S. we attempt to send religiously neutural holiday cards to reflect the diverse culture. Additionally, sending cards is almost an ancient practice. Most businesses no longer send them. It will be interesting to see if the holiday card will be revived in the future.