Afraid that your email won't be read? Try a handwritten letter! It could be worth the time and effort.
Tuesday: Write with the Pen of the Masters
As an independent professional, mastering the skill of content writing is important as it will help build your brand and establish yourself as an expert in your field.
When you write a copy for your brand, your goal is to make a lasting, positive impact on your target market to help promote your business.
It’s also important that you’re equipped with the right set of tools as you write your message.
Every Tuesday, I like to publish tips which will help you write a high-converting copy for your brand.
Below you’ll learn how handwritten letters can drive profitability for your business and help you achieve your goals.
I hope you find this week’s tip interesting and helpful for your next copywriting task.
Miles Everson
CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute
Write with the Pen of the Masters
When was the last time you received snail mail?
10 years ago?
5 years ago?
A year ago?
In a time when sending a message is just a click away, we tend to forget the importance of a handwritten letter.
According to the research conducted by Radicati Group Inc. on email statistics for 2015-2019, an average person sends and receives over 122 business emails daily.
Since that many emails is too much for us to go through in a day, most of those messages are either ignored or sent to the spam folder.
As an independent professional, that’s one of the things you wouldn’t want to have―your client or prospect disregard your carefully crafted email.
Why not try other methods?
When appropriate, write a handwritten letter to send or get your message across.
Handwritten letters or notes have become so uncommon nowadays that it is hard to imagine how it can be used to the benefit of your brand or business.
Just as a simple “thank you” note can go a long way for the person who’s reading it.
A handwritten letter can set you apart from others due to how rare they have become in the digital age. They can also do wonders in building good relations with your clients or prospects.
Here are reasons why you should consider putting in the extra time to craft a handwritten letter:
- Handwritten letters show investment.
Unlike the daily emails that a person receives each day, a handwritten letter is rare and stands out from the rest of the messages he or she receives.
Handwritten letters are also personal and show an investment of time from your (the sender’s) part―and your clients or prospects know that.
Unlike email messages and typewritten messages that can be easily printed out, each handwritten letter is almost 100% unique because you’re writing with your own hand.
You can easily type your messages to hundreds of people, but writing the same message by hand to even just 20 people in the same period could already be a feat in and of itself because of how tired your hands will be from all the writing.
Lending a part of your time to carefully craft your letter sends a message to your recipients that you value your business relationship with them. - It increases loyalty and confidence.
Whether it is a simple “thank you” note or a very detailed letter, there is an added personal touch to it, which thoughtfully connects people to your brand.
Expressing your gratitude to them through handwritten letters can make them feel special and enable them to see your brand in a positive light. - Handwritten letters can increase productivity in your business.
Who says you should only give out handwritten letters to clients? You can also write a few for your colleagues and staff!
After all, they’re also the ones who help you run the business.
Think of all their hard work and contributions. More than anyone else, they’re the first ones who deserve to be recognized and appreciated. A simple note of gratitude could go a long way!
It may even encourage them to work harder for the success of your business. - It leaves a lasting impression.
Not everyone takes the extra mile to send a personal note or letter to their clients, prospects, customers, and business personnel.
Aside from that, an emailed message doesn’t have the same impact on its recipient and can get deleted in an instant.
A physical note is more likely to be kept or displayed. It can even brighten up the recipient’s day!
Here are examples of brands that send handwritten notes to their customers along with the products they purchased:
FENDI
The renowned Italian luxury brand has taken the time to make sure their customers feel all the love and appreciation.
Silvia Venturini Fendi, the Head of Accessories of Fendi, insisted that the company’s “Peekaboo” bags (which were produced as requested by the customer) will be delivered with a handwritten “thank you” note.
The note, which also includes the customer’s name and a personal message for him or her, shows that Fendi values its customers, INDIVIDUALLY.
HEX
This American niche online shop that specializes in stylish accessories for high-tech gadgets is another example of personalized thoughtfulness.
Since HEX is a startup business, its founder Richard Heart knew that it can’t immediately compete with the marketing budgets of already established brands.
In order to differentiate itself and to stand out from the rest of its competitors, HEX asked its employees to handwrite 13,000 “thank you” notes and give it to anyone who buys a product from their shop.
With the help of these notes and a few friendly conversations with its buyers, HEX managed to convert buyers into regular customers.
YUPPIECHEF
This South African online retailer of kitchen and homeware products was founded in 2006 by Andrew Smith and Shane Dryden.
The business was one of a few experimental e-commerce projects Smith and Dryden initiated when they were running a web development agency at the time.
When Yuppiechef received its first order, its founders were so glad that they also sent out a handwritten letter to the buyer, thanking him for supporting their young business.
The buyer who received the handwritten note appreciated it and has been a regular buyer since then. He also recommended Yuppiechef to the people he knows.
Since that simple note became a hit for Yuppiechef, the company has decided to always include this level of personalization with their customers.
The next time you have something important and meaningful to say, try creating a handwritten letter.
It not only makes an impact on the recipient but also on you and your brand.
Step away from your computers, phones, and tablets once in a while. Write a letter, note, or message using a pen and paper.
Try something different, impactful, and something nice that your customers, clients, or colleagues least expect―just like a handwritten letter!
It could even help you gain more loyal clients and further strengthen your business relationships with them.
Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s “Write with the Pen of the Masters!”
