How Handwritten Mail Works
Handwritten mail is one of the most personable ways to connect with clients.
The perception of handwritten mail is positive and gives the recipient the impression they are receiving mail from a friend.
Many marketing professionals and small business owners have put handwritten mail to the test in their campaigns and have experienced positive results.
But what does the research say about handwritten mail and its role in connecting with clients?
Handwritten Mail Connects Better with Clients
Studies have proven that handwritten letters and hand addressed envelopes can increase open and response rates significantly.
An internal study by a direct marketing company showed handwritten mail is more effective than other mail solutions.
The company sent out mailers to 500 people in their test group to test the results of handwritten solutions with seven of their other mailer options.
One of those other options included attention grabbing envelopes that had a label that read “Free money inside!” stamped on the outside of the envelopes.
The results? The company experienced a 99.2% open rate for their handwritten solution while their seven other solutions resulted in a 34.2% open rate. They tracked results by comparing the number of checks cashed to the amount of checks mailed to people.
Though the labels on the envelopes (which promised free money) were an incentive to open the envelopes, it was the handwritten mail that peaked the test groups’ interest.
And since printed fonts on mailers are notoriously used in junk mail, the group more than likely identified the mail as junk and tossed it unopened.
Needless to say, handwritten mail continues to outperform printed mail – regardless of industry.
Results from another case study by Non-Profit Times showed that handwritten mail sent out once a year outperformed their other mailings “2 to 1 and often as much as 3 to 1.”
Why it’s Easier to Connect with Customers Using Handwritten Mail
The belief that people prefer to buy from people is a fact and has been proven by many brands.
When the “fashionable young company” HEX was struggling to stay afloat in their industry, they wrote thank you notes to their customers to show gratitude and to show they want to build a lasting relationship with them.
But it was more than their thank you notes that helped HEX earn their customers’ loyalty. Handwritten mail gives a business its personality, and this helps build trust. It’s also easier for a brand to stand out from their competitors when customers know they are supporting a business with employees who care about their shopping experience.
This is why designers and creators on websites like Etsy are building strong and lasting customer relationships regardless of their company size.
Handwritten mail acts like a written voice for small companies, and customers appreciate the time and effort it takes to write a letter or to hand-address an envelope.
Are you interested in increasing response rates or open rates with handwritten mail in your next direct mail campaign?
Letter Friend is here to help. Our staff of writers will get to work creating handwritten mail that will get you the response rates you want.
To get started, fill out this Free Quote and we will reach out to you to begin working today.