When was the last time you got a birthday card that put you in a bad mood? How about one that made you regret opening the envelope? We’d be willing to bet these aren’t scenarios you’ve encountered because birthday cards almost universally make people happy.  

 Business birthday cards have the same effect. In fact, their impact may be greater because they’re unexpected. People assume they’ll get birthday cards from their family and friends, but from the brands they do business with? That’s significantly less common, and unique things can have an outsized emotional effect. 

 The fact is that if your company is like most businesses, you’re already collecting information on your customers, and birth dates are a common data point. If you aren’t using that information to help your clients celebrate their special days, you’re missing an inexpensive yet potent marketing tactic. 

 Sure, you could just send a birthday email, but your customers will see it for what it is, the bare minimum you can do. Birthday emails can have the opposite of your intended effect. Their impersonal nature makes people feel like numbers.  

 Handwritten business birthday cards are a much better option. Your recipient will feel important instead of another face in the crowd. That’s because handwritten cards take time to produce. The sender puts a little piece of themself down on the paper, and the reader responds to this emotionally. 

 And we’ll let you in on a little secret. You can send all the handwritten business birthday cards you want, automatically, without ever lifting a pen to paper. With Simply Noted, you can automate your cards and have entirely convincing, handwritten cards, written with real ballpoint pens, sent automatically whenever you need them. Should you take advantage? Absolutely! Here are five reasons why.

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THEY HELP YOU HOLD ONTO YOUR CUSTOMERS

It’s far more expensive to win a new customer than to hold onto those you already have — almost five times more expensive, to be exact. And yet, businesses often put the lion’s share of their marketing dollars into new business development instead of retention and relationship building. This is a mistake. Dollars spent on retention work harder and can deliver a higher return, and business birthday cards are particularly effective. 

 For the cost of a birthday card and a stamp, you can make your customers feel special. Along with regular check-ins, birthday cards help you develop a relationship with your customers that transcends simple business transactions. They become part of your extended family, and when you treat them as such, they notice. Customer loyalty goes through the roof, and the chances that you’ll need to replace them in the future goes way down. That’s the power of a handwritten birthday card.

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BUSINESS BIRTHDAY CARDS IMPROVE INTERNAL MORALE

Birthday cards aren’t just for your customers and clients. They’re essential for the health of your internal relationships as well. After all, while customers are a part of your extended family, your employees are your family. How much more do they deserve to be recognized on their birthday? 

 Sending birthday cards to your employees shows that you care about their personal lives and recognize them as valuable members of your team. It’s a tiny gesture, just a folded piece of paper, but the thought behind it has immeasurable value. Employees that feel seen and recognized are more satisfied, productive, and less likely to look for opportunities elsewhere. 

 Retaining good employees is just as important as holding onto customers, and Simply Noted makes it easy. You can opt to have handwritten cards sent to your employees on their birthdays automatically. Just be sure to vary the messages in your cards and personalize them to the employee. Simply Noted handwritten business birthday cards are incredibly authentic-feeling, but if you send the same message every time to every employee, they’ll lose their luster.

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HANDWRITTEN BIRTHDAY CARDS GET OPENED

Handwritten cards are a rare commodity in the world of snail mail. Unlike other forms of mail and direct mail marketing, handwritten cards enjoy a 99% open rate. This is important for keeping your company in your customers’ minds. Compared to a printed mailer that frequently ends up in the trash, a handwritten birthday card will be opened and read. This is valuable for brand recognition and for developing mindshare. 

 This doesn’t mean you should pack your business birthday cards with marketing messages. If your customers feel you’re trying to sell to them more than celebrate with them, the value of your cards will be lost. But including your logo and even a small gift is a good idea and can generate significant goodwill.

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AUTOMATED HANDWRITTEN CARDS ARE AFFORDABLE

Compared to the value they generate and the relationships they foster, handwritten business birthday cards require very little investment. Again, the important distinction is retention versus business development. When you send out 1,000 direct mail pieces, you’re ecstatic if you get a 9% response rate (42% for handwritten direct mail.) A 9% response rate means that 910 out of the 1,000 mailers either end up in the trash or is otherwise ignored.  

 By comparison, nearly every business birthday card you send out will get opened and read — every dollar you spend on birthday cards translates to a measurable result. And what would you rather do. Get 90 leads, or hold onto nearly 1,000 existing customers? The math is clear.

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PHYSICAL CARDS ACT AS VISUAL REMINDERS OF YOUR BRAND

When people get a birthday card in the mail, they’ll often display it for friends and family to see. When your card is included, you get free word-of-mouth advertising. Your logo will be proudly on display for any passersby to see. 

 Another benefit? Your recipient will see your card day in and day out. This helps keep you at the top of their mind. When they need a service you provide, who are they likely to call — one of your competitors, or you, the company with the heartfelt birthday card that’s sitting on their desk in front of them? More than likely you’ll get the call, and the few dollar you spent on the card will suddenly blossom into a significant income stream. 

 Give us a call if you’d like more information about Simply Noted and our automated, handwritten business birthday cards, thank you cards, holiday cards, and more! Our handwriting quality is outstanding. And because it’s written with real ballpoint pens, your recipients will never know you didn’t fill out their card yourself. We can even recreate your handwriting. Give us a call to learn more today!