How to Impact People With Handwritten Cards

Things make an impact when they’re unexpected, deeply personal, or created to resonate with what we value. Handwritten notes — like thank you cards and birthday cards — share all of these features.

They’re unexpected — handwritten notes are rare in our digital world. When one arrives in your mailbox, it’s cause for excitement. They’re also a deeply personal expression of emotion from one person to another. And because they take time to craft, they’re written intentionally. Every word has a purpose, and each has the potential to make an impact.

Finally, they resonate with us. Thank you cards, and other handwritten notes have an immediacy that’s not present in digital communications. The sender leaves a bit of themselves on the page with every pen stroke. The writing creates a direct connection to their recipient. We value attachments and strong relational bonds, and handwritten cards build relationships.

Let’s look at a few ways to use handwritten cards to impact the most important people to you and your business.

EXPRESS GRATITUDE WITH THANK YOU CARDS

Both individuals and businesses can benefit by sending out thank you cards because, in the end, they’re all people. People like to feel appreciated, and the contacts that remind them of their value are placed in high esteem. There are a few ways you can use thank you cards to deepen your personal and business relationships.

Thank Your Customers For Their Loyalty

There’s no better way to impress on your customers how valuable they are to you than by putting a heartfelt “thank you” in the mail. You could send out thank you cards periodically, or you can include them in your sales cycle, sending one out at the completion of a major project.

If you make this a habit, you’ll accomplish two things. First, you’ll deepen the relationship with your customer, encouraging them to remain loyal. Second, you’ll keep your brand in their view. Each card you send out reminds your customers to contact you. Attractive handwritten notes are often placed on display, which further increases your visibility.

Show Your Employees Some Love

Thank you cards are a great way to recognize staff members when they go above and beyond. Not does the practice of thanking employees increase morale, it motivates your staff to keep working hard.

Employees want to know that their hard work is noticed and appreciated. If you don’t take the time to recognize them, you risk demotivating them and potentially losing them to another company.4

CELEBRATE SPECIAL EVENTS

Handwritten cards are a great way to celebrate the milestones in your customers’ lives. Birthdays and holidays are the first things that spring to mind, but they aren’t the only possibilities.

You might send out cards each year to celebrate a client’s or an employee’s anniversary working with you. If a customer lands a big account, you might consider congratulating them. You could also send out welcome cards to new clients.

Recognizing significant events in people’s lives makes them feel special, and it shows that you care. And that creates a sentimental bond that’s hard to break. In this way, handwritten cards are an investment in the relationships that matter to your business. The more you stay in contact with your customers, the better poised your company will be for the future.

Lovely parchment thank you cards with a flower print.

HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF YOUR HANDWRITTEN CARDS

Individuals sending cards to family and friends don’t need to worry about impact — it will happen naturally with close relations. On the other hand, businesses should view handwritten cards as an investment, and by maximizing the impact these cards can make, companies can increase their ROI. Personalizing your corporate holiday cards always makes a difference.

be personable

The value of a handwritten card comes from its uniqueness. Anyone can mass-produce a single mailer and send it to everyone on their list, but it doesn’t make an emotional connection. So be sure to include details specific to your recipient.

If you’re sending thank you cards, talk about the specific items you’re grateful for. Include other language that’s only pertinent to your recipient. Doing these things clarifies that you’re writing your card with your recipient in mind, increasing your message’s impact.

don't be pushy

It’s okay to include a very subtle sales pitch in your handwritten cards, but you shouldn’t be too overt. Handwritten cards are valuable from a relationship marketing perspective — they aren’t intended to sell directly. Instead, they help strengthen business relationships and increase your customers’ affinity for your brand. This makes future sales efforts easier and helps retain customers long-term.

An overhead shot of a present sitting wrapped on a wood floor.

include a gift

Add something of value into your envelope to help sweeten the pot. It doesn’t have to be much. Make it something that brings your customer back to you — a coupon, product sample, or small discount on future services are all appropriate. These additions are perfect for thank you cards, holiday cards, and particularly birthday cards.

Automate Your Mailings

If there’s one challenge to handwritten cards that businesses have a hard time overcoming, it’s the time involved. Writing one card takes long enough. Multiply that by dozens, hundreds, or thousands, and the prospect of mailing handwritten cards becomes unworkable.

That’s why you need Simply Noted. We have fleets of automated handwriting machines that use real ballpoint pens to create authentic-feeling, handwritten cards. With our bulk ordering process, you could quickly send out handwritten holiday cards to everyone on your list. You can use our scheduling feature to order birthday cards for your employees and clients and have them sent at the right time. Each card can include personal details so that they don’t feel like a cookie-cutter mailing. And anytime you need to send thank you cards, you can quickly order single cards through our intuitive interface.

Whether you’re sending thank you cards, getting your corporate holiday cards done in one shot, or boosting the ROI of your direct mail with handwritten cards’ 99% open rate, you can do it all with Simply Noted.