In our increasingly digital and disconnected world, where social media “likes” have taken the place of one-on-one conversations, the personal touch of handwritten correspondence can make a big difference for your company. A handwritten coupon card or other note can help set your company apart from the pack.
It‘s easy to understand why handwritten cards can help you stand out when you think of how much time you spend looking at screens. More people are working remotely, with that number predicted to double by the end of 2021, most of us find ourselves with mountains of digital content and unread emails. If you work on a laptop and own a smartphone, you could be staring at them for over nine hours each day.
Since email is such a big part of our digital lives, the constant barrage of spam and promotions that we instantly delete can be frustrating. Can you remember the last time you woke up excited about checking your email? One in four people looks forward to checking their postal mail each day, though. Up to 36% of them have positive feelings about getting a letter from a business.
Direct mail‘s response rate is up to 600% higher than the response rate for email marketing. You can combine the anticipation of getting direct mail with the personal touch of a handwritten coupon card to get your customers’ attention. Offering your customers a personalized discount for something they actually want can set your business above competitors.
Even without the personalization of a handwritten coupon card, mailed coupons can get your company noticed. Not only can it bring in new customers in a direct mail campaign, but it can also help you keep the customers you already have.
Even when many chain stores like Walgreens and CVS offer a large variety of digital coupons, most people still use paper coupons when bargain-hunting. Almost half of consumers use paper coupons regularly.
There are several good reasons to mail coupons to current and prospect customers.
Email marketing may have an advantage because of how inexpensive it is to send email in bulk, but direct mail still has a better conversion rate than other marketing methods. You can expect a response of about 5% from existing customers and close to 3% from prospects. All other marketing methods offer less than 1% returns.
Direct mail coupons that are well-targeted to customers and prospects are more noticeable. Not many people get mailed coupons outside of newspaper inserts. The tangible, physical coupon card will demand more attention than an email, which is easy to delete or ignore.
The tangible, physical coupon card will demand more attention than an email, which is easy to delete or ignore.
Spam filters keep unwanted email advertising out of inboxes, but it sometimes filters out the emails we actually want. Some filters are sensitive enough that they automatically shuffle emails from certain mailing list services into a spam folder. When you mail a handwritten coupon card, you don‘t have to worry about the customer missing out because it goes directly to their mailbox.
It can cost five times more to gain a new customer than it does to keep the ones you already have. When you offer a coupon to a repeat customer, it creates goodwill and rewards the customer for purchasing your products or services. Even if they don‘t use the coupon you mail, you‘ve reminded them you exist. They’re more likely to make a repeat purchase from your company than they would have been before they received mail from you.
A high-value coupon is one of the best ways to tempt customers to try something new. If they enjoy the product or service, they‘ll be more likely to purchase it at full price next time. Coupons for bestselling items or services offered to current customers can also make them feel appreciated and more favorable toward your company.
In the way a high-value coupon can encourage existing customers to try something new, one can convince a potential customer to make their first purchase. If they try your company at a discount and like what they receive, you could gain a loyal customer.
When people go into a grocery store with a coupon for potatoes, they‘ll usually come out with other items in their bag. This principle works for businesses that don‘t sell groceries too. A coupon card for one product or service can help entice customers to purchase other non-discounted items from you, making your return on investment even higher.
All the potential benefits of sending direct mail coupons become more likely when you send a handwritten coupon card. Receiving a handwritten note of any kind is such a rare occurrence that it automatically stands out to consumers. Most of us get deluged with email marketing and online ads that blur into the background, but handwritten mail gets our attention.
We may notice handwritten mail because it‘s rare and it looks so unique. However, there are other reasons besides rarity to why a handwritten coupon card will get noticed.
When people have been looking at screens most of their day, they‘ve seen an endless stream of ads and blocks of text that all look the same. A handwritten coupon card and envelope, on the other hand, is visually more interesting than an email or a card with a typed message. You can break through all the digital noise and printed junk mail when you send a handwritten note.
Printed text is usually easier to read and takes less time to read than handwritten text. The uniformity of the typeface makes it quick to scan a message and absorb it. Handwriting, on the other hand, takes a little more concentration to read. Studies show that it might be perceived differently by the brain than printed text. The small amount of extra attention needed to read the message can automatically make it more memorable.
It‘s easier to send a few emails than to send one handwritten note. It‘s also less expensive. When you send a handwritten coupon card to your customers, they will know that you made an effort to reach out to them and offer a discount. This effort can leave them with a more favorable impression of your company, whether they realize why they feel that way or not.
Almost three-quarters of customers want a more personalized shopping experience. That includes more personal communications. A handwritten coupon card or note instantly makes the entire experience feel more personal, whether or not the message on the card is personalized.
Any mailed or emailed coupon rewards the customer, which also serves as a type of thank you. But a handwritten coupon card can feel more like a company truly appreciates their patronage. If you sent a wedding gift and received a thank you note, would a printed text message or a handwritten one make you feel more appreciated?
If you sent a wedding gift and received a thank you note, would a printed text message or a handwritten one make you feel more appreciated?
Customers can feel the same way about business correspondence, which means that handwritten notes may feel more sincere. Include a thank you in your handwritten coupon card to create even more goodwill with your customers.
Make your handwritten note more about connecting with the customer than trying to sell them a product. You want to create goodwill and a favorable impression instead of using hard-sell tactics.
Some other things to keep in mind:
One of the most vital parts of a handwritten coupon code or any handwritten messages you send to customers is overall appearance. Your handwriting should be legible and attractive. Your command of spelling and grammar should be good enough to avoid any confusion in your message.
A handwritten note service can help you send a handwritten coupon card to large numbers of customers with minimal effort. If you’re unsure about writing a message yourself, a handwritten note service can also make sure that the tone of your message is perfect with top-notch penmanship, spelling, and grammar.
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