The most effective marketing tactics are uncommon.
This is why the now uncommon practice of writing and sending physical letters can make your marketing more real, distinctive, and memorable.
During our long holiday weekend here in the United States I decided to step back from my business and take the time to consider what have been my most beneficial habits, and most successful practices.
Writing letters happens to be one of them.
A Story to Set This Up
When my daughter was entering her freshman year at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, they had an orientation for both the parents and the students. You can imagine that both parents and students were anxious about the challenges and opportunities of the future.
But every problem, every challenge, has a solution. In this situation, one was getting all of the parents together in an auditorium to have them do one simple task.
“Write your student a letter today that we’ll deliver to them two weeks from now.”
As the necessary writing materials were passed around, the room went silent.
All of those mixed emotions were channeled into hundreds of documents that undoubtedly made a significant and positive impact for everyone involved – for the parents today, and the students later when they received our words of encouragement.
You can use this same technique with your prospects and customers to achieve similar results.
Make Your Message More Real
Those that still appreciate the tactile qualities of real books over the their digital counterparts (which is probably most of us) – will also appreciate the same about physical letters. Letters, whether they are typed or handwritten, have qualities that engage the senses.
This makes the message that they carry come alive. It makes it more real.
Be Distinctive
Is sending a physical letter really an uncommon practice? Seriously, how many letters have you received from friends, associates, or customers this year. Not many is my guess.
Seth Godin recently reminded me what it was like to get letters from your parents when you were away for a week or so at summer camp. It was a moment we all looked forward to with great anticipation.
We even saved those letters and read them more than once. Your prospects and customers will do the same.
Letters are Memorable
Digital communications such as emails often get overlooked. Physical letters are like a package that one takes the time to carefully open.
For this reason, their contents are consumed with much greater focus and attention.
This is why physical letters can be the key that unlocks the door to your prospects who have been deleting your emails.
What are the doors, that you know when they are unlocked, will prove to be a win-win for you and your prospect?
That’s where you habit of letter writing should begin.
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Until tomorrow, Jeff
