A recent study on different advertising techniques found that of all forms of advertising, print media ranked the highest in terms of brand favorability and intent to purchase. This may be surprising in our increasingly digital age, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Not only does the brain respond differently to print – engaging with the material more deeply and creating firmer memories than other forms of media – print advertising, and letter writing in particular, gives your marketing a much more personal touch. There are of course other ways to create a feeling of personal outreach, but letter writing remains one of the most effective forms.

The Power of Personal Touch

We all know how great it can feel to receive personal letters, whether from friends, family, acquaintances, or even business associates. The reason for this is that a letter feels much more personal than an email or text from the same person. So why are so many marketers overlooking this incredibly powerful form of outreach in favor of digital strategies?

Lois Geller, a marketing guru at Forbes outlines some of the reasons people give for forgoing letters. Common responses included a preference for digital marketing, worry about the cost of print campaigns, and bad experiences with ill-written letter campaigns. Still, she says, a great letter can be very effective, lifting response rates by as much as 1300%, pacifying irate customers, and even building new business. Plus, a letter campaign may be easier to pull off than you think. OnlineStamp.net explains that one way in which our digital world supports the practice of letter writing is by simplifying things like printing and shipping. For instance, you no longer need to go get stamps in person, you can order them online instead.

Running a Successful Letter Campaign

The key to a successful letter campaign is creating that feeling of personal care and intimacy. So you don’t want to go overboard with reach — focus on top prospects and big customers instead. From there, you can integrate a few common sales tactics to make your letters more effective. You want to make the benefit of doing business with you clear to the reader and answer any questions they might have in advance. Then, just like a marketing email, you should end with a clear call to action.

Similarly, tactics like including a postscript, offering limited-time deals, and using a snappy opening line can make your letter even more effective. Print marketing isn’t dead yet, and you may be surprised to find out just how well it can complement your digital marketing campaigns. Happy letter writing!