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Will Hand-Written Personalization Work for You?

December 15, 2008 It's that time of year — it's time to make last-minute pitches to meet end-of-year sales and fundraising goals. Is there a magic bullet? Of course not, but there are always unique approaches that can get you noticed. One is using personalized handwriting in direct mail pieces.

I'm not talking about using a handwriting font. I'm talking about using real handwriting. That personal touch can have a powerful motivating effect.

One company offering this service is Direct Mail By Hand, which uses live people to hand write addresses and personal notes to boost responses.

One non-profit in San Francisco, for example, has been using this approach in its fundraising solicitations. The non-profit, which provides education, wellness programs, practical assistance, and emotional support for those suffering with cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses, has achieved a 6.75% to date. Among first-time donors, the response rate is 12% higher among people giving for the first time.

Not only has the program raised more money, but it has disproportionately brought in more donors.

Another non-profit uses this approach to help it fund schools in developing countries. In one campaign, it used handwritten envelopes with the personalized message to get a 163% increase in response. The average donation size was 41% higher. This resulted in a 369% increase in the total donation dollars.

How much does something like this cost? It depends on

• the number of words being written,
• whether the message varies from recipient to recipient, and
• frequency of the project.

But to give some ballpark numbers, at Direct Mail By Hand envelope addressing (which includes folding, stuffing, sealing, stamping and mailing) typically ranges from 60 cents plus postage down to 38 cents plus postage for quantities of 15,000 or more.

Especially for small marketers, you don't want to use this approach for your full mailing list. But it might be worth a try for your top 10% of customers, for example, or your top-tier donors. This is yet another reason to get that database into shape!

Have questions? Comments? I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at info@digitalprintingreports.com. For more information on primers for marketers and small businesses on digital, 1:1, Web-to-print, and personalized URL applications, visit Digital Printing Reports. You can also keep up with all of my posts on EBS, The Inspired Economist ("Greening Print Marketing"), and other blog sites by following me on Twitter.

Posted by Heidi Tolliver Nigro on December 15, 2008 | Comments (0)