Has anyone tried hand written addressed envelopes for direct mail?

rynophiliac

rynophiliac

New member
So I don't know about you guys but I rarely open any mail unless I either 1)recognize the company and have an account with them or 2)get a hand written envelope in the mail. I always seem to open these.

I'm just curious if anyone has ever tried sending some direct mail pieces in a hand written envelope? I would definitely print the letter but if you have a secretary playing on facebook all day she could be hand addressing the envelopes! Maybe a short one paragraph letter about how great your company is and a promotional coupon to give you a try?

You can great address information on zillow.com for your target neighborhoods. Just scope out the areas you want to focus on and write down one address. Go to zillow.com and type the address in and it will pull up the whole neighborhood on a map and you can click on each house in the map view it and get the address for all the neighbors. It just seems as though if it was hand written it will be guaranteed to be read? Then it's up to us to make a dang good letter to get them to call.
 
I've done it on small levels. Say like 100, but all to multi-million dollar homes. In fact, some of my best residential customers came this way.

Printed letters, hand signed. Envelope hand addressed, but the return address was pre-printed. I found envelopes at Office Depot one time that had a window at the top left hand corner that your business card went into, never have found them again though.

Here's a hint: Use blue ink.
 
WeWashConcrete said:
I've done it on small levels. Say like 100, but all to multi-million dollar homes. In fact, some of my best residential customers came this way.

Printed letters, hand signed. Envelope hand addressed, but the return address was pre-printed. I found envelopes at Office Depot one time that had a window at the top left hand corner that your business card went into, never have found them again though.

Here's a hint: Use blue ink.
Click to expand...


Why Blue?
 
I do about 200 -250 each week .I use the county GIS tax maps for the addresses .We send out a really nice looking flyer and a business card .
 
Have never tried hand written. Sounds very time consuming to hand wriite that many. Are you photo copying a hand written letter? I do postcards to every home on a street 2 days before I do a job on that street, and then again, 3 days after. That way they get the post card before I do the job, they see me and my rig doing a job on the street, and then a follow up reminder after I do the job. I always get at least 1 to 2 calls everytime, and never mail out more than 50 at a time. Usually just 20-25.
 
Ron Musgraves said:
Why Blue?
Click to expand...

Blue ink has a far better success rate for opening, according to many marketing sites. In fact, there are companies that do nothing but hand address your letters for you, and all of them suggest the blue ink.

They also suggest using a real stamp, as opposed to a metered stamp I guess.
 
WeWashConcrete said:
Blue ink has a far better success rate for opening, according to many marketing sites. In fact, there are companies that do nothing but hand address your letters for you, and all of them suggest the blue ink.

They also suggest using a real stamp, as opposed to a metered stamp I guess.
Click to expand...


Makes sense
 
WeWashConcrete said:
Blue ink has a far better success rate for opening, according to many marketing sites. In fact, there are companies that do nothing but hand address your letters for you, and all of them suggest the blue ink.

They also suggest using a real stamp, as opposed to a metered stamp I guess.
Click to expand...


We'll definately try the blue ink.
 
Heard an interview with a marketing guy that said the number 1 opened piece of mail is a greeting card. So the spring mailer that goes out after the Home Show in February will be hand addressed cards thanking them for stopping to visit us at the home show, with a business card. And now I'll use blue ink!
 
Nichole said:
There are some fonts that look like they are hand writting but are still printed in black. Blue stands out more as "really" hand written. I have 2 companies that send me letters that are supposed to look hand written.
Click to expand...

You mean like this one?

So I don't know about you guys but I rarely open any mail unless I either 1)recognize the company and have an account with them or 2)get a hand written envelope in the mail. I always seem to open these.

I'm just curious if anyone has ever tried sending some direct mail pieces in a hand written envelope? I would definitely print the letter but if you have a secretary playing on facebook all day she could be hand addressing the envelopes! Maybe a short one paragraph letter about how great your company is and a promotional coupon to give you a try?

You can great address information on zillow.com for your target neighborhoods. Just scope out the areas you want to focus on and write down one address. Go to zillow.com and type the address in and it will pull up the whole neighborhood on a map and you can click on each house in the map view it and get the address for all the neighbors. It just seems as though if it was hand written it will be guaranteed to be read? Then it's up to us to make a dang good letter to get them to call.
 
What about this...

To keep from having to hand write the entire letter. Print it from the computer like normal. Maybe to entice them to read it hand write a short note on a colorful post it and put it in the envelope with the letter?

"Hey, thought you might want to check this out! -Chris"

Maybe something like that? Of course the letter would still have to be good!
 
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