There are lots of ways to try to get a message out to your audience; whether your audience is existing & potential customers, existing & potential team members, referral sources, or something else. Just think about the messages you’ve seen in the last 30 minutes. You’ve probably been exposed to over 100, when counting emails, website pop-ups, facebook ads, billboards, on-hold recordings, radio commercials, and so forth.
When there are so many new “tech” ways to get a message out, why do so many new and established companies use venerable snail mail to communicate?
Maybe it is TOUCH.
You already know about the 5 senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. In communication, sight and hearing are used almost exclusively, and often overwhelmingly. So it should come as no surprise how engaging a unique smell, a different taste, or a luxurious touch can be.
Things you receive in the mail can create a very intimate connection. Of course your first reaction will be to the “sight”; what you see in the paper colors and graphic design. But how the physical piece feels has a lot to do with how lasting the message will be and how well people remember your brand.
Our hands are very sensitive. They have the greatest density of tactile receptors in our body. Often times, the combination of sight and touch makes a message far more effective than sight alone. And if the touch is unique or special, the story being told can be especially powerful.
Mail pieces can be made to evoke visceral responses through the use of paper stocks (textures), coatings (gloss, matte, etc.), print techniques (raised ink, foil stamping), and finishing (engraving, embossing).
Have you made an effort to TOUCH the people you’re trying to get your message to? If not, you should. It’s an under-utilized source of marketing for customers and team members.
