I’ve worked with enough clients now to realize the most significant blunder people make when hiring us for a handwritten mail campaign.
Message Length.
Part of creating the highest level of credibility for handwritten cards is in the length strategy.
When I worked with clients, the first iteration of whatever message they sent me was typically about 60-70% too long. This is where my skills of brevity and conciseness come in handy. Okay, and some help with A.I. tools such as Gemini or ChatGPT.
Nevertheless, there is a bit of a science between message length.
For instance, some other robotic handwritten card companies recommend a 5×7 greeting card and around a pt as the starting point. 10 size font. Did you know most “Thank You” cards at Target or otherwise are roughly 4.25 x 5.5 in size?
These are the exact same greeting card sizes my kids have to write their thank-yous on following an onslaught of gifts for their parties. GhostHandwriter also recommends this size for many of our campaigns.
There’s a caveat, though.
In some instances, we combine a pre-printed message (such as an event invitation) with a slight touch of a handwritten note—usually a sentence or two at the most. This communicates to the recipient that “Yes, we mass-printed these postcards/invitations/flyers; however, we also took the time to interject a personal touch.”
What is the correct length of messaging for handwritten cards?
If the goal is the credibility of your handwritten cards, then we suggest 3 to 4 sentences at most. Possibly 5 sentences if the last one is short. (i.e., “P.S. Thanks for being a customer!”)
This is where A.I. technology has come in handy. We have used tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini to reduce the length of messaging while still capturing the core of the message. Then, with a human touch, we refine your message until it reaches a credible length.
From a character count standpoint, this puts us roughly in the 300-400 range.
What else should I consider for robotic handwritten cards?
Lastly, some other checkpoints we ask our clients are regarding the message’s audience.
This allows us to choose the right font style and size. For instance, a predominantly older female audience may appreciate our cursive handwriting style. We make sure to size the message correctly for the audience’s readability.
I’ve mentioned before that starting around 40 years old, most people will start to need readers, so we recommend larger fonts to ensure the message gets through. Not many robotic handwritten card companies may consider these when designing your campaign.
If you want to see if handwritten mailers can help you meet your goals, book a free call to discuss more!