Email vs Snail Mail: Three Ways to Ensure Your Message Stands Out

by | Nov 6, 2018 | Direct Mail Marketing, Email Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Strategic Marketing

“Did you know that the average office worker receives 121 emails per day!? Only a handful of them actually stand out.”

Email vs Snail Mail

Our inboxes are so jammed with electronic mail that snail mail is actually a thing again.

That’s right.

Direct mail via Canada Post in your actual real (physical) mailbox is the latest and greatest way to attract attention (assuming they aren’t on strike at the time).

Why? Because we have become so accustomed to NOT receiving traditional mail that when we do open that little box and see a letter waiting we get pretty excited! In fact, we open it.

In the US, apparently the number of emails sent each day outnumbers snail mail by 81 to 1. WOW!

Here’s a personal confession …. I never gave up on traditional mail, even when email became a thing. When I was a kid, I was conditioned to send thank-you notes and mail Christmas cards and birthday cards. It’s a practice I keep up.

You have no idea how many people who have received one of my cards or letters in the mail then email me to say thanks for the thank-you card. Oh the irony!

The pros and cons to each type of mail:

Snail Mail Pros

  • It’s reliable – most of the time the item does find its way to its intended recipient.
  • Only 50% of snail mail is considered SPAM (compared to 80% of email).
  • Handwritten snail mail is considered more personal.

Email Pros

  • It’s fast.
  • It’s cheap.
  • It’s easy.

Snail Mail Cons

  • It’s slow.
  • It’s expensive.

Email Cons

  • It’s somewhat impersonal.
  • It’s not super secure and is somewhat untrustworthy.

Getting Your Message Read

Whether it’s email or snail mail, there are 3 things you can do to stand out and increase your chances of having your message read:

  1. Incorporate your personality into your writing.
  2. Be conversational and casual.
  3. Keep it short & sweet.

Here are our top tips on Email Marketing, a free downloadable tips sheet. If you have had success with creative ways to make your messages standout over email or in hard copy format, I’d love to hear from you!

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