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Ultimate Branding: The Power of Old-Fashioned Letters
How personal, handwritten letters still wins hearts and signals authenticity
We are recipients of a lot of messages.
We get messages from text, chat, direct messages on social, and an avalanche of emails.
But these rapid channels of communication elicit different kinds of feelings, whether positive or negative.
Digital is not alone; there are analog channels that generate feelings of transience and sameness.
For example, you go to your physical mailbox and find all sorts of flyers, brochures, credit card offers, and scamming-looking envelopes that look official.
Lots of junk. Lots of disappointment.
Occasionally, you get an envelope that looks like a genuine handwritten letter in the bunch. Upon quick inspection, you discover it's another well-crafted real estate advertisement disguised to look intimate, non-transactional and genuine.
You’re disappointed…again.
On rare occasions, you get a letter (often wedding invitations) from someone you know who took time to handwrite a personal note.
You’re thrilled and comforted by the fact that you’re on their mind.
This is the power of a handwritten letter. It hits the head but jolts the heart.
Letter writing has tragically gone out of style in this era of ubiquitous digital communication like email, instant messaging, and short-lived Twitter.
Still, there may be great benefits to strengthening relationships and caring for our mental health if we get back into the habit of writing letters.
Writing a letter with all its due diligence—thinking about the recipient, carefully crafting each phrase, and reflecting on what to say — gives the practice an impact that is absent from modern communication.
Writing a letter allows you to fully immerse yourself in the moment, unlike many of our modern interactions.
Everything we write, from the tone we want to project to the feelings we hope to evoke, must be laser-focused on the letter.
