I Love Email (But I Love Real Mail More)

You know I love email, right?

I don’t necessarily love all of the spam that hits my inbox or the countless hours I spend reading and replying to email, but I can’t imagine running my business without it.

How would I ever be able to help as many people as I do for such a bargain rate?

And as much as I love email, I love real mail even more.

Why You Should Rave About Real Mail, Too

Here are three reasons why I’m raving about real mail to my students, members, and private clients, and why you should, too.

1. Real mail is tactile.

Envelopes and postcards are things you can touch. You can cut, tear, and unpack a package (sometimes you can even smell it).

Add a handwritten note and voilà! You’ve enhanced your emotional bond with recipients. This emotional bond can’t be duplicated with email. True?

I can’t think of a single email, regardless of how kind it was, that evoked the same level of emotion as a piece of mail with personal handwriting.

2. Real mail distinguishes you from all of the other artists who aren’t using it.

When you send a package, letter, or postcard, you have to address it, stamp it, and put it in a mailbox. It’s so much work that most people don’t do it. How did we ever manage in the past?

Recipients will recognize and appreciate this extra effort.

Everyone uses email. Most people use it poorly. They don’t address people by name or sign their messages. This is a lousy business practice and it’s no way to nurture relationships.

Real mail has the potential to delight. Imagine the expression on recipients’ faces when they poke through their unwanted mail and find a piece with your art on it. ART. In the mail. Cool! Something fun to receive.

3. Real mail endures.

Recipients can keep a letter or postcard in a folder, tack it to a bulletin board, or slap a magnet on it for the refrigerator. They can keep it on top of a busy desk to make them smile.

Some people even frame their mail from artists.

Not so with email. Yes, I’m aware that some people never get around to deleting email, but in the company of several thousand messages in an inbox, your email might as well be in a black hole.

I don’t know about you, but I am quick with the Delete key.

I can easily plow through 300 emails in an hour when I need to. My focus isn’t on responding to the juicy stuff. I’m just trying to get rid of everything that doesn’t absolutely require my attention. I miss hundreds of marketing messages this way, but it’s the only way to remain sane with an overflowing inbox.

Maybe I missed one of your messages while emptying my inbox.

I Hear You

I hear your objections already. Real mail can be expensive. And, for whatever reasons, we think real mail needs to be a little more perfect than email. This means it takes longer to write, print, stamp, and send.

This means you don’t send real mail to everyone on your list. You send it to appropriate geographical regions, VIPs, and for special occasions. All the more reason to segment your list and keep your contacts database updated.

Real mail can make a real difference in your results. If you can only find the love for it.

If you’re loving real mail as much as I do, tweet this or share it on Facebook: “I love real mail because …” and fill in the blank.

You can also share your responses in a comment here.