4 Benefits to Greeting Card Marketing You Might Not Have Considered

4 Benefits to Greeting Card Marketing You Might Not Have Considered

Direct mail can be a terrific addition to any marketing mix. However, mailing greeting cards is much different than mailing postcards or flyers. And customers know it.

When customers receive greeting cards in the mail, they don’t see the cards as direct mail pieces. Instead, they view them as one-of-a-kind touchpoints between them and their preferred brands. This distinction might not seem critical at face value, but it’s important for any business trying to nurture longer-lasting relationships with prospective buyers and steadfast fans — not to mention that it can at least double their return on investment.

The Magic of Greeting Card Marketing

Why do greeting cards stand out so much that 8 in 10 people told the Greeting Card Association that no amount of social media can replace their intrinsic value? The answer lies in their core authenticity.

At a time when information is far too instantaneous and fleeting, greeting cards offer a tangible, lasting connection between companies and customers. Around two-thirds of consumers told the United States Postal Service that getting cards in the mail helped them feel more connected to others, for instance. That’s a powerful reason for businesses to take greeting card marketing seriously.

Besides, everyone knows that it takes more careful thought to create and mail a greeting card than simply send off an email, text, or direct message. Consequently, greeting cards serve as the emotional link between all messaging and interactions. And we all know how emotions can fuel fandom and gratitude.

The Value of Emotional Marketing

Take the experience of Evergy. The energy provider wanted to give its customer service team members a measurable method to better relate to happy (and unhappy) customers. One solution the company tried was empowering its employees to log into a special online interface, choose from 50 Hallmark greeting cards, select or personalize a client message, and have the note automatically sent to the recipient.

Evergy discovered that its greeting card initiative far surpassed expectations. The company’s employees became more engaged, especially as they enjoyed the high approval ratings they received from 89% of people who received unexpected cards. Over time, Evergy received a high bump in customers’ perception of the brand; many customers even called in to say thank you or sent cards in response.

The ROI of Greeting Cards as a Marketing Strategy

Evergy’s efforts prove that greeting cards — when used appropriately — can trigger several key benefits for small businesses, midsized organizations, and large corporations alike. Here are other benefits that you might experience:

Benefit No. 1: Higher amounts of brand loyalty thanks to life event marketing.

Life event marketing can be best described as marketing that’s designed to celebrate the important moments in a person’s life, like a birthday or anniversary. Greeting cards are the perfect vehicles for businesses to launch life event marketing campaigns designed to tighten the brand-buyer bond. In fact, sending greeting cards to current customers is something 91.4% of businesses that practice life event marketing do, according to a new study led by Dr. Stephen Lind of the University of Southern California.

However, companies might want to experiment with sending cards to prospects as well. That way, the prospects can become knowledgeable about the business before saying “yes” to a sale.

Benefit No. 2: Lower customer churn rates.

Is it worth lowering customer attrition rates by 10%? Many companies think so, which is why they leverage Hallmark business greeting cards to increase retention and satisfaction among shoppers.

It’s well-known that customer acquisition costs far more than keeping a customer happy: The average repeat buyer spends 67% more than a newer counterpart, and Hallmark birthday cards alone have been shown to bring up average transactions by 42%. Consequently, card-based marketing tactics that strengthen the fidelity between customers and companies can serve to improve corporate revenue streams even before bringing more buyers into the fold.

Benefit No. 3: Improved word-of-mouth and referral marketing.

People talk, and businesses can make sure the chatter is positive by taking a page from well-known brands such as Chewy. The pet-devoted retailer consistently receives high marks because it sends greeting cards to pet parents. That might seem like a tiny tool, but it’s helped grow Chewy’s reputation to the point where it was worth more than $3 billion when PetSmart took it over in 2017.

When you’re the only organization in your industry doing something magical and delightful, you get noticed. People can’t stop raving about their incredible experiences. That’s advertising you can’t buy — but that you can see in your bottom line.

Benefit No. 4: Amplified employee engagement.

Another “hidden” place for ROI to come through on your greeting card marketing ventures is through happier workers. Our partners have told us they’ve seen an 18% bump in employee satisfaction among those who send greeting cards to customers.

Guess what? Those numbers are even more meaningful than you might think. There’s a direct correlation between staff engagement and customer experience. Put simply, companies with satisfied workers can expect better buyer satisfaction, too.

Greeting cards aren’t just a nice-to-have part of your marketing tool kit. They’re an essential way to open your sales pipeline and give your brand reputation a lift. Just don’t think of them as merely another direct mail solution. Instead, they belong in a class by themselves.

Hallmark Business Connections makes it easy to be thoughtful and intuitive via direct mail — contact us to see how.