Why a Handwritten Thank-You Note Should Be a Staple Email Strategy of Luxury Brands Luxury brands must remove themselves from the noise of email newsletters and retain exclusivity by whispering personalization and authenticity when communicating with their clients.
By Marilisa Barbieri •
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In the digital age of abundance and inclusivity, luxury brands must design an email strategy valuable for their clients by selecting appropriate channels and mediums.
Organic list-building, bespoke aesthetic, alignment with the brand and email frequency are essential components to retain exclusivity when executing your email strategy. But adding here and there a handwritten thank you note can make a world of difference.
Related: Thank You, Small Business
Tips for sealing real engagement with clients
The first step is to build a list of contacts organically. Obtaining permission before sending a message is the first step to having qualified leads sign up to receive branded content. In luxury, buying email lists won't work. It is counterproductive and goes against the rules of the luxury game.
Once you have the permission to send emails to your contact list, craft a newsletter with insights into your niche sector, news, events and behind the scenes. The frequency of the newsletter is of utmost importance: No more than four per calendar year. In my experience, to reinforce the perception of a luxury brand, your email campaigns should be rarified, targeting key events or holidays, containing original content, short and intriguing.
Digital communications shouldn't be any different than a bespoke brochure. Both must give the perception of effort and time spent creating the collaterals. Remember that every touchpoint with your client is an opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of your brand and products. Ignore standard templates and design a visual asset to whisper panache.
Related: 6 Reasons This Is the Perfect Thank-You Email to Send After a Job Interview
Tell customers you care about them with a handwritten note
Including a handwritten thank-you note is an effective tactic to add to the email marketing of your luxury brand. Think about it: What is more authentic and exclusive than a personalized handwritten thank-you note?
Handwritten notes are part of the clienteling practices borrowed from fashion retail. Clienteling focuses on engagement by remembering meaningful anecdotes and information shared during the sales ceremony. The retail team keeps track of all details to connect or re-activate clients.
At some point, I decided to test this practice myself. I invested time handwriting a thank you note to each client for New Year's. I then sent thank you notes for attending my events.
In my long experience in the industry, I learned that luxury consumers value time above all. Time is the ultimate luxury. My investment in writing a personalized message instead of a cheap email was recognized and well rewarded. Most of them have been my clients for over a decade.
You show authentic gratitude when you handwrite a message to a client. You invest time composing a personalized note, remembering meaningful information about the purchase, searching for the address, sealing the envelope, sending the mail and waiting for the manuscript to arrive at its destination.
Handwritten messages should be brief, personal and authentic. Sending handwritten notes tells your customers you care about them. You don't write them to generate sales, and they should fit naturally into the relationship.
