Is Business Letterhead Really Necessary?

In a world of e-mails, text messages and ]]>Facebook]]>, you might wonder whether business letterhead is still relevant. Is there anything business letterhead can do for your business that electronic mediums cannot? The answer is a resounding "yes!" Below, we take a look at how business letterhead can increase your business through creative communication.

A mailed letter means more

E-mail is convenient and easy. There's little thought put into hitting "send." But a letter sent via mail means so much more to many individuals today - it means that you care about them and that they are very important to you. It seems more official and poignant. It is personal, and by showing potential customers you respect them you can earn their trust and their business. You can add personality to your business letterhead by including a photo of yourself along with a list of your business specialties and even your off-work hobbies, since the more comfortable your customers are with you (and the better they relate to you) the more likely you are to earn their trust and business.

Direct mail works

If you're not thinking about business letterhead as a marketing tool then you're not thinking hard enough about creative ways to get more out of your marketing budget. Business letterhead is an excellent vehicle for sales letters, coupons, special offers and other incentives that motivate customers to take action. That being said, your business letterhead shouldn't be an overt advertisement. It should still serve its purpose as a communication and branding device, but you can take the back of your letterhead or a panel along a side or bottom and turn it into an advertisement. One creative idea is to place a flyer on the back of non-sensitive communication and ask your customer to hang it for you. You can play it off as part of your eco-friendly agenda, since your letterhead will essentially be recycled twice.

Business letterhead establishes credibility

In the world of business, letterhead is expected. If you send a letter on a plain piece of computer paper crudely printed on your desktop printer, your company will appear as bland and uninspired as that piece of paper. Conversely, if you send a letter on brilliantly conceived, creative and colorful business letterhead your company will stand out and you'll vastly increase your chances of building credibility and landing sales. Choose a premium letterhead paper such as 24-pound synergy bond, which has a smooth and clean elegant sheen, or 70-pound white wove, which has a comfortable texture that will feel good in your customers' hands. These thick, professional papers likewise lend connotations of stability and credibility. Other devices such as foil stamps and die cuts can be excellent attention-getters, and they add a touch of prestige to your company. This prestige, if handled correctly, can translate into major sales for the right firm. Is business letterhead still relevant? Of course! Just like any other marketing material, you have to be careful and calculated when you plan your letterhead printing. Put the right elements together on a sheet of paper in front of the right customer, and you'll win lifelong loyalty.