Latest / The Copywriting Podcast with Fexingo: Sales Letters, Headlines, and Persuasive Writing / How a Handwritten Margin Note Doubled Response
Transcript
- Lucas: If you’ve ever gotten a piece of direct mail that looked like a typed form letter, you probably tossed it in three seconds. But what if that same letter had a handwritten note scrawled in the margin — something like ‘Luna, this reminded me of you — give me a call’? Luna: I’d be way more likely to read it. It feels like someone actually thought about me, not just a mass mailing. Lucas: Exactly. And there’s data behind that. I came across a case study from a financial services firm here in New York. They sent two versions of the same sales letter to a matched list of a thousand prospects each. The control was a clean, professionally typed letter. The test version had a handwritten margin note in blue ink from the advisor — just a sentence referencing something they’d talked about. Luna: How much did the note improve the response? Lucas: They saw a 38 percent lift in response rate. But the more interesting number is the conversion rate — the handwritten note version converted at nearly double the control. That’s not a small bump. Luna: Double. So the note didn’t just get more people to reply — it got the right people to take action. Lucas: Right. And the note itself wasn’t long. Something like, ‘John, hope your daughter’s recital went well. Let’s talk about that retirement plan when you’re ready.’ Totally specific, totally human. Luna: So the key is personalization. Not just ‘Dear Luna’ but a real reference point. Lucas: Exactly. And that’s harder to fake at scale. But here’s the thing — the note doesn’t have to be handwritten by the actual sender. There are services now that can mimic handwriting with a robotic arm. Or you can use a font that looks handwritten but feels a bit off. The best results come from real handwriting, but even a good simulation can work. Luna: I’ve seen that in B2B emails too — people will add a hand-drawn arrow or a circle around a key point in a screenshot. It makes the message feel less templated. Lucas: That’s a great point. The principle carries over to digital. I remember a test by an e-commerce brand where they added a handwritten-style underline under the price in their email header. It lifted click-through by 12 percent. Something about the imperfection signals authenticity. Luna: It’s like the opposite of polished. Polished can feel corporate. Imperfect feels human. Lucas: Let’s dig into the psychology for a second. Why does a handwritten note work? I think it’s partly the scarcity effect. A typed letter could be one of a million. A handwritten note — even if it’s replicated — feels one-off. It suggests the sender invested time and attention. Luna: And that investment signals value. If someone spent two minutes writing a note to me, they probably think I’m worth their time. Lucas: Exactly. There’s also a norm of reciprocity — when someone does something personal for you, you feel a subtle obligation to respond. Not in a manipulative way, just human nature. Luna: So the margin note is a low-cost, high-touch tactic. You’re basically buying a better response rate for the price of a pen stroke. Lucas: Right. But you have to do it right. If the note is generic — ‘Luna, hope this helps!’ — it can actually backfire because it’s obviously fake. The specificity is everything. Luna: So what’s the best practice? How do you implement this without making it feel gimmicky? Lucas: First, the note should reference a genuine connection — a past conversation, a shared interest, a specific event. Second, keep it short. One or two sentences max. Third, use a real pen and real handwriting if possible. Fourth, place it in the margin near relevant content, not just anywhere. Luna: And if you’re doing it at scale, you might need to segment your list so each note feels relevant to the recipient. Lucas: That’s where the cost comes in. Personalization at scale is expensive. But the ROI can be huge if you’re targeting high-value prospects. For low-ticket items, maybe a handwritten envelope is enough. Luna: I’ve seen real estate agents use handwritten ‘just listed’ cards with a note that says ‘Thought of you when I saw this property.’ That’s super effective. Lucas: And it’s not just direct mail. In email, you can use a custom image of a handwritten note. Or even a P.S. that’s italicized or in a different font to mimic handwriting. The key is breaking the template look. Luna: So the takeaway is: find one place in your copy where you can inject a human, handwritten touch. It could be a margin note, a P.S., or a custom image. Lucas: Yeah. And test it. Run an A/B test — control versus handwritten element. I’d be surprised if you don’t see at least a 20 percent lift. Luna: That’s a pretty solid return for a little ink. Lucas: Alright, before we wrap, I want to mention something. If today’s episode sparked any ideas for your own copy, and you’ve found value in these conversations, you can help keep the show ad-free at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It’s a simple way to support us, and it really does make a difference. Luna: Yeah, we love hearing that you’ve actually used something from the show. It’s the best feedback we can get. Lucas: So to loop back to the margin note — the next time you’re about to send a sales letter or even a follow-up email, ask yourself: where can I add a human touch? It might be the difference between a delete and a reply. Luna: And if you try it, let us know. We’d love to hear your results. Lucas: That’s it for today. I’m Lucas. Luna: And I’m Luna. See you next time.