Latest / The Copywriting Podcast with Fexingo: Sales Letters, Headlines, and Persuasive Writing / How a Handwritten Margin Note Beat a Form Letter
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, have you ever gotten a piece of mail — a fundraising appeal, a credit card offer — that had a handwritten note scrawled in the margin? Like someone had actually picked up a pen and written 'Luna, check this out'? Luna: Yeah, I have. And honestly, it always makes me stop. Even if I know it's probably fake, I pause. Lucas: Exactly. And that pause is worth real money. Today I want to talk about one of my favorite direct-mail tests — from the early 1990s, run by Ogilvy & Mather for a credit card issuer. They sent two versions of exactly the same solicitation. Lucas: Version A was a clean, professionally typeset letter. Version B was that same letter — same copy, same offer — but with a handwritten margin note in blue ink that said 'Jim, what about this?' And the response rate on version B was 47 percent higher. Luna: Forty-seven percent — from a single line that wasn't even in the body copy. That's wild. Lucas: Right. And it wasn't a fluke. They tested it across multiple segments — existing customers, prospects, different credit tiers — and the margin note consistently lifted response by 30 to 50 percent. Luna: So what's the mechanism? Why does a scribbled sentence beat a perfectly polished letter? Lucas: The theory has two parts. First, it breaks pattern. When you open a direct-mail piece, your brain has already classified it as 'advertising' — and you start scanning for reasons to throw it away. A handwritten note looks like a personal communication, so it bypasses that filter. Lucas: Second, it implies urgency and authenticity. The note looks like someone picked up the letter, read it, and thought of you specifically. It simulates a real human moment. Luna: So it's basically faking personal attention. But we've all seen the versions where it's clearly fake — like the handwriting is too neat, or it's printed in a script font. Lucas: Exactly. And that's where a lot of modern attempts fail. The Ogilvy test used an actual human being with a pen on a physical letter. The handwriting had natural variation — slightly slanted, uneven pressure. It looked real. Luna: I'm thinking about the cold-email equivalent. I've seen tests where a simple bracketed personalization — like ' in the subject line — lifts open rates by 20 percent or more. Lucas: Yeah, that's the same principle. In fact, a 2018 study by MailChimp found that using in the email subject line increased open rates by about 22 percent on average, though the effect was weaker for large B2C lists. Lucas: But here's the catch — just like with the margin note, if you overdo it, the effect disappears. If every email starts with 'Hey,' people learn to ignore it. Luna: And if every mailer has a margin note, it becomes part of the pattern. I read about a 1995 replication of the Ogilvy test where the margin note actually had zero lift — because by then, other marketers had copied the technique so much that consumers were wise to it. Lucas: That's the key insight. The effect isn't intrinsic to the handwriting itself. It's the surprise. The note works because it feels like a deviation from the norm. When the deviation becomes the norm, you get nothing. Luna: So what's the lesson for copywriters today? Should we still use handwritten margin notes? Lucas: I think yes — but only in the right context. If you're sending a high-value direct mail piece — like a fundraising ask to a major donor, or a B2B proposal to a CEO — a genuine handwritten note on the cover letter can still differentiate you. But it has to be genuinely handwritten, not printed. Lucas: And you have to use it sparingly. If you're sending 50,000 pieces and every one has a margin note, it's not personal — it's just a production technique. Luna: So the scarcity is part of the signal. The note works because it feels like an exception made just for you. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the thread that ties all these tests together — from the Ogilvy margin note to the email personalization studies. The human brain is wired to pay attention to things that seem individually directed. But if you mass-produce individual attention, it stops feeling individual. Luna: It reminds me of something you said in an earlier episode — that copywriting is really about simulating a conversation. The margin note is just a more literal version of that. Lucas: Right. A good sales letter already tries to sound like one person talking to another. The margin note just takes that one step further — it visually says 'I am actually sitting here with your letter.' Luna: So for someone listening who wants to test this — what's the practical takeaway? Lucas: Pick one piece of your most important outbound communication. A fundraising appeal, a business proposal, a re-engagement letter. Write a short, specific note in the margin — not just 'Call me' but something that references the recipient's situation. Handwrite it in real ink. And measure the response against a control. Lucas: But don't test it on a huge list. Test it on a small, high-value segment where the incremental effort is justified by the potential upside. Luna: And if you see a lift, don't scale it to your whole list. That's the trap. Lucas: Exactly. The margin note is a scalpel, not a chainsaw. Use it on the right cut and it works beautifully. Use it everywhere and you just blunt the blade. Luna: You know, speaking of things that work better when they feel personal — this podcast itself is a good example. We don't have a huge production team, and we keep it ad-free because listeners support it directly. Lucas: Yeah, that's exactly right. If these conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your own writing, or if you just appreciate not having a mid-roll ad break, listener support is what keeps this going. Luna: A lot of shows our size would have to run ads or cut episodes short. We don't. And that's because of people who chip in at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: It's a small thing that makes a real difference. And it lets us keep picking apart these old direct-mail tests that most business shows would skip. Luna: Alright — back to the margin note. You mentioned a specific example from the Ogilvy test. What did the note actually say again? Lucas: It said 'Jim, what about this?' And that phrasing is interesting too — it's a question, not a statement. It invites the reader into a kind of internal dialogue. Lucas: Compare that to something like 'Read this' or 'Important' — those feel like commands. They create resistance. But 'What about this?' is collaborative. It's like the writer is saying 'I'm not sure, but maybe this matters to you.' Luna: That's subtle — but I can see how it changes the tone. It's almost vulnerable. The writer isn't claiming to know what's important to you. Lucas: And vulnerability in copy is rare. Most business writing is so confident, so certain. A little uncertainty can actually feel more honest. More human. Luna: So if someone wants to test this today — in 2026 — what medium would you pick? Direct mail still works, but it's expensive. Lucas: I'd actually test it in a physical thank-you note after a purchase. A handwritten card with a margin note that says 'Hope you love this — let me know how it goes.' That's low-cost, high-impact, and genuinely personal because the transaction just happened. Lucas: Plus, you're not competing with other mailers — the envelope doesn't look like junk mail. Luna: I like that. It's a small move, but the psychology is sound. And if it lifts repeat purchase rate by even 10 percent, it pays for itself many times over. Lucas: Exactly. That's the beauty of these old tests. They're not about big, expensive campaigns. They're about understanding how people actually pay attention — and then using that understanding in a way that feels real. Luna: Alright, I'm going to try this on my next client proposal. Handwritten margin note, blue pen, and a question. Lucas: Let me know how it goes. And if it works — don't tell everyone. Let it stay a secret weapon for a little while longer.