Latest / The Copywriting Podcast with Fexingo: Sales Letters, Headlines, and Persuasive Writing
How a Handwritten Pencil Beat a Formatted Typewriter in Direct Mail
In direct mail copywriting, the tool you use can make or break response. Lucas and Luna examine a classic 1980s test by direct mail legend John Caples: a typed sales letter vs. the exact same letter handwritten in pencil. The pencil version outperformed by 27 percent. They break down why the rough, personal aesthetic signaled authenticity, lower pressure, and a human touch that the crisp typewriter lacked. They also tie it to modern implications—think handwritten font emails and handwritten-style SMS—and warn against over-engineering the 'personal' look. A short, concrete case study…
The skinny
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