18 Reasons Why You Should Still Send Greeting Cards in this Digital Age
I love a good greeting card — which is perhaps why it’s unsurprising that Mr Blackwell and I decided to start a greeting card company!
If you are card-curious, resolved to send more cards this year, or even simply willing to be persuaded, I’ve put together a non-exhaustive list of reasons why you should still send greeting cards in this digital age.
1. Less taxing than writing a letter
If you’re not used to writing correspondence, a card is much less of an investment of time and energy than a full letter. You can let the sentiment on the card itself do a bit of the heavy lifting, adding just a line or two of your own thoughts. It’s a great way to ease into the habit of snail mail correspondence if that’s something you want to add to your life.
2. Having children write cards improves writing and social skills
Thank-you cards are a dying art, but they’re a wonderful way to help children (and adults, frankly!) improve handwriting, writing skills, and manners all in one go. For younger children, parents can start the card by addressing it and starting the “Thank you for the…” sentence, or provide a “script” the child can use to get started. By the time they’ve gotten older, they will have the pattern down and can write heartfelt thanks themselves.
3. Cards are a great way to network and stay in touch with acquaintances and business associates
A greeting card is actually a fantastic sales, marketing, and networking tool. Anyone is much more likely to remember you (and in a positive light) when you send them a handwritten card. Whether it’s to say thank you for a recent meeting, to forward a news article they might be interested in, or to mark an occasion, quality greeting cards make a great and memorable impression.
4. People can save a quality card; much harder to save a text
Cards have a wonderful archival quality that digital messages don’t. Sending cards to mark special occasions — marriage, graduation, milestone birthdays, achievements, even bereavements — allows the recipient to keep the card if they like and look back on that event.
5. Buying cards from small businesses helps stimulate the economy
A small business impact study conducted by American Express found that when you spend $1 with a small business, more than two-thirds ($0.68) stays in your community. In contrast, when you make a purchase at a big box store, less than one-third impacts your community. And when you send a text or an email, it’s even less. So buying a few cards from your local retailer supports your local economy in a big way.
6. Cards create a bond between sender and receiver
Quality greeting cards are a tactile reminder that there is a bond between you and another person. It’s not only a physical record of a moment between the two of you, but also a reminder that you are connected; you both physically touch and interact with a card in ways that are different from a digital message.
7. The recipient feels more worthwhile and valued
From a psychological standpoint, a card just means more than a text or other digital message. The recipient feels remembered, valued, appreciated, or comforted depending on the context of the card. In fact, studies show that the sender feels the benefit, too, with a more positive mood and less anxiety after doing something kind and generous.
8. Sending cards provides a creative outlet
Whether you’re buying a card with a pre-written sentiment, writing your own in a blank card, or making your own card from scratch, the act of writing and sending a card is a creative act in ways that digital communications aren’t. You can practise your prose, your poetry, your drawing skills, or even just your handwriting when creating a card for someone.
9. Connecting with distant relatives and friends
There’s something about making the effort to purchase, write, and send a card that goes further than any text or email ever could — and making that effort could help you feel more connected to relatives and friends you don’t see often. Everyone loves to receive mail that isn’t a bill — especially kids! Try striking up an expectations-free correspondence with someone you wish you could see more frequently.
10. Unconventional thanks
It’s obvious, even expected in some instances, to send a thank you note for a gift — especially after big formal occasions like weddings and graduations. But sending a thank you note for an unconventional reason will be striking and memorable. Maybe you’d like to thank a teacher or mentor who had an impact on your life, a server or barista who went the extra mile, a friend who stood up for you in an uncomfortable situation — or really any situation in which you want to acknowledge the person who did something kind for you, whether they were aware of it or not.
11. Invitations are more inviting
E-vites are easy and becoming ubiquitous, but there’s something deliciously anticipatory about receiving an invitation in the mail. Go beyond the obvious (weddings, big parties, etc.) and try sending out invitations for smaller gatherings: coffee with a friend, an intimate dinner party with just a few guests, drinks on your back patio. It elevates even the simplest event to something memorable.
12. Motivation and encouragement they can remember
We tend to send cards of congratulations when someone achieves a big milestone, but what about all the hard work they put in before they got there? Sending a card for motivation or encouragement when you know someone is struggling or even just working especially hard can be that much more meaningful, and might be something they hold on to for those days they need a little reminder.
13. Connect with neighbours with cards
Whether your favourite gossip buddy is moving away or you want to welcome the new family to the block, sending a card can be a great way to connect with neighbours. You can introduce yourself to someone new, or make sure that neighbours who are leaving have your contact info for the future. If you’re the one who’s moving, send a card to let people know how to find you in the future, or to introduce yourself to the new block. It’s a physical reminder to help people to stay in touch.
14. Apologies might feel more heartfelt
Done something a bit naff? Made a fool of yourself at the office party? Stuck your foot in it with a friend? Sending an apology via a card will carry more weight than a quickly dashed off text or email.
15. Send a card to spice things up!
Hey, there’s a reason love letters are a thing. Whether you have a new love that inspires you to pour your heart out onto the page or you have a long-time love that could use a little perking up, a romantic card could be just the ticket. It’s a lot harder to tie up a bundle of text messages in a silk ribbon to cherish forever. Bonus: there’s no need to try to decipher a string of produce emojis. 😉
16. Cards can help reconnect with your past self
I love the idea of writing cards to yourself at different ages and then going back and reading them sometime in the future. Can you imagine what your 18-year-old-self might have to say to you today? Alternatively, if you have a special child in your life, maybe you’d like to write them a card at different ages that they can open when they’re older. Go ahead and actually post it to yourself to make it extra special.
17. Cards force us to slow down and be in the moment
While some might see the immediacy of a text or email as a benefit, I see the slowness of a hand written card as a boon. It forces me to think ahead (choosing a quality card, posting it with time for it to arrive for a particular occasion), to slow down and consider what to say more carefully, and to engage in the meditative act of putting it in the envelope, choosing a stamp, addressing it, and posting it. All those things help me stay present and be in the moment more than simply dashing off a quick text. (Plus, not to call anyone out, but a card says you remembered the occasion before the day of. Bonus points for that!)
18. Cards spread joy!
As I’ve mentioned in other missives on letter writing, you don’t actually have to have a reason to send a card. Just think of it as sending joy. Find a list of offbeat holidays and send a card for national hot dog day, arbour day, boss’ day, or whatever piques your interest. I can almost guarantee that the recipient will be excited to receive it.