Have you ever received a personalized thank you note from someone? It filled you with unexpected glee, didn’t it? How about a company or your favorite brand? How did that make you feel? Important, right? Cared for, maybe, and even profoundly appreciated. That’s the power of thank you notes. 

They are thoughtful, they are simple enough to create or automate for digital marketers, too. Most importantly, they establish relationships with clients and keep them interested in purchasing or participating with your brand over competitors. 

Thank you notes go the extra step, showing customers that you value them, and their business, and cannot wait to continue to please them. But how did it all start?

European by design, thank you notes originated around the 15th century to thank people for gifts or kind gestures. Originally written on personalized stationary note cards or single sheets of paper, thank you notes have come a long way over the years. The concept took hold of the Americas much later, in the 19th Century, and nowadays is an entire industry.

Despite this fact, many brands struggle to comprise the perfect thank you note to express their gratitude to loyal customers. If this is you, keep reading as we outline the fundamentals of thank you notes and how to comprise the perfect one.

Thank You Notes: How-To Write Them

Writing thank you notes should be fun, not tedious. If it is a personal note, feel free to elaborate or gush as much as you’d like with thanks. For businesses, though, it’s best to stick to five easy steps when creating thank you notes. 

Step 1: Greet the customer. This greeting should be personable, i.e. using the customer’s first name or addressing them formally by their last name with the appropriate precursor (Mr., Mrs.). Many automation software programs embrace this personal touch by incorporating the client’s name, too. 

Step 2: Clearly state your gratitude. This includes sharing why you’re grateful. We encourage brands to lean into this step despite the possible awkwardity. There truly is no wrong way to do this step, so long as you’re in an attitude of gratitude while doing it.

Step 3: Be specific and thoughtful. Dive into the specifics of the experience and highlight the most memorable bits using two to three sentences. 

Step 4: Give thanks. We know, you already expressed your gratitude in step 2, but this step allows you to reiterate that gratitude.  

Step 5: Memorable sign-off. This is how you choose to close the thank you note, and it will be the last thing the reader will see before knowing who sent it. Be as creative as you can here, especially if you’ve got a specialty brand of sorts. 

All that’s left is to sign your name or the name of the company, and voilà, you’ve created a thank you note.

Examples of Thank You Notes Contrived

Below are a few examples of written thank you notes:

Example 1:

Hello, Brian!

We greatly appreciate you and your entire team for joining forces with Support Navigator during your exploration of various support platforms. Your support is invaluable to us, and collaborating with your team was a delightful experience. 

In fact, your insights prompted us to implement an enhancement that benefits countless other users! We’re thrilled that you’ve selected Support Navigator, and we look forward to growing alongside you. 

Looking forward to catching up at the Support Conference next spring! 

Best regards,

Samantha and Your Companions at Support Navigator

Example 2:

Hello Emma,

Thank you for participating in the webinar this week and for sharing your insightful thoughts on the importance of customer support in cybersecurity. I’ve always been impressed by how you and your organization lead the way in our field. 

I understand you’re collaborating with Fatima on an upgrade from the Standard to the Plus plan (congratulations on your team’s growth!), but please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be of any assistance.

Warm regards,

Alex at Support Nexus

p.s. I remember you mentioning that your daughter enjoys collecting stickers, so I’ve included a few in the package for her. Hopefully, they find a nice spot in her sticker book this time. 

Example 3:

Dear Jessica,

I recently discovered that you’ve been a loyal user of our services at Support Haven for four fantastic years. Incredible! We sincerely appreciate your continued support and the valuable feedback you provided during the Plus Plan beta testing phase. 

I trust the Plus Plan is meeting your expectations, and should you have any inquiries, feel free to reach out—we’re here to help! Thank you for being an exceptional customer.

Warm regards,

Felisha at Support Haven

Now that you’ve got the fundamentals and a few examples to help guide you, here are the do’s and don’ts of drafting thank you notes. 

Thank You Notes Do’s & Don’ts

Here is a sturdy list of do’s and don’ts during the thank you note creation process.

  • Do use personalized or branded stationery
  • Do send thank you notes in reasonable time frames
  • Do show tons of personality in print, making sure to use brand tonality and messaging throughout
  • Do include a tiny gift if time, budget, and space allows
  • Don’t write thank you notes in red ink
  • Don’t be salesy or overtly promotional, remember it’s to say thank you only

Remember that thank you notes are meant to be personal. That’s not to say that they should be riddled with typos or scratched-out areas. Take your time when drafting the note, and make sure to spell things correctly throughout.

How Do Thank You Notes Increase Retention?

Without a doubt, thank you notes increase retention. Most might assume that there is no ROI on thank you notes, but this would be incorrect. Think about the impact of word-of-mouth marketing for a second. That gorgeous shiny caramelized treat that we all pine after.

Thank you notes play right into this ideal, making organic business that much easier to obtain, and maintain. If the concern is scale, know that there are ways around this. For example, if there are more thank you notes to create than there are staff members to do so, consider working smarter vs. harder. 

What are we talking about? We’re talking about methods to implement to make sure that thank you notes aren’t overlooked. Consider one of the following options as needed:

  • FeltApp: FeltApp allows you to write messages on your iPhone or iPad using your handwriting. FeltApp handles the mailing process for you.
  • Handwrytten: Should you prefer not to transmit customer-printed handwriting, Handwrytten could be a more suitable choice. Handwrytten utilizes robots (indeed, real robots) to handwrite your personalized message using real ink.
  • Postable: Postable transforms your personalized message into one of its exclusive handwriting fonts, elegantly presented on eco-friendly, 100% recycled cards. Once crafted, the cards are stamped and sent out on your behalf.

Are you ready to start drafting thank you notes now? Your clients will be jazzed at this decision, and we look forward to your stories of success in the comments.