We check our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blog and email multiple times a day. Being connected and in the loop is something we feel is necessary in this very technological world. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a real thing. Ever go to bed and find yourself scrolling through your Twitter feed, afraid you'll miss some breaking news update or a hilarious joke from an actor or comedian? FOMO is to blame. We enjoy getting notifications and mail, whether we admit or not.

With everyone and everything vying for our attention, we're assaulted by "ads" on all fronts from our mailbox to our inbox. Marketers and businesses often forget about good ol' fashion mail. And when I say mail, I mean interesting stuff. When I go to my mailbox, whether online or at home, it’s generally filled with bills, catalogs, ancient subscriptions and other junk mail. I get tons of over-sized, full-color, (many times tacky) postcards all meant to get my attention. They all end up in the trash.

I look at traditional mail as a very underused avenue. If I can mail you something different that gets your attention and doesn’t immediately get thrown away that’s a win. So, what gets read? Invitations, personal hand-written notes and my favorite – 3-dimensional goodies. If you mail someone something that looks different from everything else, you can bet it’s going to at least get looked at, maybe kept and if it’s really cool, shown to others.

It's a little sad to think that actually dropping something in the mail is out of the norm. We just expect whatever we need to be sent to one of our many email accounts. I bet the last time you were invited to a party, you got an Evite, which is essentially an invitation sent electronically. I get it... I've sent them too. It's just so easy. But, in my opinion, it's a missed opportunity for showing your clients and industry partners that you truly care and want to keep in touch. The personal touch is lost. Instead of sending a mass email to everyone in your database, why not take a more creative and personal route?

It doesn't hurt to be old school and I can say with complete confidence that mail is not dead. I challenge you to send your friends, family or clients some sort of "snail mail" this fall. Catch up with your old college roommate with a nicely written note. Send your clients a little something to remind them that you appreciate their business. For examples, see some of our own 3-dimensional goodies below. Not sure what or how to design your promotional client? Give us a call!