If the average reader of your appeal letters/emails reads only the first paragraph and then looks to the bottom of the page before deciding to spend any more time on it, be sure you’re working that bottom-of-the-page position.
Whoever designs your letter may suggest a different font for a postscript or a “handwritten” marginal note, but it’s your job to see that this special visual element works!
- Make sure it’s easy to read; our donors are aging.
- Use this design element sparingly so it is a highlight and not clutter.
- Use a font that is appropriate for the “signer”; at least preserve the illusion that a specific human made the note.
The reason we use “handwriting” in direct mail letters is to draw the reader in. If it distracts, or is hard to decipher, you’re wasting your effort.
