You on a stamp

I loved the idea of Photostamps -- that is, stamps with my logo or photo on them -- when they were introduced a couple years ago. But apparently, they haven't been so successful among small business owners, for lots of reasons explained in this article from Friday's NY Times Business section (free registration required.)

I don't send much mail anymore, but I still think they're a great idea for thank you cards and handwritten notes, which we've been writing about lately (link to those posts).

Anyone else using them successfully to stand out from the crowd in the mail?

Related posts:

• Elsewhere: a morning-start poll (start of a discussion about handwritten notes)
• Guest Post: Why Handwritten Notes Work
• Guest Post: Making Personal Notes Easier
• For better networking, put people to work (even more leverage to handwritten notes)

Comments

[Q Collective]

These stamps are a little too narcissistic for our taste. In a business where your image is directly tied to your marketing (the article mentions real estate agents) we suppose this makes some sense. But in the interest of gaining the most effective promotion for every dollar spent, your money will be better spent elsewhere.

Other simpler decisions make your postal communication stand out in our opinion. Using a stamp instead of a meter already differentiates your mail from the rest of the stack. And just sending snail mail can be a refreshing and personal change to the rest of the business communication clients receive via email.