It’s amazing the things you are taught by your parents…and then you pass them along to your kids.
We were always taught that a personal, handwritten thank-you note was mandatory for gifts and good deeds. And we imbued that “old school” acknowledgment into our children.
As digital media has become the lifeblood of communication, many believe that an email or even a text message thank-you is sufficient. Whether it is for job interviews or just a simple favor, the standard is now a digital reply – oftentimes lost in ever-expanding, spam-laden in-boxes or mixed up with the myriad text and Facebook messages that clutter our lives.
So when an actual, handwritten, personalized, thoughtful thank-you note actually shows up in the U.S. Mail, it gets your attention.
That’s what happened when my friend, Scott Westerman (the head honcho at Michigan State University’s Alumni Association) shared his experience with the Ann Arbor Chronicle’s publisher, Mary Morgan.
Scott and his wife, Coleen, simply subscribed to this upstart newspaper that is thriving in a university community where the main newspaper – the Ann Arbor News – folded back in 2009.
The Chronicle is doing lots of things differently (worthy of its own post), but personally thanking new subscribers is a stroke of brilliance in a world where a cold, automated email acknowledgment has become standard operating procedure – if you’re lucky.
So a better, more unique CX – customer experience – is part of it. But here’s the kicker:
This old fashioned thank-you note went viral as Westerman posted it on Instagram and Twitter. Scott is a well-networked guy with more than 3,300 followers on Twitter, many of whom are avid Spartans and other well-educated social media users. And a compelling photo on Instagram provides the digital fuel that can spark a movement and create even more attention for a newspaper that is carving out its future in an uncertain media environment.
Mary Morgan and her husband, Dave Askins, are well on the road to accomplishing something that many felt was impossible in a media space that most have written off as a print graveyard.
Sometimes it starts with a simple thank-you.
Everybody in the audience has an audience.
And every person counts.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Could not agree more with the above. My thank you note list is everyone who wins anything on my morning show – and a thank you note to anyone I do a remote broadcast for. They don’t forget it. Trust the above column. In this world of web anarchy when one can say anything about anybody with the anonymity of Facebook and the ‘no rules’ mentality of Twitter – the most personal thing you can do is write a thank you note with station letterhead. So brush up on your handwriting – grab a pen and paper – and thank someone for listening. Make it a habit. The dividends are outstanding.
Bill, thanks for bringing a “real life” example to the conversation. When everything is digital, going in the high touch direction cuts through and pays dividends. Appreciate you reading our blog and chiming in.