Handwritten notes have a reputation for being “personal,” “memorable,” and all that good stuff. But how do you actually know if sending them is worth your time and money? If you’re using handwritten notes for sales, customer retention, or outreach, you need more than a warm fuzzy feeling—you need data. This guide is for anyone who wants to measure, track, and (most importantly) make sense of the ROI behind handwritten notes using Handwrite analytics tools.
1. Set Your Goal Before You Send Anything
Don’t skip this. If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve, all the tracking in the world won’t help.
What are you hoping to get out of handwritten notes? Some common goals:
- Get more sales or leads
- Improve customer retention or loyalty
- Get more event attendance or survey responses
- Win back lost customers
Pick your main goal and write it down. Everything else you do should tie back to that.
Pro tip: Make your goal measurable. “Delight customers” isn’t measurable. “Increase repeat orders by 10%” is.
2. Map Out How You’ll Track Responses
Handwritten notes have a physical charm, but that makes tracking trickier than with emails. You’ll need to get creative and use a mix of digital and offline signals.
Ways to track handwritten note ROI:
- Custom URLs or QR codes: Include a unique link or QR code in each note. Anyone who visits it is a clear response.
- Coupon codes: Offer a code that’s only printed in the note. Track redemptions.
- Ask for a reply: Invite recipients to email or call with a code word, or mention the note.
- Manual tracking: For B2B, you might track who got a note and whether they booked a meeting, renewed, or bought again.
What NOT to do: Don’t rely on “gut feel” or vague anecdotes. If you can’t measure it, you can’t prove ROI.
3. Set Up Handwrite Analytics (and Use It Right)
Handwrite is one of the few tools out there making handwritten notes trackable. But don’t expect magic—analytics only work if you use them properly.
How Handwrite analytics helps:
- Generates unique QR codes, URLs, and coupon codes for each note or campaign
- Tracks scans, visits, and code redemptions in real time
- Lets you tag campaigns so you can compare results
- Integrates with CRM tools (sometimes—it’s not always plug-and-play)
Set-up checklist:
- Link every note to a digital action: Don’t just send a bland “thank you.” Give people a reason to scan, click, or respond.
- Use unique codes for each campaign (or recipient, if possible): This avoids muddy data.
- Double-check that URLs/QRs work before sending. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised.
Honest take: Handwrite analytics is helpful, but don’t expect it to magically prove ROI if your notes are generic or your offer is weak. The tool tracks clicks and scans, not feelings.
4. Measure the Full Customer Journey
Clicks and scans are just the start. ROI means “return on investment”—so you need to connect note responses to real outcomes.
What to track (beyond clicks):
- Conversions: Did the recipient actually buy, sign up, or take your desired action?
- Repeat business: Did the note lead to more orders down the line?
- Referrals or word-of-mouth: Hard to measure, but sometimes people mention the note in follow-up conversations.
- Feedback: Did they say anything about the note in a review, email, or survey?
How to connect the dots:
- Use your CRM to tag recipients who got a note
- Run reports to see if they acted differently than those who didn’t get a note
- For simple campaigns, a spreadsheet works fine
Don’t get distracted by vanity metrics: 100 scans mean nothing if no one buys.
5. Calculate the Real ROI
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. You need to put numbers to your effort.
The basic formula:
ROI = (Total Value Generated – Total Cost) / Total Cost
How to fill in the blanks:
- Total Value Generated: Sum up sales, renewals, upgrades, or other measurable outcomes directly tied to your notes
- Only count what you can prove came from the note (tracked by codes, URLs, or CRM tags)
- Total Cost: Add up everything—printing, postage, time spent, Handwrite subscription fees, anything else
Example:
- You send 100 notes, each costs $4 (all-in), so $400 total
- 10 people use the code to buy; each order is worth $50, so $500 total value
- ROI = ($500 – $400) / $400 = 0.25 (or 25%)
What about “intangible” benefits like goodwill? Sure, that’s nice, but don’t kid yourself—it’s not ROI unless it leads to real, trackable results.
6. Analyze What Worked (and What Didn’t)
Now you’ve got numbers, not just feelings. Time to get honest:
- Which messages or offers got the most responses?
- Did certain segments (new vs. returning customers) respond better?
- Did timing matter (holiday vs. off-season)?
- Did a handwritten note actually beat an email or postcard?
Be skeptical: Sometimes handwritten notes get hyped as a magic bullet. In reality, they’re just one tool. Sometimes a simple email outperforms a pricey note.
Ignore: Any analysis that can’t tie back to hard numbers. If you’re just guessing, you’re wasting your time.
7. Iterate—Don’t Overcomplicate
The best campaigns are simple, repeatable, and easy to measure. Here’s how to keep improving:
- Run small tests before going big
- Keep your tracking setup minimal—don’t create 15 variations unless you have a huge list
- Ask recipients for feedback (“Did you like the note?”) if you want, but don’t let opinions overshadow the hard data
Pro tip: If you’re not seeing ROI after a couple of campaigns, don’t double down. Try a new approach or move on.
Handwritten notes can absolutely work—but only if you’re willing to treat them like any other channel: track, measure, and be brutally honest about results. Don’t get caught up in the “personal touch” hype unless you can prove it moves the needle. Keep things simple, look for real signals, and don’t be afraid to change course if the numbers aren’t there. You’ll learn faster, waste less, and (maybe) find out that a simple note really can pay off.