Have you ever wondered why some print ads include a signature? Has it struck you odd that advertisers or business owners would want their signatures in such a public place? The simple answer is trust. When most people see someone’s handwritten signature on a document, they infer that the person who wrote it stands behind the document – the print equivalent of saying, “I give my word.”
Another trust-building technique in print ads is to include a straight-on face shot of the company spokesperson, preferably close enough that readers can see the whites of the spokesperson’s eyes. Looking someone in the eyes conveys trust. When a faceshot it combined with a signature the effect is multiplied.
Not all greeting cards lend themselves to including a good-sized headshot of the sender, and in fact that focus on the send can detract from the recipient focus that greeting cards for marketing should have. However, you should always make the effort to have your real signature included in the card. Company cards sent out with the company name printed at the bottom instead of a signature are overly formal and do not convey any sense of personal relationship with the recipient.
It’s also effective, though less important, to have the text of the greeting card printed using the sender’s handwriting. Actually, only very close friends and family are likely to recognize handwriting, compared to signatures, which are much more recognizable. Therefore it’s perfectly acceptable to use someone else’s handwriting for the card message if it looks somewhat similar to the senders. Of course if you’re hand writing the card then the same person should write and sign it, but if you’re using a computer generated handwriting font, choosing one that is fairly neutral without being obviously computer-created (meaning not too perfect), and is also legible is a good idea.
Using your handwriting in a greeting card increases the “human-ness” of the card. Using your own signature, whether hand signed or with a digital image of your signature, strengthens the relationship and can add the element of trust.
