Some rights reserved by kofoed
A few weekends ago, I attended the Penn Street Beer Festival. Sipping on a cold drink while sitting on a blanket watching the cricket, I got talking to someone – one of those people who just LOVE to chat. They’re my favourite.
He was telling me about how, when his mum passed away last year, it was all quite sudden and so arranging the funeral had been pretty hectic. He mentioned that sending out invitations to all of his (quite big) family had proved very time consuming and so I asked him why he hadn’t just made an event on Facebook? He replied that he liked to do things the ‘old fashioned’ way and that there is always a risk of people not seeing the invite if it’s online.
I thought that he made a good point, and it got me wondering how many people still prefer to send out hard copy invites rather than posting the event online.
Aside from weddings, when was the last time you sent or received a printed invitation in the post? Maybe it’s my age (I’m 22), but it’s becoming increasingly rare to open my post and find an invitation inside. It seems that it’s no longer just casual gatherings that are organised online or by phone.
It poses the question – do you get a better response from receiving a hard copy invitation that obviously took the sender time, effort and money to create? Online is the cheaper, easier and quicker way, but is it more effective?
In my opinion, using both digital and print is the best way. There are so many websites nowadays that allow you to create and personalise invitations, all with just a few clicks. That way, you get to include the tailored information you want and add a personal touch, all with minimal time and effort.
When my cousin recently had a birthday party, she used Facebook to announce the event, but made sure we were all left in suspense about what. She simply requested that everyone who wished to join (and everyone knows that she throws awesome parties!) post their address on the Facebook event’s wall.
Those who replied with their address then received an invitation in the post. Smart! By doing this, not only did she weed out those who weren’t worth the effort of a handwritten invitation, but she made life easier for herself as everyone sent their addresses directly to her, saving her from having to hunt around for them.
Let’s face it, event organising isn’t easy, but hopefully with the right combination of ‘old fashioned’ techniques and technology that is smarter than ever, we’ll be left with a bit more time to decide what to wear!