Happy Birthday
I have been writing greeting cards for 27 years. As silly as it sounds, it is my life’s work. I have compiled a list of twelve suggestions that you may find useful to help you write greeting cards. The list is helpful if you are hoping to have your card ideas published by a greeting card company or if you plan to produce your own greeting card line:
Don’t be cliche’. Each card that you write must be tangibly different in some regard or your potential customer will read it and put it back on the display.
Make them relatable. A card has a much higher chance of being successful if it strikes a chord with the potential buyer or if the buyer believes that it will be a subject that is enjoyed by the recipient of the card.
Think of who might be giving it to whom. Think about demographics here. Will the card idea be potentially popular across many demographic groups?
Be funny. Humor sells the best. Sassy cards sell the best of all. It is a good idea to make sure that the greeting card is clever. A risque concept falls flat when the concept and copy are not sufficiently creative.
Have a “me to you” message. In other words, make sure that each card contains a well worded greeting.
Be brief. You should almost always opt for less copy if the message does not suffer by doing so.
Use language that is casual. It is best to use vocabulary that feels like someone would say in a conversation. The copy must feel natural.
The greeting card copy must flow comfortably. Resist the temptation to use words that are awkward to pronounce or words that do not sound good together.
Coordinate the front and the inside of the card. Provide an element of surprise on the inside if possible.
Keep it positive. It’s okay to tease, but a positive message does best in the marketplace.
The message is what matters. Is this a greeting that the potential buyer will feel comfortable giving to someone else?
Is your greeting concept limiting in any way? Would a slight change in concept or copy make your card appeal to a broader range of customers?
I hope this list is helpful.
Jim Byrne
Raspberries Greeting Cards
