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:
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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.
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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.
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Think of who might be giving it to whom. Think about demographics here. Will the card idea be potentially popular across many demographic groups?
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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.
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Have a “me to you” message. In other words, make sure that each card contains a well worded greeting.
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Be brief. You should almost always opt for less copy if the message does not suffer by doing so.
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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.
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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.
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Coordinate the front and the inside of the card. Provide an element of surprise on the inside if possible.
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Keep it positive. It’s okay to tease, but a positive message does best in the marketplace.
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The message is what matters. Is this a greeting that the potential buyer will feel comfortable giving to someone else?
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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
