Never underestimate the power of print

There was an interesting report in The Times this week which revealed many students believed that employers should not look at their Facebook accounts, even if they were in the public domain.

Less than a third of the young people surveyed thought it was their responsibility to make their social media profiles private during the recruitment process to avoid discrimination for misdemeanours or embarrassing postings. Only one in six had created new ’employer facing’ social media channels to make a better impression.

But what really stood out to us in this story was that only one of the 1000 students and recent graduates interviewed said they sent a job application by post rather than email in order to stand out.

Whilst this proves beyond any doubt we really do live in a new digital age, we think this applicant really got it right. Receiving something physical in the post, especially if some thought and creativity had gone into its production, really can make a difference. Of the thousands of job applications I have received over the years and hundreds of interviews conducted, I can still remember clearly some of the more creative, hard copy applications I’ve received. Sadly that’s not the case with all the emails.

It is also a conversation we have regularly with clients. Undoubtedly digital marketing must play a part in modern property marketing but there is clearly still a space for creative, physical direct mail. Nothing conveys quality like a well designed, well written and well produced direct mail piece.  And because fewer companies are now doing it, it can really make you stand out.

Dan