A service announcement letter tells customers about a change that affects them, such as a new service, a move, new opening hours or planned disruption. It should say what is changing, when, what the customer needs to do and who to contact.
Overview
Announcements fall into two groups: good news, such as a new service or extended hours, and necessary news, such as a move, a change of provider or planned works. Both work best when the change and the date appear in the opening lines.
For good news, the announcement doubles as marketing: explain the benefit and invite customers to try it. For necessary news, focus on clarity and reassurance: what stays the same, what the customer should do and how to get help.
Post is valuable when an announcement must reach everyone, including customers who rarely read email, or when people may need to keep the details, such as a new address or new hours.
When to use it
How to start, step by step
- Lead with the change and the date. Say in the first sentence what is changing and when.
- Say what the reader should do. Nothing, book, update details, or use a new address. Be explicit.
- Reassure. List what stays the same and who to contact with questions.
- Add a reason to engage. For new services, a launch offer or invitation with a code.
- Post with enough notice. Allow for postal timings, which are not guaranteed, before the change takes effect.
Which format to choose
| Use | Format | Why | From, per item |
|---|---|---|---|
| Important change with detail | Letter — A4 | Room for what changes, what to do and contacts. | £1.90 |
| Simple good-news announcement | Postcard — A5 landscape | Bright, visual and quick to read. | £2.20 |
| Launch of a premium service | Postcard — A5 enveloped | Feels considered, in an envelope. | £2.20 |
Prices come from the live AutoLetters price list. They include printing and UK postage, are the same at any quantity, and have no VAT added because AutoLetters is not VAT registered.
Worked example
Illustrative scenario, not a customer case study. A dental practice tells 900 patients it is moving to new premises down the road from next month. The front explains the move and date; a map and new parking details go on the back.
900 × Letter — A4 at £1.90 each = £1,710.00, printed and posted.
Response depends on your list, offer and timing, so we do not quote response rates. Measure your own with a unique code or web address.
Mistakes to avoid
- Making readers hunt for the date or new address.
- Not saying whether the reader needs to act.
- Posting too close to the change.
- Mixing an important notice with heavy promotion.
Preparing artwork that prints correctly
Every format has a trim size, a bleed area and a safe zone. Extend background colours and images into the bleed so no white edge appears after cutting, and keep text, logos and QR codes inside the safe zone. Use images at 300 DPI at printed size, and leave the address area clear, because the printer adds the recipient's address there. Each product page lists the exact supplier measurements, and Lenny checks uploaded artwork against them before you approve it.
Building a list you can use
You can send to a list you already hold or to an audience of UK addresses built around a postcode. If you use your own list, include only people you have a lawful basis to contact by post, remove anyone who has asked not to hear from you, and keep a record of where the data came from. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes guidance on direct marketing under UK GDPR. Check that every address is complete and current: incomplete addresses cost money and do not arrive.
Measuring the result
Decide how you will count responses before you send. A unique discount code, a short web address, a dedicated phone number or a simple “how did you hear about us?” question all work. Divide the campaign cost by the number of responses to get a cost per response, then compare it with your other marketing. Where you can, hold back a small group from the mailing, so you can see how many of them would have responded anyway.
How AutoLetters handles it
Lenny, the AutoLetters AI campaign specialist, helps you choose a format, drafts the wording and artwork to the printer's exact measurements, and helps build the audience: either UK addresses around a postcode or a list you already hold. You review a print-accurate preview, then approve the exact print file. Nothing is printed or posted until you approve it.
AutoLetters sends addressed mail to UK addresses only and does not offer unaddressed door drops. Postal delivery timings are not guaranteed.
Questions
Should an announcement be a letter or a postcard?
Use a letter for changes that need explanation or that customers may keep, and a postcard for short, upbeat news.
Plan your campaign with Lenny
Describe what you want to promote and who should receive it. Planning is free and needs no account.
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