Mail gets drastically less fun as you grow up. What used to be cards from Grandma or letters from Santa have slowly morphed into a mundane collection of bills and junk mail.
For members of an HOA, standard mailings like notices, statements and newsletters are obligatory and expected. Why not switch it up and surprise your community with something fun? Because of their role in regulation enforcement, HOAs can sometimes have a negative connotation with homeowners. What better way to offset that stigma than delighting homeowners with fun surprises in their mailbox? Can you imagine a homeowner’s face when, instead of a bill, they receive a kind note thanking them for their contributions to the community? Try these HOA mailing ideas to charm your homeowners and keep things light.
1. Joke Notices and Letters
Everyone enjoys a good laugh once in a while. Sending out mailings such as joke notices and letters helps show your homeowners that you don’t take things too seriously. It’s a great way to encourage communication by making HOA boards more approachable.
Here are some fun ideas to kick off what will surely become a tradition of sending joke notices:
- Send out letters that are stamped as violation notices, but are actually a thank you note having such a great lawn or paying dues punctually.
- Send a notice of plans to build an outrageous large-scale amusement park or water park in the middle of the community.
- Play “Guess Who” by announcing the addition of a new family to your community who are actually Disney characters
Joke mailings can allow you to flex your creativity muscles and give your HOA community members a good laugh. Make a joke in good taste, and the community will surely appreciate it.
2. Congratulation Letters and Announcements
One of the major benefits of being part of an HOA is the sense of community, that’s why sending announcement letters is so important. Staying up-to-date on important milestones is a great way to show appreciation for members of the HOA and helps reinforce and foster long-lasting relationships.
A great way to start is to provide community members with an email address so they can submit photos and details about special events they’d like the HOA to announce. The board can review all submissions and choose which to send through mailings. Some options might include:
- New baby announcements
- Engagement or marriage announcement
- Graduation from college or high school
- Congratulations on a new job
- Completing a marathon
3. Neighborhood Photo Collages
Photos are a fun way to keep records of HOA events and the community that makes them special. During holidays or when your neighborhood has events, have board members take photos and include the best in a collage that can be sent to homeowners. You may even consider asking homeowners to submit their own photos as a way to encourage participation.
Additionally, the back of the mailer also gives you added real estate to include a reminder, announcement, or calendar for future events (all of which could likewise become photo collages), such as:
- Trick-or-Treat: Include photos of families handing out candy and trick-or-treating. Find the best costumes and highlight them on the collage.
- Christmas decorations: Include images of the top (or over-the-top) Christmas displays in the neighborhood.
- Amazing landscaping: In the midst of summer, seeing your neighbor’s beautiful yard work may serve as a motivator to other homeowners.
- Outside events: Whether it’s a tailgate, Memorial Day cookout or yard sale, use it as an opportunity to highlight what homeowners are doing in the community.
4. Homeowner Spotlight Mailer
Sending out a homeowner spotlight mailer is a great way to show appreciation for those homeowners who go above the call of duty as neighbors, and can also help facilitate relationships between neighbors.
Whether you decide to showcase a homeowner that mows their elderly neighbor’s lawn or an enterprising youth with a bustling lemonade stand, there’s always someone who deserves a feature. Here are some details to include:
- A photo of the homeowner near their house
- A brief bio including how long they have been a community member
- Why they are being highlighted
- A fun fact that no one knows about them
On the mailer, provide contact information for homeowners to make nominations for who will be featured next.
Make it Easy with Page Per Page
Though fun and light-hearted, putting together these mailings takes time and effort that most volunteer HOA members simply cannot give. That’s where Page Per Page comes in.
Page Per Page is a direct mailing platform designed to optimize and streamline HOA mailings. Whether you’re sending an assessment reminder or a notice on April Fools Day, Page Per Page has done it all and can offer expert help so that your mailings always look professional, even when they’re just for fun.
Being approachable and fostering comfortable two-way communication with homeowners is vital to your HOA community’s success. Make it happen with Page Per Page.
