How I’m Making Marketing Feel Personal Again

Introducing Analog Marketing

There’s something undeniably special about holding a handwritten note. It carries a kind of warmth and humanity that a polished digital post just can’t replicate.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on this a lot. As someone who’s built a business around creativity and connection, I can’t help but feel the disconnect in modern marketing. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Especially when you consider that platforms meant to establish "social" interaction often leave us feeling anything but connected. Digital fatigue is so real—a quiet but relentless force that drains the joy from creating, connecting, and even simply being. It’s the polar opposite of what I imagine true socializing should feel like.

Somewhere along the way, marketing became less about relationships and more about performance. Less about building trust and more about chasing quick dopamine hits from likes, comments, and shares. But what if we could step back, breathe, and create marketing that felt more like a love letter than a sales pitch?

That’s where analog marketing comes in. And for me, it feels like coming home.

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The Revival of Analog Marketing

Here’s the thing: we’re wired for connection. Real connection. As humans, we’re sensory beings—we crave the richness of touch, sound, scent, sight, and taste. But digital marketing often strips all of that away. It’s fast, fleeting, and shallow by design. And honestly? It’s leaving us starved for depth.

Analog marketing invites us to reconnect. To slow down. To remember what it feels like to create something tangible—something people can hold, experience, and carry with them.

Think about the last time you came across a beautifully designed flyer at a local coffee shop. Or received a package in the mail with a handwritten note tucked inside. Or flipped through the pages of a small, handmade zine at a pop-up market. Those moments stick with you, don’t they? Because they feel personal. They feel real.

I got into mixed-media art at a young age, starting with scrapbooking and then moving on to mixed-media painting. I was lucky to grow up in a household that oozed creativity, my mom still being a professional artist to this day. Our home was covered in experiences. Our mosaic bathroom was created by picking up ceramics at Goodwill, smashing them, and gluing the pieces to the wall. There were art supplies in just about every place you looked. What we lacked in financial abundance we made up for in creative abundance. This environment taught me the power of experiences to evoke joy, security, connection, and meaning.

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Why Analog Marketing Matters More Than Ever

We’re all feeling it—this exhaustion that comes from trying to keep up with the endless demands of being “online.” The pressure to churn out content. The anxiety when something doesn’t “perform.” The creeping doubt about whether our work even matters when it’s drowned in the endless noise of the internet.

Analog marketing offers us a way out. It’s slower, yes. But it’s also intentional. It’s about creating something that leaves a lasting impression—something that invites connection instead of demanding attention.

And here’s the beautiful part: analog marketing isn’t just about escaping screens. It’s about coming back to ourselves. It’s about creating things that engage the senses—things that people can touch, smell, see, and even feel emotionally.

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How to Bring Analog Into Your Online Marketing

You don’t have to abandon the digital world to embrace analog marketing. Instead, think of it as adding layers of humanity and creativity to the work you’re already doing. Here are some ideas:

Share Behind-the-Scenes of Your Creative Process
Document the tactile, hands-on parts of your work. Show videos of your hands sketching designs, painting, crafting products, or assembling packages. Let your audience hear the scratch of a pen on paper or the rustle of packaging materials. Sharing the raw, unfiltered moments of creation makes people feel closer to your work and invested in your story. I have been watching so many amazing creatives within our Substack community taking this type of approach, such as The Foragers Club and Cricklewood Nature Journal.

Mail Out Printables or Downloadable Zines
Design a beautifully crafted zine, art print, or journal and offer it as a free or paid download. You can even take it a step further by mailing printed versions to subscribers for a more tangible experience (considering how you can do so in an environmentally conscious way, of course!). These tactical touch-points create a sense of ownership and deepen the connection to your brand. I’m all for the revival of creative mediums like Zines, as Zines have long been a voice for counterculture movements—a creative rebellion against mainstream media. Their revival today feels like a powerful way to push back against the nonstop flood of digital content, offering a more personal, hands-on way to share ideas and connect with others.

Handwritten Notes Shared Digitally
Take a photo of a handwritten note, sketch, or personal message and share it in your newsletter or on social media. This small act feels far more personal than typed text. It reminds your audience that there’s a real human behind the screen who took the time to craft something meaningful. Personally, I am leaning more and more into crafting content in a way that feels like a journal entry or page from a scrapbook as even the creative process of making content in this way is far more satisfying to me than the alternatives.

Interactive Storytelling
Use your marketing platforms to guide your audience through interactive, story-driven experiences as a way to drive deeper connections. Share audio clips, mood boards, or even hand-drawn illustrations to invite people into a multi-sensory narrative. This brings a layer of depth that mimics the immersive feeling of in-person experiences.

Host Intimate Virtual Gatherings
Who says digital events have to feel distant? Host a cozy online workshop or Q&A session where participants are encouraged to show up with a cup of tea, light a candle, or write notes by hand. Send out pre-event care packages or downloadable worksheets to create a tactile, shared experience that transcends the screen.

Showcase Analog Products with Sensory-Focused Content
If you sell physical products, create content that highlights the sensory experience. Share close-up shots of textures, slow-motion videos of movement, or ASMR-style audio clips. Show how your product feels, sounds, or moves in real life to create a stronger emotional connection.

Personal Video Messages
Instead of mass emails, send personalized video messages to your community or clients/customers. Imagine receiving a warm, unscripted video thank-you for supporting a small business. This feels far more personal and engaging than a standard thank-you email.

Ways to Embrace Analog Marketing Offline

If you're craving a more grounded, human-centered way to market your business offline, analog marketing offers a refreshing path forward. Here are a few ways to connect with folks offline to create memorable, sensory-rich experiences:

Handwritten Notes & Letters: Go beyond the typical email thank-you. Send handwritten notes to customers, collaborators, or supporters. A heartfelt message on recycled paper adds a personal touch that makes people feel seen and valued. If you are concerned about the costs or environmental impacts of physical approaches like this, you can also go digital!

Zines & DIY Publications: Revive the art of storytelling through self-published zines or creative booklets. Share your brand’s journey, values, or helpful resources. Distribute them at local shops, coffeehouses, artist markets, or tuck them into customer orders.

Flyers, Posters & Creative Print Media: Channel your inner grassroots marketer! Design bold, creative flyers or posters and post them in local community spaces, co-ops, bulletin boards, and independent stores. Pair visually striking designs with authentic messaging that invites curiosity and connection.

Pop-Up Events & In-Person Experiences: Host small gatherings, workshops, or pop-up events where people can interact with your brand face-to-face. Whether it’s a maker’s market, an intimate art show, or a hands-on creative workshop, these in-person moments foster genuine community and connection.

Thoughtful, Tactile Packaging: Transform your product packaging into an experience. Use hand-stamped logos, recycled materials, textured papers, or add natural touches like dried flowers or pressed leaves. The sensory experience of unboxing something beautifully packaged can leave a lasting impression.

Experiential Installations & Community Art: Go beyond selling products—create moments. Think interactive window displays, collaborative murals, or community-driven art projects that invite participation. These experiences turn your brand into a living story people want to be part of.

Local Collaborations & Partnerships: Team up with local businesses, artisans, and creatives for co-hosted events, cross-promotions, or bundled offerings. Building relationships within your community nurtures trust and expands your reach in ways digital marketing can’t replicate.

DIY Workshops & Skill Shares: Offer hands-on workshops where customers can engage with your process or craft. Whether it’s teaching how to make a product, hosting a creative brainstorming session, or sharing sustainability tips, these experiences deepen connections and build loyalty.

Analog marketing isn’t about going backward—it’s about reconnecting with what makes us human. Through intentional, sensory-driven experiences, you can create lasting connections that resonate far beyond a fleeting online interaction.

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Market your business in a way that feels more like an extension of who you are and less like a performance for an algorithm.

At its core, analog marketing isn’t about going backward. It’s about remembering what makes us human. It’s about creating experiences that people carry with them—not because of some flashy trend, but because they touched something deeper.

For me, embracing this approach has been transformative. It reminded me that marketing doesn’t have to feel like a hustle. It can feel like an extension of who I am—something creative, meaningful, and deeply aligned with my values.

So if you’ve been feeling that pull to slow down, to create more intentionally, to connect more authentically—I hope this is your sign to lean into it.

Because when we stop chasing trends and start focusing on what really matters, we’re not just building businesses. We’re building relationships. And isn’t that the whole point?

Let’s build something slower, deeper, and more human—together.

Natalie Brite
Founder, DoGoodBiz Studio