In a world where people seem more isolated than ever, a small act of kindness can seem more important than ever. One way you can do this is by creating letters to strangers on a public board. Some public boards give you the chance to share your thoughts and brighten up someone’s day. Even if they don’t know you, hearing this compassion can help them through a dark time. So here is how you can get started and make the most of this opportunity.
1, Find an Appropriate Place to Write It
The first thing to do is to find a place where you can write your letters to strangers. You don’t want to just randomly leave a letter on their things or follow them as that can seem creepy and there is also no guarantee that they will read it. The best place to do it is by finding a public space where leaving these letters is appropriate. Think of places like public boards, forums, and blogs. When you do find a place like this, you should also make sure that the place fits the tone you want to give and where messages might be welcome.
2, Start with a Warm Greeting
Getting a letter r from a stranger can be rather awkward since they don’t know what to expect. To help smooth things open, try to break the ice with a warm greeting in your letters to strangers. This will help set the tone and assure them that this is something they shouldn’t be worried about. A simple “Dear Friend” or “Hello Stranger” sets a friendly and welcoming tone and is the perfect way to start.
3, Share Words of Positivity
Once you get your attention, it’s important to keep your message uplifting in your letters to strangers. Continue with some positive notes, giving a compliment, or sharing some encouraging messages. These will help put them at ease and help them feel better. Now here it is important to not assume their problems but also offer something more than empty lines. It can be tricky, but usually, a good way to start is with encouraging quotes or just a compliment. Or if you know them based on previous posts, you can create your message around that.
4, Add a Personal Touch to Your Letters to Strangers
If you want to make your message feel more personal, you can share a piece of your own story in your letters to strangers. This can be useful if you are basing your message around what they posted before. Try to share some of your own experiences and emphasize them. This can help them feel more heard and make them feel better.
5, End with a Call to Action or Hopeful Note
You should finish with something a bit more concrete to inspire them to keep going in your letters to strangers. You can give them some advice, provide some encouragement to do something or advise them to do something. This can go a long way in making them feel better. Just be careful not to pry too much and meddle in their lives. The call to action doesn’t have to be them physically doing something, it can simply be a message to ‘hang in there’ or to ‘stay positive’ and it can still have some effect.
Another way to share your voice and make it heard is through an advocacy letter which we have a guide here.
If you want to create vintage letters with your own or other people’s famous lines, our Vintage Letter service allows you to make and send them here.
