Business Holiday Cards: To send or not to send?

The holidays are just around the corner and according to the retail stores, the holiday season is already among us.

So, the question is: To send out business holiday cards or not to send out?

The answer is yes. Now more than ever, companies and organizations should be sending out holiday greetings to their customers, clients, and business associates.

Here's why:

Warm Fuzzies
Your customers will appreciate the gesture. You can in turn, show your existing customers you appreciate their business. Whether you are sending a card to a customer you've had for years or to a potential customer, they will be happy you thought of them. Sending out greetings is a way to touch base with customers, nurture business relationships, and enhance customer loyalty.

Name Recognition
Name recognition lends credibility to your brand. Credibility is great for business.

Impression is Everything
Sending out holiday greetings gives your company an opportunity to stand out and make a good impression. And if you do design work, like we do, it gives also you a chance to show off what you can do by sending out your own creative holiday cards.

Head Start to Upcoming Year
The holidays are the perfect time to create or update your customer list. This list will proved to be useful throughout the upcoming year throughout all your marketing efforts. By sending out holiday cards, you will know that your customer list is updated at least once a year (given that you actually take the time update your list). It is very important that you update this list every year. Businesses merge and companies move to different locations, not to mention you've probably made a good many business contacts throughout that year that should be included.

Now that you know why you should send holiday greetings to your business contacts, here are a few things to remember:

Your Message
Keep in mind that not everyone has the same beliefs. "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" are generally some of the safe bets. Conveying the right message inside of your card for your audience is crucial. Also, the message you convey represents your company, so choose wisely.

Avoid the Rush
Remember that post offices across the country will be extremely busy during the holiday season, so to be sure your cards arrive on time, aim to mail out your cards before or during the first week of December.

Personal Touch
A handwritten address on the envelope and a hand-signed card can go a long way. It avoids that "mass mailing" look and shows your customer that you genuinely cared enough to take the time out and personally sign the car.


Interactive Greetings
The same ideas above should be applied to interactive cards. Of course, the "personal touch" aspect changes. It should still be applied, just applied differently. With interactive cards you can personalized them to your audience, and even send out specific cards to specific parts of your audience. Interactive cards should sent in a timely manner. Unless they are wishing a happy new year, cards should be sent out before the holidays. Otherwise, it is kind of like showing up for a parade that's already passed by.

Take a look at our interactive greeting.