If you’re a busy professional, you know the Holiday season is just as hectic as it is festive. Between financial bookkeeping, New Year’s resolutions, and Q4 results, there is undoubtedly a ton on your proverbial plate. In all the end-of-year chaos, it’s easy for smaller menial tasks to fall through the cracks… such as something as simple as sending holiday cards.
Holiday Cards = Opportunity
They may seem silly or burdensome to create, but business holiday cards offer a unique chance to contact your network in an informal, imaginative way. They allow you to indirectly boost your marketing game without any blatant promotional techniques.
Instead, you can subtly express company value and push your brand while extending appreciation to your loyal customer base. What better way to stay on your users’ radars than with a heartfelt “Thank you!” and some holiday cheer?
That’s not to mention that such a message opens the door to personalization and creative liberties. Of course a bland holiday card is better left unsent, but a distinctly pleasing one can go a long way in helping your company stand out.
Think of them as “an Investment”
Consider the following from CBS News’ MoneyWatch:
“I know one client who bases next year’s training dollars on the particular training company that acknowledges them during the holidays,” says etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas.
Holiday cards can have such a significant impact on a wide array of possible recipients: investors, partners, B2B and B2C customers, and even employees. This is an opportunity to ingrain your company in the minds and hearts of those you do business with if, that is, you have their correct contact information.
Rule #1 – Make sure contact info is up-to-date!
The main warning of holiday-card-advice columns is ensuring you’re sending these cards to the right destination; neglecting to do so is not only a missed opportunity but a waste of your resources. As AllBusiness notes, “it’s amazing how many companies don’t take the time to ensure their contact information is up to date and active.”
Don’t be one of those companies; let Evercontact keep your address book updated so that you can solidify those meaningful relationships with your network. Or, if you have a tangle of email archives, our ContactRescue service will sort through them and organize your contacts in a jiffy.
While on the topic of advice, recurring warnings also include refraining from making your cards “too salesy” as well as respecting various religious sensitivities.
Hurry!
Another common “don’t” is waiting until the last minute; if you haven’t already, consider getting a move on with your cards. The web is rife with diverse, cheap card-creating resources – now that you’re fully prepared, choose your best fit and make this holiday season count!