Sending out Christmas cards to clients has generally been thought of for decades as a good thing to do in terms of relationship building and promoting a positive brand image. However, in recent years, as we live in a world that is ever less concerned with sending and receiving things by ‘snail mail’, Christmas cards on the whole are becoming less and less expected, with far fewer people buying them in bulk and giving them out to everyone they know. This actually means that any cards you do send will have a bigger impact, as they are less likely to be just one of dozens the recipient opens that day, however it also means that you need to make your cards really interesting or memorable, so there is a reason for someone to take it home or keep it on their desk rather than just discarding it.

If you want your Christmas cards to really make the most of this once a year opportunity to get your clients’ attention and win a few brownie points with them, then here are a few ideas:

Charity Christmas Cards

Some people are starting to think Christmas cards are a bit of a waste of money, and an outdated concept. Others think they are bad for the environment. A popular thing some people now do instead of giving cards to their friends is to instead donate that money to charity, but of course, that doesn’t help you in terms of marketing unless you write and tell all your clients you’ve done that, and informing people of your charitable donations can look a bit tacky.

A good way to show you are keen to give something back while still sending cards is to buy cards made by a charity, or, if you want to show support to the community if you are a local business, by a local school. Christmas cards for schools are a popular fundraising approach with primary schools, and by buying sets of these to send out you not only help the school and get your cards, but also send a good message along with them about your business!

Truly Personal Messages

Receiving a generic card with a bunch of signatures on it is not that interesting, and even less so when it comes from a business rather than someone you know well. To make your cards fun to read, have someone in your team write a truly personal message on each card. This can take time but will wow your clients, whether it is because you remembered the names of their kids to include in the card or because you made a joke about something you remember about them or their business.

E-Cards

Socially, an e-card can be seen as a little cheap, and not really any better than no card at all, however if you send an email card with a link to some cool, fun Christmas functionality on your website or something else the receiver will enjoy, it can actually be a fun and memorable diversion, which will also appeal to the people who think physical cards are a waste of resources or bad for the environment.

These three ideas can help you take advantage of this opportunity to impress you clients and set you up for a positive year ahead working with them!