It’s far too early to think about your personal Christmas cards, but this is the time to start planning your company’s holiday cards. Some people may question sending business Christmas cards in 2018. We live in a multicultural world where our business communications are increasingly electronic. Why spend money on business Christmas cards? The printing costs, the time involved, the postage – is it worth it? Does it offer any real benefit to your brand?
Sending business Christmas cards – especially real ones, with real, hand-written signatures – offers one major but intangible benefit. Goodwill. Yes, it does mean you get to reinforce your relationship with clients, customers, suppliers and colleagues and put your name in front of them. But business Christmas cards do something much more significant: they boost the goodwill people have for your brand by making a more personal connection. They send a clear message that your company values the recipient enough to put the time, money and effort into sending out a holiday card just to wish them well.
Perhaps ironically, they also make for great digital content. This is the sort of piece that gets easily shared by receivers – and the type of advertising brands strive for, sparking genuine interactions on social media.
It's hard to gauge warm, fuzzy good feelings people develop for a brand over time with this sort of positive engagement, but it certainly pays off in many ways and reflects clearly in increased brand awareness, engagement with the brand, and often grant good reviews and recommendations.
Tips for Excellent Business Christmas Cards
The success of all marketing depends on how well the marketer knows the audience. That knowledge should drive the choice of design and message for company Christmas cards. It should help a brand decide if they want to send traditional Christmas cards or a more universal holiday or New Year’s greeting. A pharmacy in a rural village and a B2B company in Dublin both benefit from sending seasonal cards, but because their audiences are so different, they should choose very different designs and messages for their annual business Christmas cards.
Whether the design is traditional, fun or nature-themed, getting your brand’s name and logo on the card is important. Placing it inside is tasteful and effective. Opting for a design that reflects your brand can be a powerful tactic. A wintery photo of a small business’s shopfront is a good way to reinforce your brand while still focusing on the season. Brands focused on outdoor pursuits, animals or environmental sustainability can reinforce their brand identity with images of animals in the snow such as deer or robins, for example.
Individuals, families and businesses alike can get quite a lot of cards. The ones that arrive first will get more notice than those arriving later in December. But sending them too early can backfire! The first week of December is a good time for the cards to arrive. That means to need to prepare and give yourself plenty of time to design and print Christmas cards.
Ideally, they should be printed in early November, to give you plenty of time to sign and address them.
No one wants to see Christmas candy in the grocery store in September, but it is prime time to start planning your company’s holiday cards. Working with an experienced printer who can offer advice on the design will ensure that your Christmas cards put you on your customers’, clients’ and colleagues’ good list this year.
Printwise offers a range of different options not only for printing but also to help you craft and design your company Christmas cards. Reach out to our team. We are happy to help you with all your requirements and order!
