Tips and Advice Center

When it comes to business holiday cards, small businesses should focus on the personal touch they already have with their clients. Because a small business most likely already has direct interaction with customers and clients, a company holiday card might contain a more focused message.

It may be tempting to include some contact information on the business holiday cards outside of the return address on the envelope. However, proceed with caution, some clients and customers may find that a bit forward. Keep in mind that small businesses usually have already established good communication for contact through invoices, emails, and/or regular client visits.

Also, be sure to add an additional note or signature before sending them. A small business may also want to send a small, flat promotional item that fits in the card, such as a bookmark or small calendar. Gift cards work as well too, though consider to whom the card is addressed. If the recipient is an individual, a gift card may be appropriate. However, if the card is addressed to a whole office, a gift card may not be suitable.

Business holiday greetings are an excellent way to reinforce your brand and continue building a positive perception about what your company offers. Your clients will most likely keep the company holiday card on their desk throughout the holiday season, so it will serve as a constant reminder of your business and services.

Consider your brand before selecting the card. Of course, the traditional Christmas imagery of trees, wreaths, and holly works well in some cases; but those looking to express a hip or trendy vibe may want to consider something else entirely. Also, leverage your knowledge of your target customer or audience when selecting imagery. Be sure to consider any images they might particularly appreciate.

A company holiday card with images of the world also works well for corporations that have a global presence, as it is a visual that translates well with clients located all over the world. For these types of corporate holiday cards, it might also be a nice touch to imprint them with holiday greetings in multiple languages to personally connect with your global clients.

A great way to reinforce a service-oriented business in the minds of clients and colleagues is to use holiday cards for business that reflect your specific profession. For example, selecting lawyer holiday cards that are serious or that gently poke fun of the profession help reinforce your value as well as communicate your appreciation for a client’s loyalty.

Other service professionals can benefit from business holiday greetings that feature images geared toward their profession, such as an accountant, financial planner, stockbroker, or a construction worker. While the image may represent a general scene that can be used across an entire client base, a verse, logo, or other message can be imprinted inside to complete a professional look.

If you cannot find a specific business holiday greeting that incorporates your profession, try for a holiday business card with some association to your business. You can later reinforce the connection with your imprinted message.

Sending business holiday cards benefit the self-employed just as much as they do any large corporation. As a freelancer, you probably don’t have a large marketing budget at your disposal, meaning you must be proactive and look for opportunities to market your skills services. The holidays provide a unique occasion to reach out to current and past clients, thank them for their business, and gently remind them you are always open to new opportunities.

Sending business holiday cards can serve an additional purpose – it can open the communication channel with past clients that may have otherwise fallen off the radar, increasing your potential client base for the New Year. In this way, a self-employed person can get more “bang for their buck” from sending professional-looking holiday business cards. Clients will most likely be very impressed that time was taken to send out carefully-chosen business holiday greetings that focus on appreciation for patronage.

What better way to truly show your appreciation for clients and colleagues than with business holiday cards? While you may opt for casual cards when it comes to personal holiday cards, there are some important tips to remember when sending corporate holiday cards.

Be sure to purchase high quality, well-constructed holiday business cards that reflect traditional themes. This will send the message that you take quality seriously and you are sensitive about your clients’ beliefs and customs. Cards with beautifully simple and sophisticated images, such as scenes of winter, along with embossed writing and preprinted personalized messages will ensure that clients realize the depth of your sincerity.

However, all that sincerity is rendered moot if the card is not received or becomes an afterthought. It’s wise to avoid the holiday rush when sending business holiday cards. Think about your clients and customers; their mailboxes may be flooded with cards as the holidays approach. Start planning in the early autumn and make arrangements for your cards to arrive after Thanksgiving, but before mid-December.

That said, procrastinators are still covered if they order their business Christmas cards online. The simplicity, convenience, and ease of online shopping makes it a quick and painless process, providing much needed relief for those in the “rush zone.” For these situations and to ensure the card was received, a friendly follow-up phone call from their sales rep or someone they work with regularly at the company may be a good idea.

Selecting a business holiday greeting with a New Year’s theme offers a number of benefits for a company. First and foremost, a New Year business holiday card is a nice change of pace from the traditional Christmas holiday business greeting card.

One of the biggest practical benefits of the New Year option for corporate holiday greetings is that the card and greeting do not have to reference a particular holiday preference. There is no risk of offending religious sensibilities, or lack thereof. It’s also appropriate for a New Year card to arrive a bit after the actual holiday, which works well because mail can sometimes be backlogged around Christmas and individuals often take extra time off for holiday travels.

A New Year company holiday card is also a good excuse to send out a positive message of hope for the New Year. This message is easily tied to the value and service that the business can bring for client prosperity.

Both large and small businesses must carefully consider many factors when sending corporate holiday cards. While the underlying message of appreciation for work or patronage during the year is a constant, there are many small but important details to mull over, especially when fine-tuning the message. Here are a few suggestions:

• Customer appreciation holiday business cards should focus on professional, yet personal, messages that relay a deep level of thanks and gratitude.
• General thank you corporate holiday greetings work well for colleagues, employees and clients. These cards can be imprinted with customized messages that match the recipient.
• “From All of Us” business holiday cards are appropriate for consulting firms, small businesses, and service business where customer and client contact is steady.
• A teamwork message is great for employees as it reinforces a company’s philosophy about working together for success.

To ensure that all of your clients receive their corporate holiday cards, it is important to update your database of contacts frequently. Here are some tips to ensure that your client contact list is current and correct:

• First of all, have a system. Whether it is a card or Rolodex system or a sophisticated database software program, be sure to have something in place that can easily be accessed and updated.
• Start early with updating information. To make it even easier, consider conducting regular quarterly contact information updates in which addresses, email addresses, phone, and fax numbers are verified. Small businesses with fewer clients may want to consider an ad-hoc update system, making changes as they occur.
• Have a contact manager application or a business card sharing device available to quickly and easily update customer contact information for corporate holiday card lists.

A business can garner enormous value from sending out corporate holiday greetings each year. Not only do business holiday greetings help to establish and maintain business contacts, but they can also be excellent advertising and marketing tools for prospective clients. A holiday business card is also a good tactic for reconnecting with older customers and clients. This may result in rekindled sales and a larger customer base.

Sending holiday greeting cards for business also illustrates that a business, freelancer, or corporation is positive and grateful, which can reflect well on their corporate or personal brand. Clients appreciate a company that has taken the time and effort to select cards, craft a message, and mail the holiday business cards.

Additionally, a company that provides business holiday greetings to their colleagues and employees sends a message of appreciation and significance. This can help motivate staff and ultimately maintain a positive workforce.

Businesses that use company holiday cards as part of their yearly strategy to communicate with clients, colleagues, and staff will quickly realize the numerous benefits of ordering online. Here are some of the advantages of buying business holiday greeting cards on the Internet:

• The old adage that time is money especially holds true for businesses. Ordering company holiday cards online saves time over using brick-and-mortar card stores or catalogue companies.
• Online business holiday card companies offer an extensive variety of cards designed to suit different business needs, messages, and professions.
• Online corporate holiday greetings websites like Holiday Cards Unlimited can offer extraordinary quality cards that can be purchased in both small batches or in bulk.
• Online vendors like Holiday Cards Unlimited can include value-added services, such as card and envelope imprinting as well as card calendars.
• Compared to other vendors, online greeting card companies offer a very quick production time for personalized business Christmas cards. When time is short, a more standard greeting can still be ordered and shipped in time for the holidays.