Holiday Greeting Cards: Show Customers You Care!

If you're already thinking about getting customer holiday greeting cards printed for your business this year, you're in luck. It's never too early to start preparing for the winter holidays. This is particularly true for businesses that want to stay on top of seasonal projects and budgeting. 

Don't underestimate the value of a well-intentioned holiday card, by the way. Even though digital communication continues to be on the rise, printed messages like holiday greeting cards are still desirable among many. In fact, even Millennials show a fondness for holiday greeting cards. 

Take advantage of this simple, yet impactful relationship-building strategy this year. Professionally printed greeting cards can go a long way in presenting your business as a genuine, relatable one. Both employees and clients will be so grateful for the effort you've made here. 

So, how can you be sure you're optimizing this holiday gesture? Well, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the best holiday greeting card strategies for businesses. 

Don't Push Printed Materials Aside in Modern Digital Era

It can be easy to forget about how much we relied on physically printed materials in the past. In the age of digital connectivity available at the tips of our fingers, so much more has been possible. We can communicate anything we need with anyone we want from anywhere in the world. 

Don't let this digitization prevent you from seeing and remembering the value of printed messages, though. After all, consider the following statistic about the printing services industry throughout the United States.

It suggests that this market was worth over $77 billion in 2021 alone. In other words, it seems like the popularity of printed materials still has serious worth. 

In fact, because of the Digital Era, printed holiday cards have even more of a nostalgic, personal feel to them. They're a great chance to showcase to clients and other businesses you might work with how much you genuinely care about them. 

After all, sending an email is free. When you send a holiday greeting card, though, your clients know you went the extra mile and were willing to actually spend money on them. This effort will result in increased trust and value in your business's brand altogether. 

Holiday Greeting Cards Don’t Have to Be Limited to Thanksgiving & Christmas Time!  

When we think of holiday greeting cards, we tend to think about Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the other holidays stacked at the end of the year. It's true that even the beginning of this article focused on this season of cheer and giving. 

Don't forget, though, that there are plenty of holidays throughout the rest of the year that can be worth celebrating. It's up to you how much your business will be willing to invest in participating in the festivities each time a holiday comes around. 

It can be wise to invest in seasonal marketing materials all year long. That way, you have multiple chances to remind your clients of the value of working together. 

For instance, don't be hesitant to design and send a round of greeting cards during the Easter season. You can even have some fun around Halloween with a cute, spooky greeting card in the hopes of impressing your clients.

Get with the rest of your team and see how they might want to celebrate holidays throughout the year. Working together to promote the seasons will further the business's brand identity as one that prioritizes staying in touch with what's going on in customers' lives. 

Enhance Customer Experience with Personalized Card Designs

If you're starting to see the value of sending out holiday greeting cards on behalf of your business, you might be thinking about the easiest way of doing so. You might be thinking of printing something like, "Happy Fourth of July from your friends at [name of your company]!" without adding much more flare.

Slap that next to a stock photo, and you might think you're good to go. While this might be a convenient method of printing greeting cards, it's more worthwhile to add an extra touch. 

When you personalize the printing job for each client you send a holiday card to, they'll take note. They'll appreciate that sentiment much more than an obviously mass-printed option. If you need guidance on an optimal holiday greeting card design, ask your reputable printing service for their input.

Making this personalized effort will promote genuine relationship-building between you and your clients. As a result, you can expect them to think more favorably about your business in the future. Let's take a look at how to make that personalization happen.

Make Your Holiday Greeting Cards More Personal

First of all, it's important to note that the purpose of a holiday greeting card is to be informal and authentic in emotion. That means they should be much more relaxed and warmer in tone than other standard corporate letters or messages. 

One way to add this personal touch is to hand-sign each card. Sure, this might take a little bit of time depending on your list of clientele, but it's worth the effort.

Also, if it makes sense for your clients, add a sentence or two specific to them. You can say something like, "The last time we talked, you were hesitant about using [a product] - I hope it's working out!" As a result, they'll know you actually spent the energy and thought about their unique relationship with you as an organization. 

If your staff is small enough, consider asking the rest of them to sign the card, too. This level of personal detail will not go unnoticed by each client who receives a greeting card with so much authenticity packed into it. 

The Value of Sending Holiday Greeting Cards to Your Employees

Not only should you think about sending holiday cards to your existing clients, but your employees would also appreciate the effort you make to thank them for all of their hard work. Using the holiday spirit to show your gratitude for employee cooperation will go a long way in boosting workplace morale, productivity, and the overall company culture.

There are so many benefits to investing in organizational culture, too. For one thing, it promotes employee loyalty and, therefore, retention. Happy company cultures have way less turnover, saving you money by not having to recruit and hire talent as often. 

In addition, a solid workplace team can be a major part of defining the organization's brand identity. Think about it. If they're feeling appreciated and are in high spirits, they'll work with your clients in a more positive and welcoming manner.

Your employees, after all, are the face of your company. Do your best to invest in them, and they'll be more inclined to represent your goals and values in return. 

Clients Appreciate Holiday Cards From People They Do Business With

You will find value in sending holiday greeting cards to your existing client base. They're the ones who pour money into your organization, after all. For the most loyal and top-spending clients, don't be afraid to do something extra special for them when the holidays come around to reward them for their business.

Thanking your customers with holiday cards and gifts serves many purposes. Not only are these greeting cards a chance to self-promote the creativity and professionalism of your brand identity.

In addition, it's a chance to remind your customers of their previous success with your products or services. This form of marketing positively reinforces their potential decision to work with you in the future. 

In fact, don't be afraid to use a holiday greeting card campaign as a direct advertising strategy. Are there any holiday-based sales or discounts your clients could benefit from? Is there a different kind of marketing campaign going on that you could include in the holiday card message?

Again, every holiday card you send should be strategic and personalized. Part of the strategy, of course, should be incorporating the full branding design elements that represent your company.

An Opportunity To Spread Holiday Cheer & Promote Your Business Further  

It could be easy to find a stack of standard holiday greeting cards at your local market. Instead, go the extra mile and print your holiday greeting cards with a professional printing service. That way, you can both personalize the card for each recipient and you can include your specific branding design elements. 

Take some time to think about creative ways to incorporate your business's brand into the holiday card's message. As an example, perhaps you can design a Christmas tree that has your brand's logo at the top in place of the traditional star. 

You can also use the holidays as a chance to take a group photo of your entire team. Using this photo in your greeting cards can add yet another personal touch that your clients will get a kick out of. Branding holiday cards should continue to foster authentic relationships with clients.

Be willing to work with your creative marketing team to design the most unique, representative holiday card with branding in mind. Plus, you can also work with the professional printing service you hire. Their team of experts should provide great insight as to holiday-themed branding tricks you can use.

Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most Out of Sending Holiday Cards

When the winter holidays come around, it's considered the "season of giving." This time of year is a great chance for your organization to give back to its local community. Are there any charities or non-profit organizations that you think you'd like to work with?

Donating to these social causes both brings personal fulfillment to your team of employees and represents your brand well. In addition, you can use your holiday greeting card campaign to make the most of this spirit of giving. 

You can organize a fundraiser to support a specific cause or charity. Then, send out holiday greeting cards encouraging clients to participate in the generosity. You'll likely find they're more than willing to help the cause - plus, it's a great reflection on your organization that you put this together. 

You can also take advantage of social media engagement to boost your brand's reach. Just remember that the overall tone and theme of your card message should be about the holidays and the clients. Don't make it too sales-y. 

Incorporate Social Media Strategies with Your Holiday Messages

As any holiday throughout the year rolls around, it's smart practice to incorporate the associated themes on your social media platforms. That means talking about the Easter Bunny in the spring and turkeys in the fall. 

Effective holiday social media marketing goes beyond just posting cute, relatable content. These holidays are also a great chance to organize a giveaway or contest to promote the digital engagement of your business's brand. For more specific guidance, check out this article about running an effective holiday social media campaign.

Then, make use of these social media marketing strategies in your holiday greeting cards. For instance, perhaps you're running a contest for the best Halloween costumes sent to your social media accounts. Winners receive a gift certificate or free month of membership or whatever is applicable to your business. 

Well, mention this costume contest when you send out holiday greeting cards! Social media works hand-in-hand with the right holiday card campaign strategy. Just remember to keep the tone lighthearted and not pushy about getting more sales.

Different Effects to Make Your Holiday Greeting Cards Stand Out

As mentioned earlier in the article, it's worth the investment to make your holiday greeting cards stand out. It's likely that your clients are receiving lots of cards during the winter holidays. How can yours be unique?

Well, consider the use of different printing effects and finishing options. Using sustainable paper and ink is one non-traditional option, of course. 

On top of that, though, there are several quirky design elements you can make the most of. Your reputable printing service provider should be able to accommodate them with ease. 

Some examples include using different coatings or laminations. You could specify to your printing service provider whether you prefer a shiny gloss or a softer matte finish. 

For more vibrant printing effects, you could request printing with metallic foil on the card design. This would really make the design shine brighter than the rest. Die cuts also appear and feel unique enough to be more noticeable than a traditional holiday card. 

Play around with finishing styles such as raised print, embossing, or other elements to see which ones you like and which would make sense with the rest of your card design. Don't be afraid to get creative here!

Alternative Printed Materials to Promote the Holidays

It's true that greeting cards are perhaps the most personable printing project for the holidays. Still, don't forget to spruce up the workplace with other holiday-themed printed materials. 

Simple holiday posters and flyers can make a huge difference in the office atmosphere. Not only will it spur the seasonal spirit among employees. Also, guests in the workplace will appreciate your recognition of the seasons. 

Maybe you also have additional messages to send to your clients along with the holiday cards. Well, you can include other printed materials in the envelope that you do send. 

This could include invitations to a specific event or even a calendar that clients can hang up to follow the upcoming year. What's great about this is that you can still use the same branding design elements that you used with your holiday cards.

Sending out multiple materials at once can further that relationship-building. Plus, the boxes or envelopes you send everything in can coordinate with the same design, too!

Remember, you'll want the greeting card to stand on its own, though, without too much obvious talk about sales. That's where these other materials like potential brochures or pamphlets could be of use.

Consider Eco-Friendly Printing Projects to Promote Sustainability

Perhaps you're concerned with using so much paper every holiday season to send out greeting cards. Your organization has more of a focus on sustainability and eco-friendly practices.

If that's the case, don't worry. You can choose to send holiday cards out on recycled paper with soy-based ink if you want to stick with an eco-friendly option. Take some time to research sustainable printing options for printing projects that might ease your worries.

This effort in sustainable printing practices might suit specific clients of yours, too. If you know that some or most of them care about environmental impact, it might be worth considering going this route instead of using traditional paper. The good thing is that you shouldn't miss out on any of the awesome design elements you're considering for your holiday card campaign. 

Other Promotional Products Beneficial For Customer Relationship-Building

Holiday greeting cards are a great way to connect with clients. Still, for some of your most loyal clients particularly, there are other measures you can take to thank them for their business. 

That's where you might look into actual gifts to celebrate the holiday spirit. Even when you send gifts to your clients, though, there's a chance to include your business's branding design elements. 

For instance, you can have custom-printed clothing items made with your business's tagline or logo printed on them. Send these to your clients alongside the holiday cards.

You can also custom-print your brand onto hats, pens, lanyards, clocks, notepads, and more. Work with your printing service provider to see what capabilities they have. If they're worth your investment at all, they should have today's top printing equipment on hand to get these projects done.

This extra touch does more than make clients feel special. You can also enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing they'll likely use these branded items throughout the rest of the year. 

Keep an Updated List of Greeting Card Recipients Throughout the Year

If you only want to send those custom-printed gifts to your best clients, that's totally okay. You can keep a running list of your top-paying clients throughout the year to make this happen. 

Also, keep that running list as updated as possible. When new clients come on board, for instance, perhaps they can receive a special gift package and greeting card from your team to welcome them. 

You can even keep a separate list of clients you've worked with in the past but maybe haven't heard from in a while. Sending them a special holiday greeting card can reignite their interest in your business. Don't underestimate the power of a greeting card to spur your client relationships and boost your brand recognition. 

Make Sure You Hire The Right Printing Professionals

Whenever you're deciding on what kind of greeting card campaign you're going to run, don't trust just anyone to handle the printing. You deserve top-quality products at a reasonable price.

That's why you should only work with a reputable printing agency that you know you can trust. Researching potential printing agencies can help you determine that. 

Does the company have a wide variety of printing capabilities? Do they have friendly customer service? Are their prices sensible?

Ask these questions and others upfront as you need to. You should feel comfortable working hand-in-hand with your trusted printing service.

Customize The Perfect Customer Holiday Greeting Cards With TEAM Concept Printing

Overall, there’s plenty to consider when it comes to customer holiday greeting cards! Investing in personalized and memorable greeting cards is an excellent way to build rapport and show your customers you care! 

When it comes to making the perfect impression around the holiday season, TEAM Concept Printing’s wide-ranging capabilities have you covered!

The holidays are approaching quickly! Request your free estimate today!