The Do’s and Don’ts of Corporate Holiday Cards

The holidays are a crucial time for small and medium-sized businesses. It’s the time of year to boost sales and maintain client relations, and holiday cards can help with both.  Heartwarming and professional greetings reminds customers that you value your relationship and also keeps your business top of mind.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to consider when creating your corporate holiday cards.

What To Do and Not to Do on Your Holiday Client Cards

Do’s	Don’ts
Speak to the emotions and nostalgia of the season.	Don’t refer to specific holidays, religions, or celebrations.
Share details on how your team will be spending the holidays.	Don’t spend too much time talking about your business.
Thank your customers for their support.	Don’t include a sales pitch.
Send your holiday postcards early.	Don’t send your cards last minute.
Include a handwritten element.	Don’t send a generic message.
Stick to a personable yet professional tone.	Don’t be too casual.

The Do’s of Holiday Cards for Clients

Speak to the emotions and nostalgia of the season.

Your business caters to a diverse audience with different backgrounds and experiences. . Instead of  “Merry Christmas” lead with emotional aspects like finding joy, peace, or purpose with your loved ones. Think about what makes the holidays unique for everyone, regardless of religion and culture. From there, you can come up with a unique and unforgettable greeting.

Share details on how your team is spending the holidays.

Ask your team what they’re looking forward to during the holidays and share them  in the holiday postcard. Lead with a question asking customers what they love about the holidays before sharing your employees’ answers.

Thank your customers for their support.

Your customers are the focus of holiday cards. Remember to thank them for their support. They’ll appreciate your recognition while you also show that the connection goes beyond business. Be sure to focus on your gratitude and appreciation for the card instead of trying to make a sale.

Send your holiday postcards early.

Order your postcards in advance to guarantee customers receive each personalized note. We recommend creating and completing your holiday postcard order as early as now so they’re ready for sending out by early December. Customers are more likely to keep postcards they receive before the holidays and miss those that arrive after December.

Include a handwritten element.

Everything is digital these days, which makes a handwritten gesture that much more meaningful.   Write your customers’ names or add your signature to close the message.  This personalized aspect shows customers you gave time to complete each postcard.

Stick to a personable yet professional tone.

Making people smile is always a good thing, but there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed when it comes to professional holiday cards.  Stick to work-appropriate images, like a group photo of employees in ugly sweaters, to bring humanity to your business.

The Don’ts of Holiday Cards for Clients

Don’t refer to specific holidays, religions, or celebrations.

Keep in mind that only some people celebrate Christmas in December. Avoid greeting your customers with “Merry Christmas” or anything related to a religious holiday. A specific greeting might imply you’re not paying attention to your customers. It’s best to play it safe and focus on the non-religious aspects of the holidays.

Don’t spend too much time talking about your business.

Holiday cards are like letters to your customers, so you want to keep the focus on them. That said, one way to connect with the reader is to share something about your company and the people who keep it running. Just be sure to always bring it back to the customer.

Don’t include a sales pitch.

Think about when you get a card in the mail – you’re excited to read the message, not buy something. Holiday postcards are not the place to make a big sale.  Instead, focus on connecting with your audience and giving thanks.

Don’t send your cards last minute.

Create a schedule that will deliver your postcards ahead of the holiday rush. Avoid sending them out two weeks before the last week of December, as your postcards may get lost in the mail. If you’re ordering postcards online, account for the production time and how long it will take for the prints to arrive before customer delivery.

Don’t send a generic message.

When crafting your holiday message, ask yourself the following questions: Who are your customers? What are they doing over the holidays? How has your product helped them in their everyday lives? See what answers come up and use these to create a message personalized for your customers.

Don’t be too casual.

Always include your customers’ last names and titles on the envelope and postcard.  While the tone shouldn’t be too formal, this is still a message from a business, not a buddy.

Send Your Season’s Greetings Today!

Now that you know what to and not to include on your corporate holiday cards, PrintPlace can help print your postcards to life. Whatever you choose, PrintPlace makes it easy every step of the way.