Unique Ways to Thank Customers and Clients – and Make a Memorable Impression  

The holiday season, also known as the fourth quarter (Q4), is the busiest time of year for most organizations, with employees taking time off, end-of-year business activities, kicking off of a new year, and a significant surge in retail purchases.

These demands of the season can often cause some forgetfulness on what matters most to your business: customers, clients, colleagues and friends. Sending seasonal greetings and expressions of gratitude to those who support and enable your business’s [or career’s] success is an essential activity, and an opportunity that ought not to be wasted.

So don’t wait until Black Friday to start developing your card and gift ideas (as is the case with most activities, there’s often some last-minute panic!).  Instead, get ahead of the curve, and start planning in the months before the holiday rush. Fortunately, with the surge in online resources and e-commerce increasing almost 3x over the past decade, holiday planning, purchasing and sending has become easier and more customizable than ever.

That said, with the onslaught that is about to begin, it’s essential that your cards and gifts stand out from the crowd. Can you easily list out who sent you cards and gifts last year? While you might have enjoyed those chocolate pretzels from the last Yuletide, do you remember who sent them? Did that card or gift help you better understand your partner and their mission? The time, effort and thoughtfulness put into a unique greeting can have a significant impact on your business goals for the coming year and beyond.

Smart Planning for Your Holidays Cards

Religion: Remember that not everyone celebrates the same religion as you, so be very careful when wishing your customers and colleagues holiday greetings. Are they celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah? Do they even celebrate the holidays?

Tip: Business etiquette is to keep your holiday cards as generic as possible when it comes to religion. Add personalization around your business relationship instead.

Paper vs. Digital: With an increase in digital tools that make sending holiday cards as easy as one-click, digital solutions are the easiest, fastest and the most budget-friendly. However, if you want to be memorable, and ensure your greetings don’t get lost in an inbox, it’s best to send personalized paper cards – not boxed cards.  You can, in fact, design your own custom-printed cards!

Tip:  Online solutions like Vistaprint make holiday card customization easy for small businesses.  Take a look at their personalized options.

Stay True to Your Brand: Don’t get so caught up in the holiday spirit that you forget the cards are from your business, and therefore need to reflect your brand’s voice and values.

Tip: Incorporating your brand’s voice/tone into your holiday cards is a great way to wish your customers happy holidays – and also remind them what your brand stands for, setting your missive apart from other holiday greetings.

Design Tips to Ensure Memorable Cards

The importance of design plus personalization cannot be stressed enough to ensure that your cards are remembered beyond the holiday season.  Why?  Because a high-level of personalization goes beyond just a business-to-business relationship; it communicates that your customers mean more to you than just dollars and cents.

Write a Personal Note: Hand write a note to thank your customers for their business this year. Your note should be specific and personal. Even if it’s just a few words, a personal message is the best way to make your holiday greetings stand out.

Consider the Layout: The common sizes and layout options for holiday card are as follows:  4” x 8” flat, 5” x 7” folded or 5” x 7” flat (horizontal or vertical). Make sure the layout is clean and simple, and reflective of your company’s brand. Also, make sure you leave plenty of room for a written note!
Use Nontraditional Colors: Holiday cards don’t have to be the traditional red, green, gold, silver, or blue, and those colors may not align to your brand.  Luckily, there are plenty of customizable options that will, and the more non-traditional your card is, the more it will stand out. So use your brand’s colors if needed – then add holiday touches via the message or images.

Think about Photos: You want to convey warmth and cheer through your imagery.  Sparkling lights, fireplaces, and winter landscapes are all good examples of non-religious but seasonal imagery that can also be edited to fit within your brand elements. Another option: taking pictures at the office, and incorporating a holiday feel to them.
Use Quality Paper: The paper you choose can also set you apart from other cards. Consider upgrading to premium stock, eco-friendly recycled paper, or a linen finish. What card stock are your business cards? Matching the stock quality to your business cards is another way to tie in your branding with your holiday cards.

Don’t Forget About Envelopes: Envelopes make the first impression, so make your holiday card stands out by using high-quality envelopes with coordinating colors and branding. Add stickers to seal the card, and consider simple, matching address labels.

Make Them Laugh: If your business is fortunate enough to have a creative staff, have them step right up to make a funny and personalized holiday card that aligns to your brand’s personality.

Using these options above, you can ensure that you convey heartfelt holiday greetings while also strengthening your professional relationships for the coming year.  A little creativity, planning, and a strong sense of your company’s identity can all help your card elicit both appreciation and a smile from your business recipient as they peruse it over morning coffee.

Take advantage of Vistaprint’s 50% off Holiday cards offer (Use Code: CARD50)