The holiday season is right around the corner (literally), and one traditional item for most organizations is sending out a holiday card. For what is seemingly a simple item, it can often be fairly complex when deciding the card design and what it should say. Fortunately, whether you are looking to print or email (or both) your greeting, it’s not too late to get it done and we’re here to help.
Three steps to creating a company holiday card
Use these three steps to help you with the creation of your holiday card and the organization of your mailing list:
Step 1: Review and update your mailing list – This step is often saved to the end, but knowing who you are sending your card to will shape your message and your design. This will also help you determine how many cards to order (if you are printing cards), as well as ensure you have the most current shipping and/or email address of recipients. Not sure who you should be sending a card too? In my opinion, the sky is the limit. Go beyond sending a card to your customers, and include any freelancers, vendors, consultants and others you have worked closely with over the year.
The past few years, our eCard has been an animated gif. For those types of files, we have found an email service, such as MailChimp, produces the best results. If you don’t have a printer in mind, we have found Moo.com to be easy to use and provides high quality cards quickly.
Step 2: Write your message – Now that you have a better understanding of your holiday card recipients, it’ll be easier to write your message. This year has been anything but ordinary, so knowing what to say can be challenging. Choosing a theme might help (at Content Matterz, we are going with warm & cozy), and when writing your message, keep your brand in mind. This will ensure your message sounds like it is coming from you and your organization, and not somewhere out of left field.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- May your holiday season be filled with joy and laughter. Warm wishes from everyone at (your company name here)
- Wishing the best to you and yours. Warmest holiday wishes from (company name here)
- Wishing you a joyous Holiday Season and a New Year filled with peace and happiness.
- Taking a moment to say thank you for your business. And wish you the most magical of holidays!
Step 3: Design your card – Now it’s time for the fun part (in my opinion). Choose a design that fits with both your message and your brand, and of course promotes some holiday cheer. With eCards, you have the option of using a static image or adding animation and movement, and it is always best for your printed and eCards to have a similar look and feel. The design of your card can even coordinate with the gifts you may be giving, if you would like. For example, if you are giving everyone gift boxes of mugs and coffee, then a steaming mug or cozy messaging might work well. Have a brainstorming session or two with your team to get different ideas and perspectives. Ultimately, your card design should represent you and your organization, and even more important, this project should be fun.
For a little inspiration, I have included the holiday card designs we have sent out the past few years.
Of course, we are always happy to help you spread a little holiday cheer. Contact us today to get a holiday card designed.