People really value greeting cards. To prove this, you can look at them lined up on mantels, or just consider how card companies sells folded pieces of paper for $5 apiece. So as the holidays approach, think about whether you should send greeting cards to some of your customers.
Greeting cards (bought in bulk) are a relatively cheap way of getting your company's name in front of people. And even if corporate cards aren't granted mantel status, they're almost sure to get more attention than cheap flyers or postcards.
A Hallmark Business Expressions survey of 1,000 people recently proved this point. According to a statement, "The survey revealed 78 percent of respondents receive holiday cards from businesses and half of those recipients are more likely to do future business with a company that sends holiday greeting cards."
Also, "Beyond boosting business, sending business holiday cards helps create positive perceptions and enhances customer loyalty as the majority of those who receive greeting cards appreciate the gesture and many also feel receiving a card shows that the company genuinely cares about them."
You may still want to be careful with your targeting, of course; the average person isn't going to buy a new house just because the builder of their current one sends a Christmas message. But this is a nice way to advertise without appearing intrusive.
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Comments
card printing
One thing to remember is that you should personalize the holiday cards. Sending a generic card could hurt more than not sending one at all. Handwrite the receipient's name and sign your own name. If time permits also include a hand written message. It's a great way to remind your customers about your products & services. It also lets the customer know that you value their business.
Holiday Greeting Cards
Sending holiday cards may seem insignificant, but they are powerful. The recipeant often displays them in their lobbies, where people waiting will browse through them giving your business an exposure that it would not normally get.
You also put your company on the minds of your customers, where for a moment they recall the good experience they had with you over the past year.
I also make it a point to send cards and postcards throughout the year, just to keep in touch and stay on the minds of my customers.
Tim
Holiday Cards
I can't afford to postal mail everyone a card, (a few paid members), so I email a special Holiday email with music, etc. I've received positive responses about them, so I'm assuming everyone enjoys them. It's also much more cost effective for me and saves a lot of trees.
Michelle
online cards
Giving attention is the key on how you appreciate the customers inculing holiday. Personalizing is one way to do that. Greeting card through email also possible for this purpose.
ecards
When you consider all the email one receives and statics show that only 10% or so open email advertisements (ecards fall into this low stat) you can't miss with a real Greeting Card sent through the mail - think about it, every single card you send WILL be opened - 100%, so if you use greeting cards as a marketing tool and budget for it your return on investment will far out weigh the no cost, low open rate of ecards.
Cut it out with your SOC
Cut it out with your SOC spam guy.
Would that reaction be the same for ecards?
I wonder if those stats only include print holiday cards??? Seems these past years, i've been getting more ecards at work. Gotta wonder if more people are starting to opt out of print cards and in with ecards? With the whole environment thing an d all. Got a really cool one this past season - actually from a company that designs corporate holiday ecards.
re) "Beyond boosting business, sending business holiday cards helps create positive perceptions and enhances customer loyalty as the majority of those who receive greeting cards appreciate the gesture and many also feel receiving a card shows that the company genuinely cares about them."
^^^ I've wondered if this reaction would be the same for ecards? On another note, some must like being able to physically touch their card and may feel like an ecard is impersonal - I could be wong though.
Maybe someone else will weight in on this.
Ecards are gaining ground.
Over the last few years, the quality of ecards for businesses have been increasing. Straying from the typical cartoonish style and encompassing more creativity.
One common problem for most smaller businesses, it the affordability of these when sending to a small group of reciepints. Often, the higher quality e-cards come with a price that, on average, only medium and large businesses can afford.
A new site, launching for the 2011 holiday season called Encore Ecards looks to address this problem with their corporate holiday ecards.
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