by Jennifer Gibbs

Created on: September 30, 2010

Writing a holiday greeting can cover a great deal of territory. While many people think about writing a Christmas, Hanukah or Kwanza card, holiday greetings are about more than just spreading good cheer. It can also be about… business!

No matter what industry you’re in, or whether your business is large or small, one of the best marketing extravaganzas you’ll encounter throughout the year is the Holiday Season. Between your web content, direct mail, email marketing, banner ads, white paper offerings, complimentary gifts and a host of other marketing methods and approaches, “Season’s Greetings” opportunities are everywhere you turn around. If you’re not taking advantage of them, you’re only doing it at your own risk.

Here are a few simple ways that you can capitalize on holiday greetings this year and for years to come…

Seasonal Strategy #1: Plan ahead! If you want to make the most of every holiday, whether it’s Christmas, Easter or even Halloween, the secret is to start early and to finish late. When your holiday season lasts longer, you have more opportunities to close the sale. By starting early, you may be able to beat your competitors to the punch. By ending late, you can allow customers and clients to take advantage of post-holiday deals and discounts.

Seasonal Strategy #2: Never underestimate the power of Snail Mail! When it comes to the holidays, the best way to make a lasting, high-impact impression is with a personalized, hand-signed greeting card. Whether you purchase these in bulk and mail them out or you pay to have customized holiday cards produced and printed, it’s definitely a thought that counts (and can have you counting a lot of extra holiday dough!)

Seasonal Strategy #3: Go digital! Digital marketing of all forms are affordable and offer an ease of management and measurement that you can’t match in other venues. If you’re not already using email marketing to communicate with your customers, make it a holiday priority. If you don’t already have Facebook or other Social Media accounts, get busy – you’re missing out. Finally, if you haven’t yet begun a blog, you’re WAY behind and need to get with the program. In order to maintain real, authentic relationships with your clients and customers, you need to be where they are!

Seasonal Strategy #4: Catch the spirit! Whether you’re an eCommerce company or you’re a brick-and-mortar entity (or a combination of the two), don’t hesitate to spread some holiday cheer on your website or across your storefront. Let people know you’re happy to celebrate the season, no matter what it is! This levity and enthusiasm can be contagious and let’s your customers know that you’re a real person, with real opinions, likes, dislikes and reasons to celebrate. Of course, it’s all the better when you combine your holiday cheer with special discounts and/or promotions that get your customers in a merry mood as well!

While political correctness and generic holiday greetings can be hard to swallow, don’t let someone else’s Scrooge-like tendencies sap away all of your seasonal joy.

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