RE // MARKINGS

current writings on all things

Do holiday greetings still matter?

Why the “original” social media post is still relevant in the world of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Indicia Happy New Year

Up until a few years ago, I remember getting the traditional “Holiday Letter” from family and friends. Usually one typed page in length, these “original” social media posts were an intimate and personal way to reconnect with loved ones and update them on the activities, trips, and highlights (or lowlights, in some cases) from the past year.

I remember some of these letters being waaay too long, some too braggy (“look at me, look at me”), and some either too personal (“T.M.I.”) or too impersonal (“why would I care about that?”). Overall, most struck a good balance between providing relevant information, with humility and brevity. Over the past few years I have noticed a shift in people’s perceptions regarding this holiday tradition: in a world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media, the art of the “Holiday Greeting” is getting lost. Why spend time writing a letter or creating a custom card when you can simply post online?

Why Holiday Letters and Cards are Still Relevant

Sure, most companies still send out cards (usually arriving in mailboxes between Thanksgiving and New Year’s) that are emblazoned with “Happy Holidays,” “Season’s Greetings,” “We’re Thankful” or other generic phrases. Some of the cards are hand-signed by the team, which is always a nice touch, but most of the time those signatures have been copied or printed offset—which is kind of like cheating, in my opinion. There is large and highly profitable segment of business that focuses solely on corporate Holiday cards.

I understand why this is the case. Writing a Holiday Letter or designing a unique card can be an arduous and time-consuming task for businesses. We simply don’t prepare until the last minute. Our firm is as guilty as most others in this regard… even though we begin talking in July each year about what kind of greeting (be it a traditional mailed card, an online video or animation, or an emailed graphic with a simple message), we inevitably get busy with other projects and it doesn’t become a priority until the end of October.

Unfortunately, we often use the excuse that the holidays “snuck up on us.” The last time I checked, they come at the same time of every year—I’ll concede that Thanksgiving doesn’t always fall on the same day, but Christmas is always on December 25th, and I am pretty sure that New Year’s Day is always the first day of January.

Why should you care whether a Holiday Greeting goes out on time, or even at all?

To put it simply, it is one of the easiest forms of marketing that you can do each year that has tremendous impact. It allows you to reach out and connect with your clients and prospects with something they are guaranteed to open and read. Holiday letters and cards can be useful for letting them know what you have been up to recently, any important changes that your company may be making, including products or services you plan to offer in the new year; and they allow you to stay top of mind should a customer need arise.

The important thing to keep in mind with Holiday Greetings is that they need to be unique and personable—and a reflection of your company’s culture. They don’t have to be overly creative, but they do need to be something more than a generic card “signed” by your employees or team. Indicia’s first holiday card was a physical card with a die cut snowflake that revealed an American flag (this was right after September 11th, 2001). Since then we have done a cartoon animation, an animation poking fun at our location, our take on the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” and most recently, a holiday mashup.

Indicia Holiday Animation - Click to Play

12 Days of Indicia animation - Click to play

Indicia Holiday Ice Bucket Challenge

By: Ryan Hembree, Founder | Fearless* Leader

For more information on “The Lost Art of the Holiday Letter,” and tips for creating one, click here.

Up until a few years ago, I remember getting the traditional “Holiday Letter” from family and friends. Usually one typed page in length, these “original” social media posts were an intimate and personal way to reconnect with loved ones and update them on the activities, trips, and highlights (or lowlights, in some cases) from the past year.

I remember some of these letters being waaay too long, some too braggy (“look at me, look at me”), and some either too personal (“T.M.I.”) or too impersonal (“why would I care about that?”). Overall, most struck a good balance between providing relevant information, with humility and brevity. Over the past few years I have noticed a shift in people’s perceptions regarding this holiday tradition: in a world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media, the art of the “Holiday Greeting” is getting lost. Why spend time writing a letter or creating a custom card when you can simply post online?

Sure, most companies still send out cards (usually arriving in mailboxes between Thanksgiving and New Year’s) that are emblazoned with “Happy Holidays,” “Season’s Greetings,” “We’re Thankful” or other generic phrases. Some of the cards are hand-signed by the team, which is always a nice touch, but most of the time those signatures have been copied or printed offset—which is kind of like cheating, in my opinion. There is large and highly profitable segment of business that focuses solely on corporate Holiday cards.

I understand why this is the case. Writing a Holiday Letter or designing a unique card can be an arduous and time-consuming task for businesses. We simply don’t prepare until the last minute. Our firm is as guilty as most others in this regard… even though we begin talking in July each year about what kind of greeting (be it a traditional mailed card, an online video or animation, or an emailed graphic with a simple message), we inevitably get busy with other projects and it doesn’t become a priority until the end of October.

Unfortunately, we often use the excuse that the holidays “snuck up on us.” The last time I checked, they come at the same time of every year—I’ll concede that Thanksgiving doesn’t always fall on the same day, but Christmas is always on December 25th, and I am pretty sure that New Year’s Day is always the first day of January.

Why should you care whether a Holiday Greeting goes out on time, or even at all?

To put it simply, it is one of the easiest forms of marketing that you can do each year that has tremendous impact. It allows you to reach out and connect with your clients and prospects with something they are guaranteed to open and read. Holiday letters and cards can be useful for letting them know what you have been up to recently, any important changes that your company may be making, including products or services you plan to offer in the new year; and they allow you to stay top of mind should a customer need arise.

The important thing to keep in mind with Holiday Greetings is that they need to be unique and personable—and a reflection of your company’s culture. They don’t have to be overly creative, but they do need to be something more than a generic card “signed” by your employees or team. Indicia’s first holiday card was a physical card with a die cut snowflake that revealed an American flag (this was right after September 11th, 2001). Since then we have done a cartoon animation, an animation poking fun at our location, our take on the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” and most recently, a holiday mashup.

Indicia Holiday Animation - Click to Play

12 Days of Indicia animation - Click to play

Indicia Holiday Ice Bucket Challenge

By: Ryan Hembree, Founder | Fearless* Leader

For more information on “The Lost Art of the Holiday Letter,” and tips for creating one, click here.