Month: November 2019

Tips For Sending Your Holiday Cards

Sending out holiday cards is like sending a, “Hello, we care about you!”  Your customers, employees, family and friends will appreciate your thoughtfulness.  Who doesn’t get excited when they see an envelope in their mailbox?

My first tip is to select a greeting that fits your personality.  Sending wishes for a Merry Christmas has been a longtime debate as you do not want to offend anyone.  I say still send the spirit of the holidays but keep it more generic in the formal imprint such as Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings.  Then you can make it personal but adding a handwritten Merry Christmas or other personal note depending on the recipient.

The next tip I will give you is to send your holiday cards on time.  Do not be that person that mails out their Christmas cards on December 26.  Then what started out as a warm gesture, turns into what will seem like a last minute token.  If for some reason you fell behind, skip the Christmas card and send a Happy New Year card.  These can be sent as late as January 15.

Lastly, be sure to put your return address on the envelope.  This is helpful in many ways.  What if the recipient wants to return the gesture but doesn’t have your address?  If someone is no longer at the address you mailed their holiday card to or you made an error in addressing the envelope and you added your return address, you will get the card back and resend it to the correct address. Have a Happy Holiday!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Many debate about when the Holiday Season really starts because advertisements and products start showing up in stores during the second half of the year. The first big one is Christmas In July which has become a popular marketing technique for retail stores. Once September rolls around many Christmas and Holiday themed things start popping up in the stores along with all of the Halloween items. You may even see a holiday commercial or two on TV. After Halloween most people are ready to start enjoying the Christmas songs and start decorating.

Many families have a tradition of decorating their houses during the upcoming week of Thanksgiving.  This is usually the time where you see most towns and storefronts go all out with decorations, lights and displays if they haven’t done so already. The Christmas tree lot in my town sets up shop and there is a Holiday festival during the week of Thanksgiving so that is the biggest sign to me that the holidays are here.  The Christmas cards and products fill the shelves in the stores. The cold weather starts setting in and the temperatures get low enough for a first snow. The radio starts playing Christmas songs and the fireplaces are burning.  That is when it begins to look a lot like Christmas!

Get Your Christmas Cards Addressed For You!

If you are a part of a big corporation or even a small business, your time is important to the success of your company. When sending out your Business Holiday cards this winter season, don’t waste your time addressing the Holiday cards yourself. Let the Gallery Collection address your cards for you by taking advantage of their Recipient Addressing Service!

As a member of a fortune 500 company, you won’t have the time and energy to personally address and mail out each and every Christmas card. When ordering with the Gallery Collection, you’ll be provided the option to have your Christmas cards and envelopes addressed for you. Not to mention, they also have a fold, stuff, seal and mailing service so you don’t have to worry about mailing your cards out at all!

As a small business owner, you may not have as many Holiday cards to address and mail out as a fortune 500 company has. However, your time is vital to the success of your growing business. You must oversee all of your employees, as well as make sure the business runs smoothly and generates a profit. Save your precious time and have your Company Christmas cards addressed for you. Whether you’re ordering twenty-five, a hundred or a thousand cards, the Gallery Collection will make it convenient for you.

3 Reasons To Purchase Custom Photo Mount Cards

The Gallery Collection offers a variety of greeting cards and greeting card styles. From the die-cut greeting card all the way to the editable text greeting card, they have every option available. One of the newest card styles is the custom photo mount card. These cards are like a “Create Your Own” card because you can upload any photo you’d like and The Gallery Collection will print it and paste it onto your greeting card! Here are three ways you can use a custom photo mount card next time around.

  • Show your product: If you are a business owner who provides a specific product to your customers, a custom photo mount card can help advertise your product! Upload a photo of the product, in good lighting of course, and add your company name to the photo. On the inside of the card you could provide the location of your business or any further information.
  • Show your team: Your clients and customers would probably love to know the faces behind the production. Show them your business team! Customers like to associate names and voices with actual faces. It’ll make them feel more connected to your business.
  • Show your logo: Get your customers familiar with your logo. More than half the population is visual learners. Once they see your logo and associate it with the services you provide, they will come to you whenever they need that service.

Calendar Cards: Why You Should Send Them This Holiday Season

I am sure you have been sending holiday cards for years, but I have an alternative that will make you stand out from the crowd.   This year consider about sending out Calendar Cards. 

You are giving yourself year round exposure by sending a calendar card customized with your logo and/or your company information.   The recipients of these calendars will display them from January right through till the end of year leaving them with a constant reminder that you are there when they need you.

Another reason to send a calendar card is there functionality.  Your customer will be able to look up dates to easily as their calendar is hanging right in front of them.  They are the perfect size to keep in your purse or briefcase so you always have a calendar on hand.

My last reason to send calendar cards is to create and build customer loyalty.  Your customer will no longer have to run to the yellow pages or the internet to find someone to suit their needs.  Your company name will be hanging right there in front of them. 

This year, mail calendar cards to your recipients to reap the rewards.

Why You Should Consider Greeting Cards Featuring Your Company Name

Sending greeting cards no matter what the occasion says so much about you and your business.  It lets your customers and prospective customers know that you appreciate them.  It is also a sign of a company that is tuned into the details of everything and everyone around them.  You care enough to want to wish them cheer during the holidays and happiness on their birthdays. 

Greeting cards are also a great marketing tool.  Most people display their cards on their desk with pride.  Just think about the benefits of having your company name featured on the front of your cards.  Everyone who passes by will know you send a card acknowledging the recipient. 

There are digitally editable cards where you can personalize the front of the card with your company name.  So many variety of these cards are available including holiday cards and birthday cards.

If you prefer the embossed look, the “die-cut” greeting cards are a perfect alternative that still allow your company name to be featured front and center.  You can have your company name or small logo imprinted on the inside of the card.  With this “die-cut” option, there is an actual window cut out where this information will show through to the front of the card.  These are also available in a multiple variety of cards including birthday, holiday, anniversary, etc.

Feature your company name on your greeting cards for the best market strategy.

Dark Stock or Light Stock Christmas Cards?

Finally making a choice between going with a dark or light stock Christmas cards this year can depend on many factors. What look are you going for and who are the recipients? Depending on the card and printing color, could you be sacrificing readability?

The Gallery Collection carries both types of card stocks in a wide array of styles. Light Christmas cards could be white or buff while dark stock cards can be black, dark brown, dark green, navy blue or a deep red. Additionally, many designs are offered in both light and dark stock options. So, how do you choose?

Think ahead—if you opt for a dark stock card know that your color printing options become limited to select foils only. If you plan to sign or write anything on the Holiday Cards you will need to purchase gel pens, which The Gallery Collection offers in gold and silver.

If you choose a light stock card, be wary of color conflicts there as well. Some might find silver on white card stock or the gold on buff card stock slightly harder to read. Ask for a complimentary sample of your printing color on your card stock choice to see if you like the way it looks together.

Save on Holiday Cards by Ordering Online This Season

For the last few years, I’ve been in charge of purchasing our holiday cards.  Because of budget, I had to shop around for the best pricing. This meant that I would have to call several companies to get quotes. Once presented to my superiors, they would usually go with the lowest price. Unfortunately, the best pricing doesn’t always mean the best quality. We have been burnt more than once. Cheap looking cards do not represent our company the way we want to be seen.

I convinced my bosses that I could save on holiday cards this season by ordering online! However, not before I did some research. As I sat at my computer and typed in Holiday Cards, one of the first companies to come up is The Gallery Collection. As I was clicking through the site, I saw a vast array of beautiful business holiday cards. There were so many to choose from. Wow! The prices were very good, and they even had Christmas Cards on sale at half and even 55% off. However, I was still hesitant. As I said before, we have been burnt in the past. As I was looking through the site, I noticed that I could order samples. So after checking on the pricing, I did just that.

I received the requested samples in no time. I wasn’t disappointed. The cards were beautiful. With pricing and samples in hand, I presented the information to the powers that be. They were quite impressed and gave me the OK to purchase. That was easy. What wasn’t so easy was choosing the final design choice. Once that decision was made, I went back online and placed the order. The process couldn’t have been easier. The cards arrived in less than two weeks and the finished product was impressive.

For the future, I will not be calling several places for quotes. I already know I can save money and time by going straight to The Gallery Collection!

How Should I Mail My Christmas Cards

So here I am in November, preparing to order my Christmas Cards to send to our clients. I’ve chosen the beautiful Glowing Holiday Forest Card (shown above) with customizations to include our logo in a luxurious Gold Foil.

While very satisfied with the choice of card and personalization, the final challenge I face is how to manage a timely, cost effective approach to mailing my Christmas cards! I just don’t have the spare time nor do I have staff with spare time to address, stuff, seal and apply postage to 1,550 greeting cards. What other alternatives are available to mail my Christmas cards?

My first thought is that I could perhaps hire a temporary from an agency to handle this but that’s costly and seems a bit ludicrous for what should be a one, max two day project! I then notice that the company I’m purchasing the greeting cards from gallerycollection.com offers a full mailing service to their customers at a very reasonable rate. They will address, fold, stuff, seal and mail all of my cards. I simply need to submit my list of client addresses. Well this certainly seems something worth considering.

Instructions were easy to follow, ordering has always been easy with Gallery Collection (have ordered from them before) and Voila! My Christmas cards were personalized, in envelopes, sealed and mailed in a timely fashion for all of our clients to have for the holidays. At one point, I did call customer service with a question and was assisted by one of the most courteous and helpful representatives I have ever dealt with.

How should I (or anyone!) mail their Christmas cards? Without a doubt, take advantage of ordering with a company that has beautiful greeting cards, great service and will manage “the whole package” for you!

13th Annual Create a Greeting Card Scholarship Contest – Round 4 Finalists Announced!

Congratulations to our Round 4 Finalists!