Tag: holiday cards

Get Your Brand Name Out There

Some of the biggest mistakes in marketing are made by the smartest people. When you have a brand you need to make sure that brand is up front and center in everything you do. Sometimes this thought gets missed in the simplest of ways. For example think about the business Christmas cards you send out each year. The smallest little detail on this seemingly small bit of marketing material can make all the difference.

Did you know you can get a Christmas card that actually features your company name on the front of it? Of course, you did not or you would have just stopped reading this article. If your business has something to do with trucking get an industry specific trucking holiday card that has a nice truck on it and your company name on that truck. There is no excuse it is easy to do with today’s technology. If I am running a law firm there needs to be some sort of judicial card out there that I can get my name on the front.

The reason you make sure and do this is because most people do not throw Christmas cards out right away. They keep them on their desk or on a cubicle or in the company kitchen area. Maybe other perspective clients see that card with your name on it and maybe down the line when they need a trucking company or a law firm your name pops into their head for some reason. They will not know exactly why it popped into their head but we’ll know.

Why Greeting Cards Are Important in the Corporate World

For a variety of good reasons, businesses oftentimes send greeting cards to customers and clients. These cards can include holiday cards, thank you cards (for past business), holiday party invitations, or reminder cards for an upcoming appointment.

To make the most positive impression, the greeting cards your company send should be personalized to the recipient. For holiday cards, it would be ideal if the cards are signed by your company’s CEO or a high-ranking official. If this is not possible (due to a high quantity of clients), it would be best to at least have the cards sent to your largest accounts hand-signed.

When your card is received, it is likely to be shared with the management of the company and, sometimes, many employees. Those who receive your card are likely to think more fondly of you and more likely to conduct business with you in the future, especially when compared to a business that doesn’t bother to contact them.

The other type of corporate greeting cards are those that are sent to employees. Just as it is important to keep on the good side of customers and clients by sending cards, an employee birthday cards or anniversary card is sure to keep your workers feeling valued and increased loyalty generally means increased productivity. As with other corporate greetings, a small investment can have a much larger positive impact!

Ring in The New Year With Greeting Cards!

What better way to celebrate another year with friends, family, coworkers, and clients than with a New Year’s card! No matter the distance, this new tradition could be a way to keep close to the ones you care about most. The Gallery Collection offers a multitude of New Year’s themed cards — some even combining the Holidays with the coming New Year. Also, keep in mind that you could opt to send one of our Calendar Cards instead for a similar effect.

New Year’s cards are a fabulous way to keep in touch, guaranteed to make the people you care about most smile. This time of year people are often resolving to try something new. Who knows, one of their resolutions could be to better keep in contact with family and friends! Sending a card shows you genuinely care, even after the Holiday-Hubbub.

The following are a couple of customer favorites:

Peace and Prosperity Holiday Card (Design# 1023742): This card is bright, colorful, and has an editable cover! This card is all about the new year ahead with words wishing recipients the very best.

Prism New Year Card (Design# 302485). This card is a timeless New Year’s card. It’s bright, reminiscent of fireworks, and has foil accents!

Is it Necessary to Send Business Christmas Cards?

When it comes to the Holidays, one of the first things we think about as consumers in our personal lives is mailing out Christmas cards to our family and friends. When it comes to our professional lives however, some people question whether to send their customers and colleagues a Holiday card. Some companies do and some don’t, which leaves the question: is it necessary to send Business Christmas cards? My opinion is YES absolutely!

Now don’t get me wrong, it isn’t a “must” or your business will fail if you choose not to, but it definitely is smart. You see, the meaning behind a Business Christmas card is really more than just saying simply, Merry Christmas. To your customers, that card signifies many things…when your recipient gets it in the mail, it shows you are thinking of them. You are taking time out during the busy end of year season and saying, hello… I’m just not thinking of you when I need your business, I am thinking of you now to wish you all the best as well.

Sending out a Business Christmas card not only is a “thinking of you” during the Holidays, but is also the perfect opportunity to allow your clients, vendors, patrons etc. to remember you and your company. Almost like an indirect form of advertisement for your company. That card will most likely stay on the recipients’ desk, and will be looked at by them and others throughout the season. It’s like a little reminder that you exist in their world, at a time you may not necessarily be working with them.

Last but certainly not least, that Christmas card can also act as a double sentiment, if you will. … that sentiment being a thank you card. Take the time to write a personal message, thanking the receiver for their business and allows you to wish them well in the new year. That in turn can start a connection for a future venture together, too! So sending a Business Christmas card in my opinion is a total…consider it a small investment to showing your colleagues a token of appreciation, as well as a creative way of keeping your company on their minds, which will leave the door open for more work together in the future!

7 Reasons Why Christmas Isn’t the Same Without Christmas Cards

If you’re like me, then you love sending and receiving thoughtful Christmas cards around the holiday season. Here are seven reasons why it just wouldn’t be the same without them!

1. It gives you an excuse to get in touch with a lost connection.

Sending Christmas cards are a great way to reach out to someone you’ve lost touch with. It is a simple way to show someone that you are still thinking of them, and cards are much more thoughtful than a Facebook message or text. Your recipient will know that you put the time and effort into picking out a card, handwriting a message and stopping by the post office to mail it. Who doesn’t like to be surprised by a personally addressed letter? It doesn’t happen as often as it used to and will definitely make an impression.

2. Picking out holiday cards is part of the holiday fun.

One of the most fun parts about Christmas cards is picking them out! There are so many different options when it comes to the designs and greetings. And unlike Christmas presents, you don’t have the stress of worrying about getting the best deal, because they are so affordable. You also don’t have to worry if your recipient will like it because there are so many beautiful cards out there. So you can just relax and browse to your heart’s content!

3. They make your home look festive.

If you love receiving Christmas cards, I’m sure you also love displaying them on your fireplace, desk and end tables to get your home into the holiday spirit. Even the most beautifully decorated homes don’t feel the same without thoughtful cards from loved ones scattered throughout the living areas. They will also pique your guests’ interest, which brings me to my next point…

4. They’re a conversation starter.

Whenever I display my holiday cards, people always take notice of them. This is usually because Christmas cards tend to be very eye catching due to the glitter, foil or beautiful winter scenes. People love looking at them and asking about them. This could easily start up a conversation especially with new people during a holiday gathering.

5. You can remind people how much they mean to you.

People love hearing that they are admired, cared about, loved and thought of. Sending Christmas cards are a great way to show the people most important to you that they are in your thoughts and that you care. It also gives you a chance to express your feelings through handwriting, which is happening less and less with the advent of cellphones and social media. Your friends and family with be able to have a physical token of your meaningful relationship.

6. People will remind you how much you are appreciated.

Of course you will not only be writing and sending cards, but you will also be receiving them. What would the holiday season be without the people closest to you sending their thoughts and warm wishes?

7. Christmas cards remind us what the holiday season is about.

The holidays are a hectic time of year for most of us. We get so caught up in buying gifts, getting deals, going to holiday parties, and hoping we get what we asked for that it’s easy to forget we already have what’s most important to us. Christmas cards bring us together and remind us that it is our family and friends that make the holidays worth celebrating.

3 Quotes Guaranteed to Work for Your Thanksgiving Cards

Thanksgiving is a time for thinking back at all you have experienced throughout the year and showing your appreciation for all that you have and all of those in your life. Life seems to go by so quickly these days and the important things are pushed to the side again and again. It is important to take this day to be thankful.

  • Oprah Winfrey said, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have you will never have enough.” This quote is so true. I think this would be great to add inside your Thanksgiving cards to remind everyone of the meaning of the holiday. Enjoy what you have and accept what you don’t.
  • “Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is following that impulse,” said Henry Van Dyke. So many of us get caught up in the menu for the day. Adding this to your card may be the encouragement your recipients need to remember what is really being celebrated.
  • Amy Grant once said, “Thanksgiving Day is a good day to recommit our energies to giving thanks and just giving.” This is one of my favorite quotes to write in my Thanksgiving card. It is important to be thankful for all that we have on this day and every day, but this day should also serve as a reminder to give what we can to help others.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kicking Off the Holiday Season With Thanksgiving Cards

This year, you need to be the first one to make your mark among other businesses. How do you do that? By sending Thanksgiving cards! You will be opening the season with bang by sending Thanksgiving cards and assuring that you will stand out from the rest of the crowd. Your greeting cards of well wishes for a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year will be easy to remember because they will be received before the onslaught of cards normally received between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Another upside of sending a Thanksgiving card is the opportunity to say, “Thank you.” Whether your recipients are customers, other businesses or family and friends; this is a great chance to show your appreciation for what they contribute to your world. There is nothing more American than sending Thanksgiving cards. Most businesses stick with the Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings card and remain on the sidelines till later in the holiday season. By sending Thanksgiving cards you’ll be ahead of the game and recipients will surely love them. This year, get ahead of the rush and open the holiday season up with a bang by with fun and thoughtful wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Holiday Cards: Should Your Business Send Them?

I remember when I use to check the mail in the morning as a kid. I’d shuffle through envelopes as if I had important mail coming, but I never had any mail for me. It wasn’t like I was paying the bills. I just liked sorting through mail; don’t ask me why. I’d look through it and anything with my dad’s name went into his pile, mail with my mom’s name went into hers, etc. I was basically the in house mail sorter. I thought I had their mail all figured out until companies began to send them huge calendars and Christmas cards. They were interesting because they usually would send them around the holiday time. They always caught my eye with all the cool Thanksgiving and Christmas designs, and some even had the companies’ names printed on them which stood out even more. One day, my mom was helping me sort through the mail and I remember her saying about one of the holiday calendar cards, “you always need these calendars around and I might need this to get the info about the company who sent it.” So, if you’re a small local company on the rise or an internationally known business with thousands of locations,  does sending Holiday Cards make sense? I would emphatically say yes.

I know some may say no because people will receive them in the mail and simply toss them. But, I have come to believe it is more than worth it to send out holiday cards. This is a chance for new customers to learn about your business or spark their interest in you. Of course, some will be thrown out, but there’s a better chance of people who won’t and will need your services. They will be more likely to contact you instead of the competitor who didn’t pay to have those cards made and sent out, since they have your info at the ready.

So yes, sending out holiday cards are one of those decisions you weigh out the pros and cons on. But personally, I feel they are more than worth the effort because I can potentially make new clients in the process. New customers will have all my contact info I’ll have new business along with new friends to enjoy the holiday season with. It’s a no brainer for me. 

Christmas Cards Throughout History

As with all things, Christmas cards have changed dramatically since their inception. Cards actually originated way back in the Victorian Era. In the 1920’s, Christmas cards really took on steam. At this point in history, the card designs and greetings were all religious cards. They had their own unique charm. In the years that followed, changes started to take place, and by the 1940’s, cards were moving further away from the religious theme. You could find Christmas cards with characters such as Mickey Mouse and Betty Boop.

From the 1960’s until about 2000’s, things really took a turn. Cards were getting cheekier in their humor. This period of time in general is known for the freedom movements and edginess. Naturally, Christmas cards followed suit. While there were still plenty of classic religious cards to be found, the majority of people were looking at cards with pushed towards humor and varying themes. Commercialism rose to an all-time high. Along with this change, the cost of greeting cards began to rise.

Present day greeting cards have evolved to include all extremes and everything in the middle. You can find cards truly inspired by the spirit of Christmas. As you browse the selections, you will also see some middle of the ground – not overtly religious but just offering peace and happiness. Then, there is the totally funny and outrageous. There are cards for everyone out there these days. Throughout time, greeting cards have evolved into a booming industry.

How to Choose Your Christmas Card for a Small Business

You company is in the process of ordering this year’s Christmas cards. But there are so many options! If you are feeling overwhelmed, here is some advice on how to choose your small business’s Christmas cards.

If you already know that you would like to send out Christmas cards for your company—as opposed to “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” cards— that is already a huge decision made. But now what? There are still so many options! The next thing to consider is which kind of Christmas card you’d like to send. A religious card? A traditional red and green? Silly? Industry-related? Foil and embossed? A winter scene? Ornaments? A photo-mount of your employees or your store front? Once you narrow that down, the other choices should be easier.

Next, you’ll want to think about which color ink or foil to use for the inside of your company Christmas cards. Examine the design you’ve chosen and pick the most complimentary hue. Also, you might want to consider the text you’ll have featured inside. Will you include your logo? Then maybe company colors will look sharp. Are you adding signatures? Which color will you sign in or are you having your signatures printed inside? All these small decisions come together to form your perfect card. There is no right or wrong—just whatever you like! So have fun and dazzle your recipients with your company’s own style!