Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day—regardless of what holidays you do or do not celebrate, December is a popular month for businesses to send out festive cards to their existing clientele as well as to potentially new customers. But there are several ways that this thoughtful gesture could backfire on you. Here are four common mistakes in holiday postcards and how to avoid them.
Messing Up the Details
Little errors in the spelling of someone’s name or even in your own business’s information printed on the postcard can have devastating effects on the success of your postcards. If you are going to put in the time, effort, and money to send a holiday card, make sure that every detail is accurate. You may even want to personalize each card by handwriting the address or a short message. Just as little errors can be detrimental, little touches can also mean a great deal to your audience.
Sending the Cards Late
Everyone gets busier at the end of the year, including postcard companies. If you want to make sure yours get out with plenty of time before the holiday rush, you need to plan ahead. Don’t wait to the last minute to put in your order; otherwise, your audience could receive holiday cards after the season is over, which looks rather unprofessional.
Emphasizing a Sales Pitch
During this special time of year, you may want to take it easy on the marketing part of your postcard. Instead it could just be a thank-you note or a seasonal greeting with your company’s basic information.
Certainly, you should have your address and phone number, website, and business practice name on the postcard, but you don’t need to focus on a particular sales pitch. Having a simple message of goodwill and well wishes can go a long way to give your target audience a positive view of your business.
Ignoring Your Target Audience the Rest of the Year
If you are only sending out the one postcard for the entire year, you are missing out on a prime way to get your brand in front of potential clientele. In addition, sending direct mail several times is a smart, more personalized, and unique way of marketing to your potential customers than online ads. In fact, compared to other forms of marketing, postcards are still considered one of the most effective methods.
A wisely designed and thought-out holiday card can spread cheer, bring your brand to your customers’ minds, and possibly bring in new business, but you need to avoid these mistakes. This postcard is worth spending a little more time crafting to make sure it hits the mark with as many as possible.
About Strategic Marketing Solutions
When it comes to marketing for small businesses, Strategic Marketing Solutions can provide nearly every service you could possibly want. In addition to print materials like postcards and banners, we specialize in online marketing through SEO, geofencing, pay-per-click ads, and more. Are you interested in learning more about our services and how we could help your business grow, just reach out to our team today!