Several of my writer-friends have sent me Christmas cards this year, and I’ve had to tell them all that I’m opting out of sending holiday cards this year. I’m not even sending holiday cards to clients or prospective clients this year. I’ve got a few reasons, but my biggest pet peeve with cards is that they are a waste of trees. Coupled with a stomach illness that’s put me considerably behind this month, I just decided I wasn’t doing cards for anyone other than immediate family.
Instead of cards, I sent my regular clients personalized gifts. Since I don’t anticipate looking for a whole lot of new business this year, I figured focusing on the clients I want to keep would be a better goal than last year’s marketing efforts.
I made coffee mugs or mouse pads for most people. Some also got a bumper sticker. Cafepress.com is great for this kind of thing.
Of course, these sort of gifts take longer to make, and they’re more expensive. But at least maybe they won’t get thrown in the trash. And the time spent making a few dozen gifts took only the fraction of the time it took me last year to send out nearly 100 cards.
What do you do for your clients for the holidays?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I send my clients free ecards at Hallmark.com. It’s free, it’s easy (particularly if you send everyone the same card with the same message), and you can save your clients’ email addresses in your account address book for next year.
I sent cards via snail mail
Hope you had a safe and happy Christmas, Amy… and the bunnies, too!
That’s why there are ecards now you save trees,but useup electrons to creat the cards and send them.
Mike Golch
I went the e-card route this year too. I customized my e-cards myself rather than using a free e-card website. My goal was simply to wish everyone a happy holiday, and to bring my name forward in their memory.
I love your idea of personalized gifts but I expect that can get expensive. Next year I might plan ahead and create something unique for my best of the best clients.
I agree that it is important to save on resources. Given our industry we are already responsible for a great deal of deforestation so it is vital to be considerate and save where we can.
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