Time is Ticking to Get Your 2020 Holiday Card Game Plan in Place

If you still haven’t established your 2020 holiday card game plan, we’ll get there together by the end of this post.

“But it’s still November, I have plenty of time” --Procrastinators Everywhere

You’re half right.  As of the date of this blog post, it is in fact barely still November, but here are all the steps you need to take to get your holiday cards out:

1. Get your list together

If you have contacts saved in Outlook or a CRM tool like Salesforce or HubSpot, start there.  Just export your contacts to Excel, then filter for the ones you want to send a card to.

Are you sending to their home or work address?  You most likely have everyone’s work address, which is fine.  If you’d like to request home addresses so you can be sure any remote workers get your card in a timely manner, start asking.  It’s another touchpoint, which we talked about in one of our last blog posts, and lets them know to keep an eye out for your card.  Even more reason to send a memorable card.

2. Pick your card design and order your cards

Once you have your list together, you know how many cards you need to order.

Check out our selection of RuBook Creative Holiday Cards here.

3. Pick your message

    Pick your card first so your message can follow the theme of the card. What message will you include in your card?  “Happy Holidays” --Your Name
    Are you customizing your message for certain recipients?

    4. Order stamps

      In addition to cards, you need stamps as well. If you want to include a fun holiday stamp, check out USPS.com.  It takes a few days to deliver, so be sure to plan ahead.

      5. Prepare your cards

        Handwrite your message in each card.  I always prefer handwriting, even if it’s not my own.  Odds are in today’s digital world, your recipients won’t know your handwriting from mine, but they WILL know the difference between a handwritten note and a typed note.

        6. Prepare your envelopes

          • Print and affix return labels to each envelope
          • Print and affix recipient address labels to each envelope
          • Affix your stamp to each envelope

          7. You’re almost there…

            Now just stuff, seal, and you’re ready to mail.

             

            Sounds like a lot of work…

            But you’re in luck!  I like holiday cards so much that I’m willing to do Steps 4-7 for you, and I’ll send you a simple spreadsheet so you can knock out Steps 1-3.

            If you can complete Steps 1-3 by Monday, December 7, I can complete Steps 4-7 for you and have your cards mailed out by Friday, December 11.

             

            If cards are mailed by Friday, December 11, they can be received the week of December 14

            Most people will still be working the week of December 14-18. For remote workers, the week of December 14 may be the best time for one last visit to the office for the year.  And a lot of folks may be taking off starting on December 21 through the end of the year.

             

            Maybe I should just send an eCard instead?

            I’m not a fan of eCards.  Call me paranoid, but I’m always concerned about cybersecurity and phishing emails, so even if I receive a legitimate eCard I may not open it.  On top of that, I find eCards to lack that personal touch that I want to see.

            As a result, eCards score the lowest on my Greeting Card Matrix, and aren't too far behind generic cards with generic messages:

            Holiday-Card-Matrix

            Moral of the story: make your greeting cards count.  Yes, it’s a lot of work, but I’m here to help outsource some of the more time intensive aspects.  Email me at info@rubookcreative.com for a copy of the Holiday Card Checklist to complete Steps 1-3 above.  Finish these steps by Monday, December 7, and I can complete Steps 4-7 and have your cards mailed out for you by December 11.