Every year, our mailboxes - both digital and physical - are full of Christmas greetings of all kinds. From cards to calendars to jams, wonderfully kitschy or hip and minimalist. Unfortunately, however, these cheerful wishes are more like compulsory exercises than effective marketing measures. In this blog, we give you five tips for Christmas greetings that have a real impact.
These tips are also available as a podcast for on the go or as a video on YouTube!
It's high season in many marketing departments for planning and producing this year's Christmas gifts for customers and partners. And while some brands put a lot of creativity and added value into their festive greetings, many companies simply send out a card to tick the box.
What is the aim of your mailing?
What is often missing from the usual Christmas mailings is a clear objective. A Christmas greeting - just like any marketing activity - should have an intention, a goal and added value. So if you are in the middle of brainstorming, ask yourself the following questions: Will this mailing really get your target audience into the Christmas spirit - will it trigger emotions? And will it bring you back to the "top of mind" of your customers so that they contact you to discuss a collaboration or make a purchase, for example?
Tip 1: Integrate service or product
Many companies completely forget to put their core business or their products or services into a Christmas context. Of course, it's primarily about saying thank you and spreading the "Christmas spirit" and not simply making a flat advertisement for the company. But there are still great ways to subtly promote your own services. Here's a simple example: do you produce videos like we do? Then it makes sense to show what you can do with a great video. So the goal here would be to get more people to contact us about our videos.
But even if you don't offer video production: Moving images in particular can be used to tell wonderful stories and showcase both the products and the company. And remember: thanks to TikTok, Reels and the like, short videos are becoming increasingly popular. And such short videos can even be filmed on a cell phone. So video production doesn't have to be expensive.
Here is an example of a simple video production - filmed in one afternoon:
By the way, we have a free guide on visual storytelling and video or photo productions with lots of helpful checklists.
Tip 2: Take current trends into account
Do you want to show your customers and partners that you're moving with the times? Podcasts are not just a trend medium of our time: the boom in audio content marks a structural and far-reaching media change - this is the conclusion of this year's study by the Otto Brenner Foundation in Germany. More and more companies are daring to launch a podcast as part of their marketing mix, because we obviously love podcasts.
So one idea could be to launch a simple podcast advent calendar in the run-up to Christmas. Selected team members talk about their relationship to Christmas - this is particularly exciting for international companies with employees from different countries! Such a podcast can either be recorded professionally in a studio or employees can simply record the stories on their cell phones using a messenger service such as Telegram or WhatsApp. Incidentally, such a format can be used not only for customers, but also for internal communication.
Tip 3: Use user-generated content
Starbucks repeatedly asked its Instagram followers to take photos of the red Christmas coffee cups. A win-win situation: the company receives content to post and the participants benefit from the coffee giant's reach. Based on this example, you can also have your community produce content that you can then use for your cards, mailings or calendars (with credits, of course). The idea can go beyond video and images, i.e. Instagram and co: How about working together with your customers and partners on a Christmas Spotify playlist? This way, your customers can interact with your brand and create a positive association.
Tip 4: Spice up the classic card
We certainly don't want to talk down the classic Christmas card. Of course, a classic mailing or card can still be used as a nice format. However, the following applies: individual, handwritten cards always win out over boring "Happy Holidays" texts. If you have already approved and printed your card or the mailing has already been programmed, there is also the option of adding an insert to the existing congratulations. An additional purpose prevents the card from collecting dust on the office desk or ending up in the bin.
So how about a nice gift guide that contains a good mix of your own products, but also specific ideas for different target groups (families, men, women, children, pets)? Or a nice Christmas recipe to cook? Or a Christmas to-do list with some nice wellbeing moments as a bonus - and perhaps a subtle reference to your service, which makes life easier during this stressful time?
Tip 5: Use the content for PR
The ideas above not only give you content ideas for your customers, but also content that you can pass on to the media - trade media and the general public. Especially if the reference to your company is clear, but there is still added value and a suitable story behind it. You can multiply the reach of your podcast or video with a post on a news platform. And your gift guide or original user content could be a welcome change from the usual Christmas stories for a lifestyle medium.
Just give it a try! With this in mind: Merry Christmas - er: happy brainstorming!
Generally interested in videos and content production?
In our PR seminar we not only help you to become a real media professional, but also reveal the latest tips and tricks on the question of "How do I produce text, audio, photos and films for my channels and media?".
Further information and registration at: www.ferrisbuehler.com/pr-seminar/.