The corporate Christmas Card has declined or even died out for many businesses but we all still want to take the opportunity to say, ‘Happy Christmas’ and ‘Thank you’ to our customers and clients. Simply sending e-cards is increasing in popularity but a lot of people (me included!) think this is a bit of a cheap cop-out. Not really the right impression!
Get Charitable
Some people note on their e-card that rather than spending money on cards, they are donating the money to charity. While this is certainly a better option, it doesn’t really involve much engagement and (as everyone who knows me will acknowledge!) I believe that engagement should be at the heart of marketing, and let’s face it, even at Christmas, we are still in business and marketing is still important!
Get Interactive
How about this idea to really tick the Christmas marketing boxes – The Charity Vote: Rather than just make a charitable donation, invite your customers and contacts to help you decide which charity. Here’s the plan:
- Pick 3 Charities
- Set up your e-card with ‘clickable’ links to vote for each charity (maybe use their logos?)
- Invite your customers receiving the e-card to ‘click’ their preferred charity
- Track the clicks and keep score
- Make your donation to each charity in proportion to the votes cast
Setting this up does require a bit of web-coding but if you need any help, I’m sure whoever looks after your website will be able to assist.
Make the most of the opportunity
Once you have set up the charity voting links, you can add your own seasonal messages, and maybe details of your Christmas office hours etc. Even better, in the New Year, you have another chance to engage with your contacts by thanking them for taking part and letting them know the results.
Christmas Greetings + Charitable Donations + Customer Engagement…
…A great Christmas marketing combination!
