This is the time of year that I get a lot of panicked phone calls from potential clients about what should be sent out for the holidays.  Usually, it is about the time that the first Christmas card hits their mailbox and they realize that they had not even begun to think about what to send out.

If you fall into this category I am here to first of all say, “Don’t panic.  Take a deep breath.  It will be okay.”

Now that we got that out  of the way, let’s talk about what the next step needs to be in order to assure you are touching your clients this month…without having to dip into your kid’s college fund.  Here are a few key fundamentals when marketing during the holidays that will make sure you are getting the most from your money and still making a great impact.

1. Santa is checking his list…and so should you. Think back to your wedding or a friend’s wedding.  One of the first things most brides do is make a list of every person they have ever come in contact with in their lives.  After all, everyone will want to see just how beautiful she is that day and bring her presents, right?  Well, that may be true, but usually the next thing to happen is that Daddy gets the list and almost has a heart attack when he thinks about how much it is going to cost to feed the entire nation.  So Daddy tells her to cut her list down to maybe a couple hundred people.

Now apply that to your Christmas card or marketing list.  We know that you want everyone to know
you are telling them Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, but that is not practical on a tight budget.  I normally tell new clients to take their top 10-20% of clients, as these are the clients that they want more of and where money is best spent.  Now, keep in mind, I am not saying to throw out the rest of the clients and not send them anything…but we’ll get to that later.

2. Stay within a reasonable budget. Now, I know that this should go without saying, but you would be surprised how many times I have people asking me to send out $100 gifts to $20 clients.  I see this most in businesses where the technicians are the owners.  (Yes, that is another E-Myth reference.)

Specifically I see this in the businesses that have a creative mind at the wheel.  The creative mind says, “Wouldn’t it be neat if we could…(insert expensive idea here).”  Now, the creative mind only sees that handmade calendars embossed in gold would be really cool and fun to make.  They do not think about the cost of all the supplies, the cost of labor, the cost of postage, oh and wait…the extra cost of postage to ship the calendars since they took so long to make that the only way to get them there in time for Christmas is to overnight them.  So, again, stay within a reasonable budget.  It is quite possible to make an impact without being extravagant.

3. Use multiple media. Okay, now this is what I meant when I said that you don’t throw out your entire list after deciding on the top 10-20% of clients.  Often times I suggest that your top 10-20% of clients receive some sort of direct mail, whether it is a greeting card or holiday letter.  Then, send the entire list of clients an email newsletter or e-postcard so that you are at least appearing before them during the holidays.  You might even include a coupon gift for your product or services for them or a friend.  I have used this technique with several clients this year, even those who are not working with a tight budget.  The reason is that email is practically free and it is quick with no waiting on post office delivery times.  (Full disclosure:  You will generally have fewer open rates with email vs. direct mail.)

4. Be early. Like I mentioned before, if you are sending any sort of packages, be sure to get them to the post office by Dec. 21st to insure that you won’t have to pay express rates to get it there in time.

I hope that this has been helpful as you plan your holiday marketing.  For more great holiday marketing tips you can check out our newest free resource at: http://holidaymarketersguide.com/.

Oh, and I would love to hear from you about some of the ways you have saved money on your marketing this holiday season!

Happy Marketing!

Sarah