Have you seen the CBS holiday commercial featuring Rudolph and the network’s various stars?
The commercial helps the network get out its “Happy Holidays” messaging to viewers, while also commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” holiday special (I think I have seen it at least 25 of those years if not more).
The main promo, which is featured above, and three other 10-second spots began airing on Thanksgiving. And a quick shout out to Bent Image Lab, here in PDX, which produced the animation.
In an interview in the New York Times, one of the folks behind the segments said they took months of work getting produced, ranging from getting the rights to use Rudolph to the animation, to filming the stars and so forth.
If you are like most business owners I know, you haven’t had the budget or time to put months into your holiday greetings. You may not even send out greetings for fear of screwing up or offending someone.
I am a firm believer, but so-so practitioner, for sending a year-end acknowledgement to a few key folks, whether they are clients, advisors, or peers. Think of it as a relatively inexpensive investment in relationship building.
People want to do business with people that value them and make them feel important throughout the year, including the holiday season. A good friend, who works in office supplies and furniture sales, is successful, in part, because of the relationships he builds with clients and prospective clients. And he will be delivering some treat to each office in the coming weeks.
Here are a few tips for creating content for a year-end holiday greeting, as well as a few tips for sending those greetings.
Holiday Greetings and Gift Ideas For Small Businesses
OK, what can you do if you don’t have Rudolph?
- You can create a quick video thanking everyone. I did this holiday greeting video a few years back while on a snowshoe trip. It took less than 10 minutes to shoot, using a point and shoot digital camera. I then created a QR code for the video url, printed it out on a sheet of paper that I attached to my greeting cards so folks got both a video greeting and a card they could hang on a wall.
- Make your own gifts. I have delivered homemade cookies, which have gone a long way to making folks love me. You can also create a desk calendar using iconic images from your community, your business industry, or your business. You can also add a watermark logo in one of the corners for branding. I created this PDX bridges calendar (which also is available for sale, if you are interested).
- If you are in the creative spaces like me, you can create a template that your clients can use for their own holiday videos, pictures, or cards.
- Or you can do the dirty work of planning an holiday DIY class and have a party. A Realtor client hosts a DIY Christmas tree-cutting party and includes a backdrop and professional photographer for photos, as well as holiday drinks and treats for the kids. It is a lot of fun and a tradition I have been participating in for years.
- Another idea is to think of some small gift that has a connection to your industry. I have given movie tickets to clients in the past.
What ideas do you have to share? Post them on my Facebook or Google+ pages, or Tweet them using the hashtag #holidaygreetings
As for delivering those holiday greetings and gifts?
- Apply a personal touch. Even if you send boxed greeting cards, make sure to spend a few minutes to make it personal. Thank them for their specific business, or some connection between the two of you from the past year.
- And if you are sending a gift or a card, try your best to send it via snail mail. Emailed greetings just seem to lack a personal touch (unless you have add that awesome video). How often do you receive something in the mail nowadays that isn’t a bill? See… your card will better stand out and make a good impression.
- Play it straight. What I mean is avoid religious cards or messaging, or something that is “funny” or “corny.” You don’t want to offend anyone and it is best for business to play it secular and non-cheesy.
Set yourself a deadline to get whatever you send in the mail or delivered by the middle of the month. Any later and you risk the chance that your recipient will be on vacation, or whatever you deliver getting lost in the holiday clutter. Also, you have a ton of other things to tackle as you get closer to the holidays and end of year and the more you delay, you may end up procrastinating until another holiday season. And that is bad for business.