6 Unique Holiday Greeting Card Ideas for Your Company

It’s that time of year again when everyone is getting ready to jingle bell rock out of Q4 and into Q1 of the new year. Amongst all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, don’t forget to send out those anticipated greeting cards to your beloved clients and all of the people who help make your business a success! Stand out in the stack by taking inspiration from these awesome ideas from around the web.

This “Evidence of the holiday season" holiday card has a clean execution and positive impact is . A gentle connection to Law (the "evidence" pun), and a positive holiday message makes the whole thing work.

3D isn’t just for the movies. Bring your companies holiday card to life with a 3D message and a pair of 3D glasses! It’s surely one that no one will forget.

Speaking of 3D how about literally transforming your card into a 3D holiday card? This law firm actually won several “most creative business holiday card” last year!

Simple and sophisticated. Nike’s holiday card from 2012 is very simple and boldly draws your attention right where they want your eye to go, to their logo.

This holiday card was created via some fancy photography. It requires a little more labor but the outcome is well worth it! You could make a variety of these using different messages as well.

This one we just had to save for last because it’s so cool!

The pieces of this card are not a puzzle, rather they are cut outs that make a usable tree ornament when you put them all together! This is something that can be used for years to come and is a great way to show you care.

We hope these ideas have got your brain going. At Marketink we offer free 20 minute brainstorming sessions to help you expand your ideas and create the best marketing materials for your company.

Click here to schedule yours now!

5 Tips for Making the Best Holiday Mailers this Season

The holidays are a special time. If you have not yet started planning a direct mail marketing campaign, you have best be getting a move on! The holidays are a great time for you to do some promotional activities for your brand and product offering. They’re also a time when customers are really looking to purchase items. Thus, it’s important to make sure that you get a fair share of that holiday market.

Before you start sending out the usual holiday postcards and catalogues, it is important to note that you are not the only company who will be sending out mailers to their prospective clients. Other companies would also like to promote their products and/or services and secure their share of the holiday market. That being said, it is important to make your direct mail package stand out. Here are a few ways you can achieve terrific holiday direct mailers.

Holiday Design
Enlist the help of a few elves from a commercial printing company. They can greatly help in terms of design to make your mailer look appropriate for the occasion. Also, they offer a variety of services that speed up the packaging process and ensure that your mailer has all the right components just in time for the holidays.

Dimensional Mailers
As stated earlier, yours won’t be the only company that will be sending out direct mail to clients. When your potential client finds a stack of ad mailers in his mailbox, their tendency is unfortunately to just chuck it out. But if your mailer has bulk or is three-dimensional, your customer will be curious about what it is. That’s the opening you need. Dimensional mailers naturally cost more but the profits they generate make them worth it. Most direct mail companies offer holiday discounts which could greatly help you in terms of costs.

Promotions
Attract them with discounts, freebies or special deals. Create a sense of anticipation by adding special contest prizes which they can win if they avail of your product or service.

Reward Your Loyal Customers
Tis the season for giving. Reward your loyal customers with discounts, freebies or exclusive deals. For example, if you have a customer who purchased an mp3 player last year, offer them a huge discount on this year’s latest model. If you sell clothing, offer a discount on your most popular pieces or on next season’s collection. This will make your customers feel valued and will ensure that they will be your clients for a long time. These can also help bring back clients who looked elsewhere last year. 

QR Codes
The advent of QR codes present many retail possibilities. You can instruct your printing co. to include QR codes in your mailer representing a free small product that your clients can claim when they scan and send it to you. You can also arrange a scavenger hunt with these QR codes. Have your clients scan as many QR codes as possible. When they rack up a certain number of points, reward them with prizes which may include freebies, discounts, tickets, etc. This will make shopping more fun and exciting for your customer base.

Here at Marketink we are happy to provide you with free 20 minute marketing consultations. If you’re looking for some help brainstorming, feel free to schedule your appointment. http://www.marketinkgroup.com Happy holidays!

7 Personalized Gifts That Your Clients Will LOVE

Having a hard time figuring out what to buy everyone on your list this holiday season?  Want your gifts to be unique and special?  Whether you’re buying something for your clients or your employees, we have compiled a list of some personalized gifts at varying price points that you can truly make your own.

Say goodbye to those impersonal gift cards or email blasts and say hello to these one of a kind options:

1. Picture Puzzles –  Young, old and in between everyone loves puzzles! They offer hours of fun and boost brain power and logic.  You can purchase your picture puzzles for beginners with only 20 pieces or up to 300 pieces to really challenge your clients. Give your clients a puzzle to remember you by! Use your logo or a bright memorable picture in the puzzle.  Picture puzzles can also be framed and transformed into beautiful wall art.Use your personal photos or hand-made design to make it truly unique!
2. Custom Coffee Mugs – Grab a gourmet bag of your favorite coffee beans and pair it with a custom coffee mug that you designed.  Old and young alike can design mugs with their original artwork, photograph or funny saying.  Great for tea and hot cocoa drinkers as well, just swap the coffee for organic loose tea or rich hot chocolate.
3. Mouse Pads – Custom made mouse pads are personal gifts that you can present to colleagues and clients.  They are inexpensive and also make terrific stocking stuffers! Since computers are used everyday, it’s a great way to get your message in front of them and remind them daily of who you are are what you do!
4. Personalized Apparel – Who doesn’t like getting a new hat or a t-shirt? If you’re planning to give out some personalized apparel, make sure your logo is subtle. You don’t want to send the message that you want them to advertise for you, rather you want them to have something fashionable and fun.
5. Photo Buttons – If you have more clients than you can count or you are a teacher who wants to surprise her students with a little something special, photo buttons are just the thing!  They say “I’m thinking of you” without doing major damage to your holiday spending budget. Whether they are traditional pin back buttons, mirrors, key chains or coasters, they are fun and can also serve as decorations for your gift boxes.  Another great idea is to add photo button coasters to a gourmet basket or mirror buttons to a spa basket.
6. Personalized notepads – Small gifts can be the perfect add-on to gift baskets or paired with an engraved pen and stationery.  Personalized notepads are just the thing to add a personal touch to complete a package.  Great extras for teachers and your employees.
7. Calendar– Probably everyone you know has gotten a calendar for Hanukkah or Christmas at some point in their lives.  It’s a great gift to ring in the New Year.  Make them funny or festive.  Great for home or office.

With the holidays fast approaching, we hope these 7 personalized gifts make your shopping fast and easy.  Clients and co-workers will appreciate the time and effort put into each and every one.  Remember to send us photos of your customized creations and happy shopping!

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