Posted: 30 Oct 2018

Knowing how to make the best corporate Christmas cards is no mean feat. From designing something that’s Christmassy but also on-brand to crafting the perfect message, there’s a lot to consider before sending. However you decide to do it, one thing’s for certain: you’ll see the benefit for your business. Here’s why…

Sending clients and customers a Christmas card from your business does lots of different things:

•   It shows customers just how much you appreciate them.
•   It reminds customers of their relationship with your business.
•   It stimulates business in the quieter months.
•   It helps you stand out in the current digital climate.

Nurturing customers and building on your relationship with existing customers is essential. And with more and more businesses sending their season’s greetings electronically, corporate Christmas cards and handwritten messages for clients are a great way of standing out.

So what should you factor in when creating your company Christmas card designs?

Choose Festive Colours

Take another look at your brand guideline. What colours would work well for a Christmas card design? If none of them are particularly Christmassy, just choose a couple and work them into the design. Using them for the baubles on a tree or for text on the front are great ways to inject a little bit of ‘you’ into your company Christmas card design.

(Source: etsy.com)

Incorporate Seasonal Images

If you send direct mailers often, using Christmas imagery on your cards is great to differentiate them from other kinds of print marketing. The best bit about using seasonal imagery in your design: you can get as creative as you like, so have some fun with it!

This style would look great on our Kraft stock

Whether your branding suits realistic wintery scenes and starry nights, a more illustrated style with Christmas trees and baubles, or even something off the cuff like flamingos and cactuses – there’s no limit to the style of seasonal images.

(Source: House Beautiful Magazine)

If designing isn’t really your thing, we’ve got loads of free Christmas card templates you can customise online. Or pick a blank one to design from scratch - no Photoshop skills necessary!

Add A Small Logo

Is your logo a no-go? Not necessarily…

It’s smart to incorporate a small, subtle logo to remind customers and clients of your business over the holidays. There are loads of unique ways you could do this: add it onto a bauble on a tree, or a shop window in a snowy scene – you could even write it out in the snow!

For another tasteful way of displaying your logo, why not consider placing it under your signature inside the card, or even next to your contact details and website address on the back of the card?

What to Say Inside a Business Christmas Card

Now you’ve got a design at the ready, only one question remains: what should you say inside a business Christmas card? When creating your message, the most important thing is to consider your audience – what’s going to resonate with them?

Here are a few examples of phrases you could include in your work Christmas card messages for clients:

•   Warm winter greetings and best wishes for the coming year.
•   Wishing you a joy, happiness and continued success over this joyful season.
•   We’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your loyalty and goodwill throughout the year.
•   Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a fantastic new year.
•   Let’s celebrate a year of partnership.
•   Here’s to another great year – we look forward to working with you in the years to come.
Although messages tend to be a little more formal in corporate Christmas cards, it’s important to consider your own brand voice. If your usual tone of voice is a more chatty or informal, try reflecting this in your Christmas messages for clients too!

We also like the personalised effect of featuring employees in the design of this Christmas card.
(Source: Bob Stokes)

To Handwrite or Not to Handwrite?

Handwritten messages are a great way to create a personal experience for your customers or clients.

(Source: imgur)

Finish with a Quick Call-to-Action

As selfless and authentic as sending Christmas cards should be, there’s no overlooking the fact that they are part of your marketing plan and there’s a business purpose behind them.

Including a quick call-to-action on the back of your card is a great way to fulfil this purpose and make a lasting impression without taking away from the message of appreciation and best wishes over the season

Here are a few call to action ideas for your own corporate Christmas cards:

•   Include a discount code as a present on the inside pages or on the back of the card.
•   Introduce a social media competition and invite customers to take part.
•   Refer clients to a landing page with a special Christmas message or animation.

How to Make the Best Corporate Christmas Cards - Bonus Tips

•   Send them out on time: You should be looking to send your cards at least three weeks before Christmas to make sure they reach your customers or clients in time.
•   Choose a thicker stock: The thicker the stock, the higher quality your cards will feel – or go extra special with a pearlescent ice gold stock.
•   Make packages festive: Why not include a signed greetings card in every order? A6 cards are the perfect size to pop in your packaging.
•   Personalise corporate gifts: A handwritten greetings card is a great addition to any hamper or other corporate gift, perfect for writing personal messages for top clients!

We hope these tips give you a solid foundation for creating your own cracker of a company Christmas card. And now you’ve got everything you need to know, why not try designing your own with our free online tool?