The holidays are over, but there are still plenty of ways you can use greeting cards to market to your prospects.  Here are a few ideas.

Most marketing-savvy business owners know that holiday greeting cards make a great way to market to clients and prospective customers, but did you know that the holidays aren’t the only time when you can use this method to your advantage?  Business greeting cards enable you to keep up the lines of communication with your prospects, to promote a healthy business relationship and to make them more likely to think of you when they have need of your products or services.  Once the holidays are over, it may seem like the season for greeting cards has gone, too, but that simply isn’t true.  Here are a few ways to use greeting cards to market to your prospects after the holidays have passed.

•     Ringing in the new year - If you missed the boat for Christmas cards, or if you just want a way to incorporate greeting cards into your post-holiday marketing campaigns, the new year makes a great reason to send greeting cards to your prospects.  Thank them for their business during the previous year, and wish them health and prosperity in the coming year.  This reason for sending greeting cards is great because you can easily send your cards in late January, or even later if your company operates on a different year-end schedule.  For instance, if you do business in the education industry, your year ends in May or June, making summer a great time to send out year-end cards.
•     Birthdays – It’s a good idea to keep track of all your customers’ birthdays.  Sending cards on customer’s birthdays promotes a good relationship with them, plus you can take advantage of the opportunity to send them special offers or discounts in honor of their birthday.  Ask for this information when they set up an account with you or via friendly conversation, and always remember their special day with a greeting card!
•     Warm spring wishes – Many people greet spring with relief and joy; winter being over means more daylight and warmer days, and often brings with it a sense of lightened mood, too.  “Happy Spring” cards are a great way to remind your customers of your products and services, and may work especially well if you have a seasonal business, such as a landscaping business or even an online retailer that sells gardening supplies or other seasonal products.
•     Back to school – If it fits in with your type of business, sending out greeting cards in celebration of going back to school can provide an effective way to keep in touch with your customers.  Families with kids and adult students often buy clothes, office and school supplies, computers, and other things just before the school year starts.  Other businesses might see a surge in popularity once the kids are back in school — summer-wearied mothers might like to treat themselves to a massage or a day at the spa, for example.  Sending out cards to wish everyone well in the new school year can make for a very timely reminder of the products and services you offer.

There are many different ways to market your business with greeting cards, and no, you don’t need Christmas — or even an official holiday — in order to do so effectively.  Your type of business may even suggest some good reasons to celebrating with a card.

What other reasons can you think of to send out greeting cards to your customers and prospects?

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