Do You Send Holiday Greetings to Clients?

It’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas. I saw Christmas decorations out in the stores right next to the Thanksgiving items a couple of weeks ago. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Now, I prefer to get one holiday out of the way before I start thinking about the next one, but apparently retailers don’t think that way. From the number of Christmas flyers that have magically appeared in the mailbox recently and the number of times I’ve been hearing, “Mom, can I have…?” lately, it seems the holiday season is officially gearing up now. Whether we’re ready or not, the end-of-year frenzy is coming.

At the risk of adding one more thing to your already jam-packed schedule over the next few weeks, this is actually a perfect time to think about your clients. Pull out your client list and consider reaching out to them now. Sending holiday greeting cards or ecards for Christmas is always appreciated, but a personal email works just as well—and can sometimes feel even more genuine in today’s digital age.

Your message doesn’t need to be lengthy. A few thoughtful sentences thanking the client for their support over the past year and letting them know you’re available for upcoming projects can go a long way. If you haven’t heard from some clients in a while, this is a chance to reintroduce yourself and remind them of the services you offer. Even your regular, ongoing clients will notice—and appreciate—the gesture.

Building strong relationships with clients is one of the most important elements of freelance success. When clients feel valued and remembered, they’re more likely to offer repeat assignments, refer you to others, and keep you top-of-mind when new opportunities arise. Small touches like holiday greetings show that you care about more than just the work—they demonstrate that you value the people behind the projects.

Taking a little time to reach out now allows you to end the year on a positive note and set the stage for a prosperous New Year. After all, the holidays aren’t just about gifts and decorations—they’re also about gratitude, connection, and reflection.

Do you reach out to clients during the holiday season? Do you send traditional cards, ecards, or personal emails? How do you make your greetings stand out?

Please like and follow us:

278k

65k

Posted

November 8, 2010

FWJ Resources Area, General Tips

Freelance Writing Jobs

Tags:

freelance writing, freelance writing gigs, holiday cards, holiday greetings, holiday season

Comments

11 responses

Jeremy Powers

November 9, 2010

Never, never, never – send your holiday regards by email. It would be better to not send anything at all.

Best practice – Send a (less than $15) gift which shows you have unique knowledge of the client and that you put thought into selecting something for them. Taking the time to wrap it in gift paper and then packing it in a shipping box will really impress.

Just please, don’t send emails. Fortune 100 companies do more than that.

Reply
John Soares

November 9, 2010

Jodee, I do this, but not with all of my clients, and it’s very important. I just put it on my calendar for the first week in December.

Reply
Rebecca Theim

November 9, 2010

I’m sending cards and also gift certificates to very select clients and prospects, offering them 2-5 hours worth of my time, with the hope that it will prompt a larger job or simply remind them that I’m there and available to do quality work for them.

Reply
April Michelle Davis

November 9, 2010

Each year, I do send out holiday cards. Inside the card, I include several business cards. This way the client has my most recent contact information in case anything has changed. Does anyone include information about an upcoming event they are speaking at within the holiday cards?

Reply
Del Kroemer

November 9, 2010

What if email is your only means of contacting a client? Should you even bother with sending a virtual holiday greeting then?

Reply
1. Jeremy Powers
  
  November 10, 2010
  
  Del,
  I think we might be using different terminology. That is my mistake, because I am more “marketing guy” than “writer.”
  
  When you say client, I immediately think of the ranking in the customer hierarchy. The customer hierarchy is: suspect, prospect, customer, client, and advocate.
  
  Based on the hierarchy, there would be no way you would only have a client’s email. A “client” for me is a top 10% customer, a partner.
  
  For a regular, less than $1k annually customer, I think an e-card could work, but I would encourage you to try for more. These days it does not take long to track a mailing address if all you have is a twitter handle. It just takes a little digging.
  
  All the best, and I apologize for the confusion on my side.
  
  Reply
Jodee

November 9, 2010

Speaking for myself, I’m thrilled if someone remembers me at Christmas and sends good wishes – no matter what the medium is. If your choice is using e-mail or nothing, then go with e-mail. Sharing the message is the most important thing.

Our working arrangements can be a lot more casual than in the corporate world, and I would think that this extends to proper holiday etiquette.

Reply
1. Del Kroemer
  
  November 9, 2010
  
  Thank you for your input Jodee. Great article!
  
  Reply
JoAnna

November 9, 2010

I send a holiday card to all of my clients as well as all of the editors I’ve worked with over the past year. I also include a business card with the holiday card. I think it’s well worth the business expense.

Reply
Jennifer L

November 10, 2010

Aww, man. Not only do I have to make and address and mail 100-plus holiday cards from my family to our friends and family members all over the country, but now I have to prepare and send a separate card for my clients? Ack!

But seriously. I think it’s a good idea, and unfortunately, it’s one that I’ve never actually put into practice as long as I’ve been a freelancer. What type of holiday card are most of you sending out? A generic winter holiday type card? Hand-addressed or labels?

Reply
Muhanguzi Fred

May 6, 2018

I wish you could connect me to one, since am a beginner.

Thanks for the information.

Reply