5 Reasons You Should Send Holiday Cards as a Blogger

Back in September when I attended the Blog Elevated conference, Dayna Steel said something in her session that really stuck with me. She said that as a blogger you should show appreciation to everyone. People will remember. Be gracious and say thank you.

I’m already a firm believer in the power of hand-written notes. I often send these as thank-you notes to brands I’ve worked with or positive letters home to my students’ parents. In a world that runs on e-mail and social media, I think now- more than ever- letters deliver thoughtfulness and appreciation.

And what better time to do this than around the holidays?

I recently had an “aha” moment when I was strolling through the Christmas card aisle of Target (never too early to start looking at those, right?). But nothing seemed to fit my needs. I decided that this year I wanted to send custom holiday cards to the people that have made blogging and Southern Flair a success in 2014. Because without my readers and collaborations, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do everyday.

5 Reasons Why You Should Send Holiday Cards as a Blogger:

1. It’s personal. As a blogger most of our communication is “liking” someone’s Instagram photo, giving a post a “thumbs up” on Facebook or favoriting a Tweet. Nothing very personal. Sending a holiday card with a handwritten note is a great way to get on a personal, memorable level with a brand, reader, or fellow blogger.

2. Say thank you. Think of holiday cards as a thank you note for the year. It’s a great way to say thank you for reading, following along, or giving you the opportunity to work with their brand this year. Don’t forget to send cards to friends and family because after all, they’re your original audience and have stuck with you, helped promote you, and put up with all your weird blogger habits (like Instagramming your coffee and shoes constantly).

3. Stay relevant. Did you work with a company or brand years ago that you’d like to work with again? Sending them a holiday card will serve as a reminder to collaborate again. Let the holiday card serve as a networking tool and a friendly reminder of “Hey, remember me? I’m still doing this and would love to work together again.” You’ll be ahead of the game by putting yourself on their radar for any campaigns in the upcoming year.

4. Build a brand. Let the card represent who you are as a blogger and what you offer. Think of it as a holiday business card to remind brands that you’re here willing to work with them. You may even want to send a holiday card to a brand you’d like to work with in the future. It could be a great icebreaker or way to introduce yourself. Sending a card would certainly make more of an impression than sending an e-mail pitch. Plus, the time and effort you put into sending the card will leave a lasting impression.

5. Build relationships. Holiday cards shouldn’t just be a time to reach out to brands. Remember your readers too. Do you still have a few readers’ mailing addresses from previous giveaways? Sending another surprise in the mail could strengthen your blogger-reader relationship even more. Your readers follow along with your life everyday on your blog. You are important to them, so show them they are important to you.

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My 2014 holiday cards are from Shutterfly! This style can be found if you go to the top of their site, under the Tiny Prints tab, which I discovered through the Southern Blog Society. The process of designing my cards was really easy. It included picking a design, choosing a photo and adding my text. There were so many lovely, trendy designs to choose from- which was the hardest part of the whole process!

What are your thoughts on sending Christmas cards? Is this a must-do for you every year? Have you considered sending holiday cards as a blogger? Tell me in your comments!

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