Eggcellent Holiday Marketing Tips

I love this time of year. Call me crazy, but I love buying gifts for others. I love anticipating the excitement the recipients will have when they open the gift.

And that extends into my clients. Every year I get them gifts. And I always get warm thanks and positive feedback. Here are my tips for how to get the most out of holiday gifts. I wrote this post last year, but it bears reposting.

Now that we’ve officially crossed the threshold of Thanksgiving, it’s officially time to panic. Christmas is just right around the corner! The end of the year tends to be chaotic as businesses try to wrap up their activities for the year, but don’t let your customers slip through the cracks. By remembering them during this merry and mad time of year, you’ll be marketing your company at a time when people are sentimental and more likely to think warm, fuzzy thoughts about you.

The secret to client gift giving is that it is marketing, although it should never, ever appear to be. In thinking about what to give, get away from the thoughts of advertising your brand or slogan. It’s simply the time to thank clients for their business and support of your company. Trust me, even if your logo appears nowhere on the gift, they will think of you.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to knocking your gift-giving out early.

1. Make three lists and check them twice. Not all your clients or contacts are on the same level, so break them out into your top clients (where most of your revenue comes from), medium clients, and good contacts that you’d like to develop into good clients. You may have a list of people for whom a simple holiday card would be sufficient.

2. Set a budget. Each level should have its own budget. And before you get cheap, think: did this client net me more than this amount? When you look back at your income, you can easily afford even a $100 gift for an exceptional client who brought in 10 times that!

3. Keep it simple. If you have a long list, you don’t have to be Santa. Find a single gift for each list and buy the same thing for everyone. Here are some good ideas that have different price levels: