Building Your Brand and Customer Loyalty with Christmas Cards

Christmas is the time of year when we reflect on those who mean the most to us.  In the vacation rental business realm, we think of our guests and the service personnel who help keep the rentals in tip-top shape. 

Those guests who have stuck with us throughout our growth in the vacation rental business and those who continue to refer our properties to their friends and family are our loyal customers.

It seems only fitting that we should extend our thanks and appreciation to those guests, just as we do our extended families.  For many of us, we have guests who have become special friends to us over the years.

Sending Christmas cards to your guests sets you apart from other companies.  In this article, we will explore building your brand and customer loyalty with Christmas cards.   

Building Your Brand

Before you break out an ink pen and buy some cheap cards at the Dollar Store, think about branding.

Building your brand means that you’re reinforcing your vacation rental’s values, image, and personality through your card selection. 

Your vacation rental brand are the thoughts and emotions a customer has when they recognize and interact with your business.  It is your quality, your customer service, and your reputation.  Your brand is what sets you apart from your competition.

So how do we build our brand using Christmas Cards?  

Card Style

Select a card style that mimics your vacation rental brand. 

Vacation rental brands that project a fun, whimsical side might want to add something cute to the front of the card. 

A beach house rental might select a cute photo of a snowman on the beach or some Christmas lights strung in a palm. 

A mountain cabin rental could add a photo of a snow covered mountain or pine tree.  For fun, maybe a deer with lights wrapped on its antlers.  

Brands that are more serious and/or luxury rentals may want to keep it simple with only an elegant greeting on the front of the card.

In other words, depending on the brand your vacation rental represents, you’ll want your Christmas cards to project that image.

Your Logo/Vacation Rental Name

In order to increase brand awareness, be sure to include your logo or your vacation rental name somewhere in your card design.

Don’t make your logo or business name the center of attention. 

The purpose of taking the time and money sending cards should be about showing your guests appreciation, not about marketing your rental.

Vistaprint

Consider having some custom designed cards made through Vistaprint or some other online design/print service.  Your logo would take your thank you cards to the next level of professional.  Afterall, this is a vacation rental BUSINESS, right?

Vistaprint has been my choice for printed marketing materials for years. 

Here’s why I’ve stuck with them for all my printed marketing materials:

• very reasonable prices
• a wide variety of pre-designed products that makes it simple to customize with a logo
• a wide variety of marketing products
• quality (and they stand behind their products)
• fast service & shipping
• top notch customer service

Take a look on their website and see how easy it is to customize your marketing products.  Choose a design, upload your logo, add some personalized text and wa-lah, done!

Colors and Font

Custom cards, such as Vistaprint, have options for fonts and colors that will match your brand.  

Your brand colors are also a reflection of your company’s personality.  Here is a good article that includes some market research for how to use colors in marketing and branding. 

Customer Loyalty

Human nature makes us all want to be appreciated.  We naturally enjoy praise and attention.  We like to feel understood.  

When customers feel appreciated and understood, they are more likely to remain loyal, even when something in our business isn’t ideal.

So how can we increase customer loyalty using Christmas cards?

Make it Personal

DO NOT have your personal name or business name printed inside the card as a salutation.  This is extremely impersonal.  It also seems lazy and unprofessional. 

Ok, I’m off my soap box.  Shew!

Here are some things you can do to make your business Christmas cards more personal.

• Hand write the guest’s name inside the card
• Sign your personal name
• Hand address the envelope
• Include a brief note of thanks
• Write your message as if you’re writing to a friend, not a customer
• Include a personal note that includes something you remember about the guest or their stay at your rental

#TrendyTip – make notes throughout the year about your guests so you can quickly recall who they are and why they are memorable

Show Recognition and Appreciation

Customers are more likely to return to a business when they know they are appreciated.  Vacation rental guests are no exception.

The message inside the greeting card needs to acknowledge your appreciation for your guest choosing your vacation rental for their stay.  

Consider sending cards to guests who have stayed at your rental in the past with whom you have developed some level of a relationship.  They will be happy to hear from you and it might be the reminder they need for booking your property in the upcoming year.

Digital Cards vs. Physical Cards

There is a great debate about sending digital cards vs. physical cards.  You may have guessed that I fall on the side of sending physical cards.  Let me explain why.

Less and less people are mailing Christmas cards these days.  So imagine your guest’s surprise when they receive one from you.  If you make the effort, your guests will remember. 

They may delete your digital card without even opening the email, but I can almost guarantee they will open the card that comes in their mailbox.

There’s also another reason I prefer physical cards.  Most people still display their Christmas cards. 

Gone are the days when Grandma would stretch a piece of yarn across the livingroom wall and paperclip the Christmas cards to the string. 

But your card probably won’t go straight into the trash.  More than likely, it will be placed in a basket or in a pile with the other cards your guest receives.  Relatives and friends visit during the holidays and there’s a good chance your card will be seen by more than just your guest.  Instant referral.

Your personalized Christmas card will strengthen the relationship with your guest.  In the hospitality business, relationships are vitally important.  

More Christmas Ideas for Your Guests

If you’re feeling generous this year, my article, Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas for Guests, may be of interest to you.

To save some money, it’s perfectly fine to send a Christmas postcard.  Postage is expensive, and if you have hundreds of past guests, sending cards can get pricey.

You may also wish to send a form of a Christmas letter that highlights some of the year’s updates to your property, new businesses in town this year, new activities, and plans for updates in the coming year. 

You could include photos of the Christmas lights around your destination.  Or include a story about why you and other guests enjoy spending time during the holidays in your destination.

This is NOT the time to be salesy.  Keep the letter informational only.  

I’d love to see your personally designed cards.  Email me a photo.  What other ideas do you have for making your guests feel appreciated during the holidays?