With the holiday season in full effect, many businesses have begun sending out their holiday newsletters. Chock-full of yearly recaps, irresistible deals, and warm holiday cheer, these newsletters are a simple way to connect with customers and keep your business in their mind during this busy time of year. There’s only one teeny-tiny issue with sending holiday newsletters. People get easily offended. Should you cite a certain holiday in your newsletter? Should you keep it generic? But what if that offends someone? Writing a holiday greeting that is diplomatic may seem incredibly daunting. While there is always a chance that at least one person simply will not like what you have to say, there are some important keys to creating a holiday newsletter that is inclusive and professional.
Do You Need a Holiday Newsletter?
You may be wondering if all of the headaches that go along with creating a holiday newsletter is really worth it. While it may be intimidating and frustrating to design and write a holiday newsletter, there are immense benefits to doing so. Your holiday newsletter is one method to help you build and strengthen customer relationships, which create loyal customers. Reaching out to your customers around the holidays lets them know you are thinking of them and value them. You can also use holiday newsletters to share exclusive deals and promotions. Over one-third of shoppers report holiday weekend promotions were driven by promotions, so sharing this information in your newsletters is a great way to convert customers during the season of gift-giving.
Use Inclusive Wording
The easiest way to offend someone with your holiday newsletter is with the holiday greeting you choose. Unfortunately, there is a heated debate over wishing Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas, but many non-religious businesses are converting to happy holidays in an effort to be more inclusive. It is now most appropriate to wish people you do not personally know a “Happy Holidays” as it does not assume their religion. While you may still make some people upset by choosing this inclusive path, you demonstrate that your business welcomes, respects, and celebrates all people.
Don’t Brag
The holiday season falls at the end of the year, making your holiday newsletters a great place to share some accomplishments from the year. It is perfectly acceptable to share a few major events or accomplishments from the past year, but only to a point. Do not use your newsletters as the awards section of your resume. Only include the most important happenings of the year, and keep the descriptions brief. Customers do not want to hear you bragging about your business. Instead, make sure to thank your customers for their involvement.
Keep it Positive
The tone of your newsletters should be positive and professional. Avoid including a lot of sad or negative information. Even if your business faced some lows in the previous year, the holiday newsletter is a time for looking forward to the new year. In general, do not share too much information or throw a pity party in your newsletters.
Include Visuals
Nothing will get your email closed faster than a huge long block of text. Keep your newsletter interesting by including relevant images, videos, or GIFs. Make sure the overall design is sleek and appealing as well. Keep text brief and break it up with design elements and images. Photos will help grab attention and a clever one can even earn you a laugh with some customers.
Make it Unique
Holiday newsletters are not a trade secret, nearly every business sends them now. In order for yours to be effective, it must have something that makes it stand out. Create a newsletter that pops visually, has a powerful copy, and is true to your business. Figure out the unique take you can have with your newsletter that really lends itself to your brand. Instead of just slapping together generic holiday greetings, take the time to come up with something fresh and interesting.
Write Holiday Newsletters From the Heart
Your holiday newsletters and seasonal greetings should truly come from the heart. Customers can see through a facade, so it is important to always be genuine. Write in a way that is in sync with your brand and business, and just speak from the heart. While you should take care to be inclusive, concise, and positive, your newsletter should still be a reflection of your brand. Include content that will resonate with your target audience and reflect your brand values.
Have a hard time putting it into words this holiday season? We can help! Content Cucumber will pair you with a dedicated writer that will become the extension of your brand voice. Your writer can help you bring your ideas to life and craft a respectful, successful holiday newsletter this season. Find out how Content Cucumber will change your holiday newsletter game and help you with content writing year-round by visiting our website.