There is an art to sending personalized Christmas cards, and there is business sense involved in sending them, as well. Both factors need to be considered when taking care of this very important yearly tradition.
First, how can one consider such an act a "business" effort? Holiday cards are indeed business - big business. It's thought that somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 billion holiday cards are purchased, addressed and mailed each season.
And while we see that aspect around every corner at this time of year, it's crucially important to remember the deeply personal aspect, as well. We all are very sensitive, even those of us who will swear up and down that we're not. We have feelings. It's vital to keep this in mind as we think about what sort of cards to send out, and to whom we will send them.
Consider the many different religions in today's society. Of course you likely know the spiritual beliefs of your closest family and friends. At the very least, you know whether or not they consider themselves Christian. This is important because some people with whom you associate may not be followers of Christianity. Though in many cases folks won't be offended to receive a literal Christmas card if they are, say, Buddhist, it's just a considerate thing to do to keep in mind that others may have different beliefs. If you don't know for certain that someone follows the Christian philosophy, it's best to send them a non-denominational, thoughtfully-generic holiday greeting card.
You can also take this a step farther. If you know someone on your card list has, for example, just lost her husband and is alone this holiday, don't send her a card that says something about enjoying family togetherness. It's all in how attuned you can be to the feelings of others.
The whole point of sending a personalized Christmas card is to be . . . personal. That being the number one issue, do not ever send out a card to anyone - family, friends, or even business associates - without a handwritten signature. This is simply bad form and immediately brands you as someone utilizing the season for nothing more than a chance to make sure you are remembered . . . and obviously not the other way around, as it should be.
If you're going to take on the massive task of putting out Christmas cards, you have to resign yourself ahead of time to the amount of time and effort required to do it right. Don't even start if you plan to skimp on the details. As long as you're signing your name, personally, on every card, go ahead and stamp that card with a printer-embossed name - yours or your business. This gives your card a classy look, and your signature above, beside, or beneath that embossed one leaves a well-remembered lasting impression.
It's often a good idea to include a holiday letter. You'll probably want to do one letter for family and friends, and another for business associates, if you send to your associates . . . depending on your business. Someone in a public-market type of business, a writer or an artist, for example, would be well within acceptability to include a one-page or less, computer-generated holiday note giving brief and upbeat details on what's been going on with your career. More personal notes to family and friends can be a bit longer, but don't tell every little thing that's happened for the last 364 days. Just give an overview. Put your missive on festive holiday paper and, yes, hand-sign each one.
This brings up the question, "Who should I send to?" You likely will want to send to just about anyone with whom you've connected in the previous year. Family and friends will hear from you year after year but new friends, just-acquired business connections, and those who could potentially be either, or both . . . all these people may well become important in your life, and you in theirs.
Now that we've taken care of the inside of the card, don't think we're finished with all the work. Don't just slap a computer-generated address label on the front, your own address label on the top or the back, and then a bulk mail stamp . . . and in the post box it goes.
Oh no. The work continues. You've put this much effort into the project, you might as well finish the task right. Hand-write the address on each card. If you're sending to family or close friends with children, use the parents' name first, and then the children's name[s]. It is acceptable to use "Mr. and Mrs." and then "and family." If the card is being sent to a business associate, it should go to their business address.
Festive return address labels are appropriate and a nice touch . . . and at this point, helpful in giving your writing hand a rest. These you can often make yourself if you have a print program, a good printer, and some Avery (or similar) address labels.
Holiday stamps are a perfect way to wrap up the effort. Snowflakes, festive or, if appropriate, religious messages, or even Santa Claus stamps are in plentiful supply at your local post office - or online at the USPS site - and give your envelope just the right finish. Well-done and clearly thoughtful all-round.
Get your cards in the mail in enough time for your recipients to enjoy them at least a week or so prior to the actual holiday. If you use the US Postal System rule for packages to "mail by December 15th" and back that up a few days, you'll likely do well, and your friends, family, and others will be delighted to share in the season with you.
One last no-no: don't even think about e-cards, folks. They are nice for sharing spur-of-the-moment sentiments year-round between friends, just to say "hi," or even maybe a birthday greeting for someone you don't know all that well but want to recognize, but for a personalized Christmas card, e-cards go against the tradition of the season. We're fast becoming an electronic society but we're not quite at the point yet where we've forsaken all that we've held sacred for generations. The best rule of thumb here . . . just don't do it.