Direct Mail Marketing [Holiday Edition]
Crafting an effective holiday marketing strategy can seem complicated at first glance. The sheer number of holidays in a year can feel overwhelming. In addition, holiday sales and specials are prevalent in most industries, so sticking out from the crowd matters. If you re looking to up your holiday marketing game this year, direct mail is the winning play! Any designs you create to draw in clients or customers for a holiday event or sale should represent your brand while also evoking the spirit of the holiday. Read on for creative holiday postcard direct mail marketing ideas.
What is Direct Mail?
Before we go too much further, let's talk about what we mean when we say "Direct Mail." For the purposes of this article, direct mail refers to the postcards that businesses and organizations send out via the US Postal Service. These postcards are either sent at the First Class postage rate to an existing mailing list or sent via the USPS Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) program at a reduced rate to a targeted area.
MyCreativeShop s Direct Mail Solution makes it easy for you to design, print & mail your postcards directly with us. With EDDM & mailing list options, you'll be able to reach any mailbox in the United States.
Learn More about EDDM: Definitive Guide to Do-It-Yourself Every Door Direct Mail A Complete Guide to Understanding EDDM What Can Every Door Direct Mail Do For You? Essential Tips and Tricks for a Successful EDDM Campaign
1. New Year s Eve/Day
EDDM Postcard Design via MyCreativeShop
Whether you re starting or ending the year, a celebration is required. Transfer that celebratory feeling to your direct mail design as you promote your clothing store clearance event, year-end nonprofit fundraising gala, or gym membership special offer. Our New Year s EDDM postcard templates are a great way to make a fresh start. Not planning to utilize EDDM? No problem! Just remove the EDDM mailing guides and complete your design!
2. Valentine s Day
EDDM Postcard Designs via MyCreativeShop
When February rolls around, love is in the air! Any direct mail design you create for Valentine s Day should bring to mind all the romance that the day embodies. The Valentine s Day EDDM postcard templates in our catalog are full of all that lovey-dovey goodness which makes them an ideal place to begin, whether you re promoting a sale on jewelry, a bakery treats special, or a candlelit dinner for two. And remember, all EDDM postcard designs can easily be converted to a standard postcard layout!
3. St. Patrick s Day
EDDM Postcard Design via MyCreativeShop
You won t need the luck o the Irish to create a successful St. Paddy s Day direct mail marketing campaign. All you really need is an easy to customize postcard template and a reliable all-in-one printing/mailing clearinghouse to get the job done (that s us!), and you ll be all set! It makes no difference whether you re promoting your restaurant s green beer and corned beef or encouraging pet owners to bring their pooches in for a discounted grooming session. Our St. Patrick s Day Postcards start you on the path to that pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow!
4. Easter
EDDM Postcard Design via MyCreativeShop
Whether you re hoping to draw in newcomers to your church s Easter service or encourage more families to come out for your Easter egg hunt, creating a custom postcard for your direct mail marketing campaign should be your first step. The Easter postcard templates in our catalog are easily personalized to reflect your brand and are the perfect start to reconnecting with your clients and customers if you have a list of addresses. Whichever route you choose, your final design will make a statement!
5. Mother s Day
EDDM Postcard Designs via MyCreativeShop
Extend a helping [gift-giving] hand to all those who love moms this Mother s Day by customizing your own postcards that connect with a new crowd of people near you. Our Mother s Day postcard templates have something for everyone, including your relaxing spa or mom-worthy restaurant.
6. Memorial Day
Postcard Designs via MyCreativeShop
As summer nears, so does the holiday when we remember those who gave their lives in service for the United States. Your Memorial Day direct mail campaign should try to stay thoughtful and avoid being gimmicky out of respect for our fallen heroes. The Memorial Day postcard templates in our catalog can be helpful in promoting anything from a sweet furniture sale to the special offers at your restaurant for the holiday weekend. As always, you can add EDDM mailing guides if you re hoping to widen your campaign to reach a new audience.
7. Father s Day
Father s Day Design by By Stephanie Design via CreativeMarket
Help your community make Dad s day with custom postcards for your Father s Day direct mail campaign. Apply your color scheme, choose your layout, and upload your on-brand images. Add unique details, like the necktie-inspired border in the example above, to make your postcard stand out from the crowd. Include a compelling call to action that grabs the reader and encourages them to respond. Use our mailing service to get your postcards into any mailbox.
8. Independence Day
4th of July BBQ Design by Romecreation via CreativeMarket
Barbecue, fireworks, and freedom - oh my! Of course, we ve now reached that ultimate summer holiday - Independence Day! Creating your own custom postcards for a 4th of July direct mail campaign follows all of the same basic holiday design rules. First, keep your branding strategy in one hand and the traditional Independence Day theme in the other. Find ways to mix old with new, evoking memories of years past along with modern interpretations. In the above example, a parchment-style background adds an element of tradition, and the modern fonts and graphics stay grounded by maintaining the tried and true red, white, and blue color scheme.
9. Halloween
Halloween Design by BrandPacks via CreativeMarket
With the end of fall come pumpkins, candy, and costumes for all ages and sizes. Creating an effective Halloween direct mail campaign is made easier when you begin from an existing postcard template. Keeping both your brand strategy and the recognizable orange and black color scheme in mind, customize all elements of your template to reflect the details of your promotion, whether you ve got discounted costumes to sell or a spooky corn maze to be conquered. Add your call to action and contact info, then finalize your design before setting up your mailing.
10. Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Postcard Design by Ioswl via CreativeMarket
From pumpkin pie to a deliciously roasted (or deep-fried!) turkey and everything in between, Thanksgiving has a unique list of non-negotiables, with gratitude at the top of the heap. Keep that attitude of gratitude top of mind when crafting your Thanksgiving direct mail campaign. Customize your own postcards with your event details or special offer, then print & mail it anywhere.
11. Black Friday
EDDM Postcard Designs via MyCreativeShop
The year s wrapping up, so now it s time to put together a carefully orchestrated Black Friday direct mail campaign. Our Black Friday postcard templates make connecting with a new audience as easy as [leftover pumpkin] pie. Apply your signature color scheme, images, and share all the details of your serious post-Thanksgiving savings (you can even include a coupon or three!), then finish up by using our direct mail service.
12. Christmas
EDDM Postcard Design via MyCreativeShop
We made it! After journeying through an entire year of holiday direct marketing, we ve finally reached the ultimate holiday - Christmas! The design choices you can make in the month of December vary widely, especially when you also include the less-marketed holidays of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa (and of course, Festivus!). To narrow it down, we have a whole host of Christmas postcards and standard postcard templates for you to choose from. Find the one that fits the purpose of your campaign, whether you re a church hoping to invite the rest of the community to your Christmas Eve service or a small business looking to connect with your regular clientele. When it fits, add value by including a coupon or something they can tear off as a reminder.
Get started on your next mailer
Hopefully, you were able to glean some design inspo from the above examples and catch the vision for all that direct mail can do for the success of your holiday marketing campaign.
Want to learn more? Head on over to our Direct Mail Service page.