People ask me, “Why send holiday e-cards?” Their argument is that they buy gifts for everybody anyway. And maybe even greeting cards. They spend the holidays with immediate and at times, extended families. So, why bother sending free ecards?
Point taken.
When you go through the trouble of buying gifts, wrapping them, traveling long distances to spend time with family or making elaborate preparations to entertain at home, why would you also send holiday e-cards? It may not make sense.
But here’s why I think sending holiday e-cards is important, even when you have bought the coolest gifts in the market.
- It gives you a chance to be yourself. Whether you want to share a private joke with your spouse, tease a cousin, flirt with a colleague or just express your appreciation for your parents or a relative, ecards let you do it in your own way. Unlike the act of opening presents, people check email in privacy. Nobody’s watching what they got or how they react. You don’t have to worry about what others got them or if they like your ecard. You just say what you want to and leave the rest to them. Invariably, a holiday e card is bound to make the recipient smile. The simple fact that you thought about him or her, and took the time to send an ecard makes a difference.
- You send a part of you. Ecards are personal. Or at least, should be. When you send an ecard, you have the option of writing your own personal message, adding a photo of your choice and including a voice message. With a photo ecard, you send the equivalent of a family picture postcard. Take advantage of these features and personalize your holiday e cards as best as you can. That makes all the difference.
- People revisit ecards long after the holidays are over. Once a present is opened, you don’t rewrap it and open it again in a few days. But I know people who come back to their email and view their favorite ecards over and over again. They like to read the message, listen to the music or the audio message, look at the animations or simply experience the ecard all over again. When you spend a few minutes to select and send the perfect ecard, the recipient appreciates it for a long time.
- You can’t go wrong with the delivery. Let’s face it. The greeting card you take hours to choose at the store, spend hard-earned cash on, painstakingly write in, seal and send – doesn’t always reach the recipient. On time. Postal mail delivery delays and lost holiday cards are a fact of life. But when you schedule a holiday
e-card to be delivered to your loved ones on a certain date, they’re delivered to their inbox on that date. No later. They don’t accidentally end up in the neighbor’s mail or get opened by mail thieves. If you address an ecard to someone, that someone receives it. On time. - Ecards reinforce your bond. Whether it’s a friend, a relative, sibling, spouse, coworker or even someone you don’t like very much, an ecard helps strengthen your bond and brings you closer for many reasons. As stated earlier, because it is personal and reflects your style, and because it can be viewed several times, an ecard does more than just greet someone during the holidays. It tells them that you care about them and that you thought about them. Ecards are perfect for sending to people you are already close to and also for people you want to break the ice with. They’re great for making up, apologizing, forgiving or simply expressing your love and affection for someone. And that definitely makes a difference.
Why do you send holiday e cards? Share your thoughts.
If you end up spending way too much time Christmas shopping and come home with stocking stuffers that nobody is kicked about, maybe it’s time to rethink the way you go about it. 
