Holidays are a great time to reach out to your contacts, but besides the ubiquitous Christmas card, finding original ways to check in with your contact list can be tough. At the same time, different traditions and schedules can make the holiday season a difficult time to successfully connect with a large audience. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to be both memorable and inclusive! Try these three unique ideas to help you become top of mind for your contacts this winter season:
Winter Recipes
From bubbling soups to warm cookies and sizzling dumplings, food is something everyone can appreciate during the cold winter months. Rather than mailing or handing out the generic Christmas cookie or hot cocoa packets, try sending recipe cards that people can use or modify as they wish based on diet or allergies. The recipe can be your own for a personal touch or borrowed from any number of sources, and recipe cards themselves are cheap and relatively easy to produce, either digitally or on paper.
A ‘Sneaky Cards’ Challenge
A game popular in schools called Sneaky Cards asks people to do silly, fun and helpful things with friends, neighbors or even strangers before passing on the challenge by way of a special card. This challenge can be anything from trying a new food to recommending a local business. Cards can also be tracked by unique serial numbers so you know just how far your challenge goes! Try sending one of these to your mailing list (after, of course, completing the challenge yourself) and letting your community pay it forward. A version of the game is available free on the developer’s website.
Start a Pinterest Board
Pinterest, which allows a large number of participants to share photos, text and ideas on themed “boards” is an under-used social networking tool for real estate agents. But the winter season is a great time to get started! You can create a theme as broad or as specific as you want, and ask your contacts to share all things winter-related, or specific thoughts, feelings or ideas about their town. You can also start by adding a bunch of your own photos or ask people to fill the board themselves—either way, a great method of connection and learning about people in your area.
With these ideas, you can make sure your name and brand sticks with people in your sphere, all while keeping a light and inclusive spirit for the holiday season!
Jesse Williams is RISMedia’s associate online editor. Email him your real estate news ideas to jwilliams@rismedia.com.
