New Rules For Sending Texts, E-Cards And Social Media Messages Instead Of Christmas Cards

If you prefer to send Christmas cheer electronically, here are some guidelines.

By Marilyn Nelson on December 21, 2017
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

It seems like sending Christmas cards to family and friend near and far is becoming a thing of the past. Every year I send…and receive fewer cards than the year before.

If you’re one of those who doesn’t want to spend the time or the money on cards, but still wants to send Christmas cheer, Moneyish has put together some guidelines:

  1. E-cards – Try sites like American Greetings, Jacquie Lawson (both of which charge a small membership fee) or 123 Greetings (free of charge). Keep your comments short and simple. Some people tend to get too long-winded when trying to get clever and creative. A simple “Looking forward to great things in 2018” is just fine. Just remember, that quite often e-cards go straight into junk folder, never to be seen.
  2. Email – When sending an email, try to keep it personal by sending it to just one person, and not to a group. You can get a little more creative and a little longer since you’re not relying on the colorful graphics of the e-card, but still keep is simple. You should have at least two lines – the first acknowledging your relationship to the recipient such as “I want to make sure to take a moment to thank you for all the great work that you’ve done with me this year. Looking forward to even greater things in 2018. Wishing you a Merry Christmas.”
  3. Texts –  Only send holiday wishes to people whom you know well. Keep it to three of four lines, and maybe include a pic of your family. “Mass texting” is a total put-off and should be avoided.
  4. Social Media – Posting a generic holiday message to all of your friends/followers on Instagram or Facebook should be in-addition-to, not as a replacement for individual, customized greetings. Include a fun holiday greeting and picture showing off you family, pets and/or tree. It’s a nice pleasantry, but shouldn’t be relied on as your only way of wishing your close friends and family well.

On a side-note. If you’re thinking of using the likes of Snapchat to send cute little holiday snaps to your friends, don’t…unless you’re 15-years-old. It’s not really a grown-up thing.

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