On July 16, 2005, we did something kind of strange.

We sent our clients and colleagues a postcard celebrating the moon landing on that same date in 1969.

The moon landing’s anniversary isn’t your typical occasion for sending a card, so why did we do it? Partly because we knew people would remember it—and they still do talk about that postcard today.

This time of year, you’re probably thinking of sending your clients a holiday card.

But consider the following statistics:

• Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the U.S. post office will process 16 billion pieces of mail.
• From the 10th of December until the end of the year, 200 million packages will be sent.
• In the month of December alone, the post office processes an average 28 million items every day. The rest of the year, the average is 15.8 million daily.

In other words, people are getting A LOT more mail right now.

That makes your chances of getting people to notice your holiday card much slimmer.

Your message is going to have to be really, really good to make an impact during the holiday season.

That’s why, if you don’t consider yourself particularly great at messaging, you might want to try a different strategy.

You might want to find your own personal moon landing.

We sent out a postcard about the moon landing because it was inspiring to us, and because it was unique and memorable. It’s also a time of year when people AREN’T getting tons of extra mail, so our messaging didn’t have to be spectacular to be memorable.

But maybe you’re not a huge space fan. That’s okay. Think about other neat dates in the calendar that you can make personal.

November is a great time to sit down and plan out your marketing calendar for the year.

Love desserts? National Ice Cream Day is a great day for a mailer.

Love nature? How about a social media post on Earth Day or Arbor Day?

Brainstorm some ways you can send unique, well-crafted messages at times of year when people aren’t overwhelmed. These will be so much more memorable than a holiday card.

Of course, it’s okay to send out a holiday card!

Maybe you’re the kind of person who gets nervous about reaching out to people. Maybe the holidays, for you, are a helpful impetus for getting those notes and phone calls out.

If that’s the case, then by all means rely on the holidays.

More so than creativity, the most important part of your marketing is consistency.

Typically, we advise our agents to use a 12-touch program, or making contact with clients at least 12 times a year.

Furthermore, since we all process information differently, the modes of contact should be diverse. You’ll want to mix it up with:

• Phone calls
• Face to face meetings (these should be two of your 12 contacts)
• Emails
• Snail mail
• Social media

Most people remember about two companies in every industry. By reaching out 12 times a year with different communication modes, you’re sure to be one of them.

So be consistent, but don’t be afraid to break out of your mold.

Give yourself some time to really think about your message.

And just as importantly, think about the timing of your message.

Be personal and unique. That’s what people remember.

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Matt Mittman and Eric Rehling are the owners of RE/MAX Ready in Conshohocken, PA. See articles from them about finding a coach, being all of the chiefs your company needs, creating a positive client experience, assessing a prospective home, making the boring choice, diversifying your workweek, creating the best possible offer for your client, the importance of inefficient communication, the Eagles, thriving during your busy season, magic wands, good training, measuring profitability, routines, taking the right kinds of risks, real experience of being a real estate agent, communication styles, building an audience, and more.