Freelancers don’t have a big budget, but we do need to be constantly marketing to stay relevant. And December can be a chilly time if we don’t promote ourselves well. It’s a careful balance of being fun without cheesy. Staying personal, but professional.
Over the past six and a half years, I’ve experimented a lot with different ways to reach audiences. From individual hand-wrapped gifts, to festive finance jokes (yes, really… I can do that), I’ve tried loads! And there are so many more ideas rattling in my brain for next year!!
So, to celebrate Christmas 2025, here are 25 epic ideas which I have already done, seen others do or plan to do soon! Merry scrolling!
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Lindt chocolate advent calendar!!
Your business logo, printed on a Lindt chocolate advent calendar. Can you even imagine how popular you’d be handing these out at events? There would be an actual queue forming. And it’s genius marketing. Researchers found that we start to remember a brand logo after five to seven encounters… So, imagine looking at the logo every day for 25 days straight. It’s so clever. You can buy in bulks of 300 and 500.
Find it: https://www.lindt.es/calendarios-adviento-personalizados-empresas -
A personalised magazine, printed and handed to clients
Remember the annuals we had as kids? Hilarious stories, most interesting developments of the year, predictions for what’s to come … I can make that for you! Working with a leading graphic designer, I can write you a 26-page magazine especially for your unique clients to enjoy. A 360-degree, personal piece, printed and shipped to you directly.
This is a truly special way to brighten up events, end-of-year parties or long train journeys home!
Find it: Email me at hannah@hdinvestmentcontent.com
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Got an office? Uhhh… Christmas cocktails?!
Babel PR does this really well. They have this amazing rooftop, which they take full advantage of. All that’s needed is a badass cocktail maker, a few appetisers and a banging playlist. Perfection. -
A brisk walk and a cosy hot chocolate
There are SOOO many enchanting places for a truly delicious hot chocolate in London. And new ones pop up all the time. Hotel Chocolat is usually quite a safe bet, if you’re around the Covent Garden area. But the indie chocolateers are the best, in my opinion.
Here’s the idea… You find the closest one to your client’s office and just ask them if you can treat them to the most maximum luxury hot chocolate on the menu! If there’s no seats, you can always have a crisp walk around to max out the festive vibes. -
Charity gifts!
My friend and fellow soloprenuer Hannah McCormick does the best gifts every year. You pick from a small selection of charities and a donation is made in your name. Lovely! -
Decorate the front of a coffee gift card … add a sticker of your logo if possible
Like the advent calendar thing, this one is clever. It’s a cheeky little way to live in your clients’ wallets for an extended period of time. Plus they will associate your brand with a much-needed caffeine hit. As a freelancer, Gails’ would be my natural choice. But there are loads to chose from! If you pop it in a charity Christmas card with a cute message, it could really land nicely. -
Personalised iced biscuits!
Imagine it!!! Your client carefully unwraps the crinkly paper of a box to find a selection of delicious biscuits, decorated in all the things your business does! There could be a biscuit of a little POS machine, another of a mobile phone, one of a bank card, another of cash. Super cute! Shout out to Hokodo who send me box of deliciously decorated cookies for Christmas!
Find it: https://www.biscuiteers.com/en-eu/pages/corporate-gifts-branded-packaging
To give you a rough idea of prices, I enquired in September about getting 90 biscuits decorated as sherry glasses, and they said it would be at least £700. -
Jokes about SEO, fintech, investment management… or whatever you do!
This is a really, really clever way to get clients’ attention. Jokes seem easy, but they are not. Firstly, you have to understand a tricky topic so well that you can experiment with wordplay. Then it has to make sense. Finally, be sort of funny, in the standard joke format.
To make a joke, you need both industry knowledge and creativity. They’re hard to do, but they really catch clients’ eyes … Plus it’s the time of the year when they’re expected. Jokes can be a quick win to get target clients not just clicking on your content, but also remembering you. You could go all-out and include them in handmade Christmas crackers.
Find it: Email me! I can write you 12 jokes on your subject of choice (£500)
hannah@hdinvestmentcontent.com
… Don’t believe me? Check out how many bridging loan jokes I can bash out… year 1, year 2, year 3.
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Good in the kitchen?
Ok, don’t give anyone food poisoning!!! But imagine how lovely it would be to get a little tin of homemade mince pies, all cushed up in some crinkly paper. If you’re great in the kitchen, and you want to reconnect with a client, it could be a really sweet way (literally) to bring them something without breaking the bank. -
Personalise… hard!
A few years ago, I spent £15 on every client. And I got each person a different present, hand wrapped them all and posted from my local post office. Everyone had a little collection of different things included in their parcels; bath bombs, gloves, candles, lego for Ali… all kinds of nice stuff! 😀 It worked really well to help cement relationships and remind them of the personal nature of freelancers.
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A white paper detailing predictions for the year ahead
Now I am very much in Lucy Heaven’s territory!!! The credit for this genius idea has to go to her. The premise is that all the thought leaders in your company write up their predictions for the year ahead, filled with research. It’s a fun way to showcase expertise, generate leads and re-use content for blogs later in the month.
Find it: https://hdinvestmentcontent.com/whitepapers/
Or email me at hannah@hdinvestmentcontent.com … I can also organise for a graphic designer to create the final look for you -
Wrap-up your year
Like Spotify Wrapped, showcase your talent to clients with a round-up of your work on LinkedIn. What were your top products? How many clients did you serve? What were the main areas you worked in? Now is the time to tell the world. A small video or infographic would be cool!
Here is my 2025 wrap-up
… and carousel on LinkedIn! 😀
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Hand deliver some Läderach fresh chocolate
This is a really easy one, if you are London based (or anywhere in Switzerland!). Pick up some fresh chocolate from Läderach, Regents Street. My favourite is cornflake flavour. And go share it with a client over a coffee at their
office. It is a little bite of pure heaven. -
Pick out a gift from Big Issue
There are so many to chose from, and they all help to lift people out of poverty. Sometimes I make stockings for my friends, and add a Big Issue magazine too. It makes for nicer vibes for everyone. This year, it’s a Queen edition!
Find it: https://www.bigissueshop.com/ -
Go BIG and make an epic awards ceremony!
Inspired by king of awards ceremonies, Ali Paterson, if you have the inclination to make a huge party… please go for it!! We will all love you for it!! It’s an amazing way to treat your clients and gain new ones.
Read my write up here: https://ffnews.com/thought-leader/the-night-fintech-came-out-swinging/ -
Join your clients on a volunteer day
Some companies offer this, and it’s a truly great way to connect with your clients while giving something back. When I worked at UBS, I always volunteered to make and sell Christmas cookies. It was lovely! -
Post your clients a card or letter
Sometimes, just a handwritten thank you on a charity card is the best way forward. Keep it simple. -
Written a book? Mate … Do I have to say it?
So many of my super talented clients and connections have written epic books. If you have to spend on presents anyway… might as well invest in your own sales, right?
Incidentally … If you haven’t yet written a book about finance, but would like to, talk to me. I’m a ghostwriter and this is what I do 😀 -
A super cute desk Christmas tree
These have been a huge hit!!! I go with Bloom and Wild. Truth be told, I usually send them to family members who don’t have a tree, rather than clients. It is a tiny potted plant tree, which can be posted super easily in the letter box. It comes with tiny decorations too. After Christmas, you plant it somewhere. My grandfather planted his a few years ago and now it is a reasonably impressive pine tree in his garden!
Find it: https://www.bloomandwild.com/send-flowers/send/the-classic-tiny-tree/59008
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Support family companies and start-ups
David Brear from 11fs and his son Josh recently started selling homemade honey! I bought a pack for my mum and she is obsessed.
Find it: https://cremornehousehoney.com/ -
Office pet? Commission a pet portrait!!
How cute is this idea? My friend Iona hand draws beautiful pet portraits for less than £100. For that special client, it could be the most personal touch ever, and guaranteed to have a place in the office.
Find it: https://www.instagram.com/ionawilliamsonprint/ -
Blog, blog, blog …
There is a bit of an empty void over the festive period when it comes to B2B content. This is the ideal environment for companies to make more of an impact and fill up the space. Especially because so many potential clients tend to be checking LinkedIn while they wait in shopping queues, take long train journeys home or survive longwinded days out!
Find it: https://hdinvestmentcontent.com/blogs-service/ -
Blend family trips with client opportunities
This might not apply to everyone. And I don’t want to encourage people to act like some 80s dad in films who is never around for their kids at special moments. No. None of that. But for childless freelancers like me it works. If you have to travel anyway, why not add a couple of co-working days in a local office? It gives you opportunities to network with new people. Myself, I am spending a few days in Tramshed Tech, Cardiff this December 😀 -
Publish or update your price list
If you’re going to be making yourself more visible, be sure to also include the prices. And experiment with discounts. Myself, I like to bundle them up and offer round discounts.
Example: https://hdinvestmentcontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Price-List-Hannah-Duncan-Content-2025.pdf -
Treat your client to a festive afternoon tea!
This is a fun one! If you feel comfortable eating in front of your clients (not everyone does) I would say to do it, because Warren Buffet told us that the best way to build connections is to break bread with people. And that guy knows what he’s talking about. So break a finger sandwich, and a bottle of Prosecco 😀
I would love to take clients to the Biscuiteers Festive Afternoon Tea (Notting Hill) because it was voted by Nudge as the best, PLUS it’s £48 per person. A lot of money for freelancers, but significantly cheaper than Fortum and Mason at £90 per person, or the Ritz, where you need to remortgage. Also, you get to decorate biscuits!! Which is a super cute and creative way to get some laughs in with your fav clients.
https://www.biscuiteers.com/en-eu/pages/london-afternoon-tea
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Enjoy yourself!
From posting a pic of your Christmas jumper, to organising fully-fledged drinks, whatever you decide to do, have fun!! Authenticity matters and clients want to work with someone who enjoys working with them. Happy marketing!
