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There is a secret to making sure the cards you send at Christmas strengthen and maintain your relationships – make sure you include a personalised message of about 25 words.

The key findings of an Australian 2017 Omnipoll study by Hallmark Australia reveals that 85 percent of people agree that a personalised message handwritten into a card makes them feel special. And almost as many people (75 percent), said that a careful selection of the design of the card to match their own tastes was important.

Jennifer Nolch, Hallmark Australia Marketing Director, said its study of 1225 Australians highlights that when we feel someone has taken time for us specifically, we value that effort and that makes us feel special.

Melbourne clinical psychologist Dr Melissa Keogh said 'this reinforces what we intuitively know and supports the psychological research in this area, a 2004 American study of 395 undergraduate students, which suggests that holiday greeting cards with a personalised message of 25 words or less are significantly better at bringing people together and providing stability in relationships than a card with merely a signature or a non-personalised message."

'Since the explosion of social media and electronic communication, it's not surprising that people highly value a personalised approach in a handwritten card. Handwritten cards are also a great way to stand out from the crowd and make an impression, not only in one's personal life, but in a business sense too."

Cards are also a great opportunity to express gratitude and psychologists have long known that giving and expressing gratitude is good for both the giver and the receiver with Christmas being the perfect time to do this.

The 2017 Hallmark study showed that although almost half of younger generations (49 percent of the millennials aged between 18 and 34) perceived social media as having a positive impact on relationships, nearly a quarter (24 percent) felt its impact was negative. More than a third had also sent a card in the previous year.

Of the people who valued receiving a card, rather than a text or message on social media:
47 percent valued the time and effort it had taken for someone to send them a card;
32 percent felt sending a card was a more personal approach and allowed for a more personal message which showed the other person valued the relationship; and
11 percent like that a card is a tangible and more permanent – so it can be easily kept or displayed – whereas social media or text messages cannot.

Ms Nolch said the #CareEnough campaign launched earlier this year, encourages Australians to pick up a pen and send a greeting card to someone they care about.