It’s that time of the year when some of you have probably sent out several copies of your kid's best photos to family and friends wishing them a happy holiday season and yet another group has realized today that its a tad bit late to send anything saying "Happy Holidays" out. (I belong to the latter group - I haven't sent any cards out.)

I totally believe that it’s a good idea to send heartfelt wishes to near and dear ones AND also will say that it’s a good opportunity for folks that want to 'network'.

This post is for those who want to utilize the opportunity to connect with people at this time of the year to purely 'network'. (For everyone else, your best bet to call/meet your friends and family! That’s what the Holidays are for!. Here are some tips on how to meet folks who are hard to catch 15 ways to catch up with friends that aren’t grabbing coffee or a c...)

So what are our options NOW:

- Send an email today/tomorrow - An email has the advantage of being sent to a broader group of people and for users of Outlook, a batch process, with delayed option can be set at your own convenience. More importantly, you don’t have to pay for stamps and write or stick return address labels! The most critical thing is Personalization – Unless you are the Country President of a large corporation who is addressing a Town Hall, a mass email typically has very little effect at this time of the year. Most people get spammed with greetings from Macy’s, Amazon, etc etc and another email wishing a sundry group will only be overlooked (if looked at, at all).

- Send a card out wishing folks a Happy New Year - Those of Indian origins, will testify to the fact that New Year cards were the big deal back in the day. Our parents sent out cards nearly till the middle of January and everyone loved the CRY and UNICEF cards that showed their philanthropic side. They are not really a part of the culture here (and you will rarely find them in card stores), but no one ever minds getting a nice handwritten note card in the mail wishing them well. They will also help you stand out from the rest and make you seem like a person who is ‘forward looking’. So, for the ultimate slackers, this can be a good way to catch up!

- Send a message on LinkedIn - For senior leaders and acquaintances that you don't know very well, LinkedIn messages work just fine too. They are unobtrusive, give the reader a chance to figure out who you are and are a gentle reminder of the fact that you are a part of their 'professional network'. You could hint at a meeting and say something as simple as:

Hi John,

Hope all is going well. Here's wishing you and yours a very festive holiday season and a wonderful New Year.

Hope to catch up with you over coffee in 2016.

Warm regards,

Andres (Project Manager @ UBC)

-          Facebook messages – This option is the least recommended as your message will seem too casual  (unless you have a business that is Internet and Facebook dependent) and more often than not office friends are not friends on Facebook too. But if this is the only way for you to connect with people, go for it!

Anyhow, the above is my own opinion and the opinion of one who has been relatively ok in keeping in touch with people. So, good luck on your holiday networking and I wish you all a Happy Holiday season !

Have other ideas? Post below.

(Posted on behalf of anonymous writer)