I must admit that I arrived a little late to the blogosphere. I started my first official blog in April 2010. After that, I began contributing to other blogs and providing my unique perspective in other web communities. In January 2012, I helped my family create The Emerald Quill.
As part of the discussion on how to promote our family's website, several ideas were mentioned. One of the ideas that I had quickly dismissed was the idea of a business card.
A business card? To promote a website? On the internet? As you can tell, I wasn't to keen on the idea of using something so "20th Century" to promote a website in 2012. After all, we're going to be writing for the internet. People would rather point & click on a link instead of actually typing in some url written on a business card. And who uses business cards anymore? They are so plain and boring that I usually just put them in desk drawer and never look at them again. If I need the contact information of your business then I'll "Google it".
My problem was not the business card itself... My problem was the standard design of the business card. In the past, business cards have basically used the same standard design: plain background,company logo, name, position, contact info. I haven't been too impressed with any of my old business cards - except for the batch of cards I received from my former employer (a few months before they fired me).
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| A Famous Business Card from the 20th Century |
Of course, my electronic elitist attitude had clouded my judgement. Business cards can still be a powerful and intelligent marketing tool in 2012. The key to getting the most out of a business card is in the design. Which brings me to the fifth entry in my collection of Hidden Gems - MOO.com.
MOO is an online printing service that offers a variety of business card styles with a vast array of unique designs. In addition to business cards, they also print Minicards, Postcards, Greeting Cards, Stickers and Labels. Each product can be fully customized to reflect your business or hobby. For instance, if you're a House Party DJ in your spare time, you can choose from several genre specific templates to make your business card look like anything from an old cassette tape to a flaming vinyl record. The website has over 20 industry categories with the option to upload your own logo or design.
Another intriguing product that MOO offers is something called Facebook Cards. Facebook Cards are custom cards that use the basic information found on your Facebook page (network and location) along with your current profile photo and cover image on one side. The other side features your Facebook Quote and your contact information (Facebook address, phone number, and email address). The cards are a fun way to pass on your Facebook info to old friends and new acquaintances. When setting up how your card will look, you can edit each field that's displayed. So, you can replace the information that is pulled from your Facebook profile with whatever is appropriate. For instance, instead of listing my network and city, I was able to type the urls for my two blogs.
If you would like to sample the product before investing your hard earned dollars, MOO currently offers a package of 50 Facebook Cards for free (plus shipping) - A $15.00 value. Otherwise, the price for 50 regular business cards typically starts at $19.99 for a custom design on the standard card. They have fancier options if you wish to explore the different card types and finishes, but even the standard Facebook Card is printed on classic card stock which is thick, sustainably sourced, and finished with a matte laminate that feels great, and makes the images on your cards look amazing.
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