THE PERFECT BUSINESS CARD!
* Sixty five more days to make my dreams from true!
The BEST idea for a business card just hit me! I was browsing through some websites (there are links at the bottom of the page to more sites) with unique business card designs, and this particular one gave me a good idea.
Designed by Anna Debenham, these business cards generated a completely different reaction from people who received them. She said that watching them was “a bit like watching someone unwrap a Christmas present.” They were wildly popular at the convention, and she ran out of them well before the end. With random people approaching her to ask for them as well. They consist of an envelope with a handwritten note folded into a paper airplane. The note describes the company's action plan.
So I thought I might copy the idea! After all, if it won’t work in Japan to approach people, then why not get them to approach me instead? The key will be to pass out something that people will want to take from me due to curiosity. As opposed to the regular fliers or tissues. The envelope will also make people wonder what’s inside!
I’m guessing that the 100 yen store nearby might have these envelopes or something similar. For the outside, I’ll either find stickers to print on, create a custom rubber stamp, or use my automatic labeller with thicker labeling tape.
For the inside, I’ll write a hand written note (and photocopy it, possibly) with an introduction to who I am, what I do, and my dreams. Then I can origami fold them into shirts!
I’ll also include a before and after image of a styling project that I’ve done as well! Since the image will have to be in color, I can probably save a lot of money by making the image the size of the envelope, and then repeating the image many times over on an a sheet of paper, and individually cut them out. The best part is that photocopying A4 and A3 size items are exactly the same price. So I can save some money by using the A3 size.
If they have different color envelopes, I can probably make male and female versions to pass out, each with the appropriate before and after image inside.
Oh man, this is exciting. Creativity solves every problem.
Categorized as Storyline
lol…sounds like arts and crafts in grade school! have fun!
Haha it does, doesn’t it! But if it works it works!
What a cute idea!
I can’t wait to see your designs!
What can you fold that doesn’t have too much crease,
but represents you or your ideas?
I mean, this idea makes sense because it is
“scrunch up magazine” and the paper is “scrunched up.”
This is very creative, so I think you should definitely
utilize this idea with slight modifications to better
accommodate your needs.
Your business card is a miniature representation of yourself
to your clients and I think your idea will be more effective
if your clients can some how relate the card to you.
And before you design anything, a few questions:
Which name will you use as your professional name?
Which segment of people are you targeting?
Are you targeting a specific age group? Are you targeting a group with
specific lifestyle?
I ask these questions because as you said in your other post, when
it comes to marketing yourself and your services, it is advisable not to
over-generalize because:
1). Your clients are a group of people. Certain services and ideas you provide will be well-received by some, while not by others.
2). Which is why it is important to know your target segment to have a specific strategy
that will appeal to them,
3). And because your clients will need, want and require different services, it would be essentially impossible to try to reach everyone (you’d end up spreading yourself too thin).
Ah. This post is getting really long, but if you’d like to discuss your approach,
I’d love to have this conversation one on on, perhaps on gchat or facebook chat
some time.
This is an incomplete post, btw, and while I am no marketing wizard, I may
have an idea or two that may be of help to you… so… see you on gchat some time!
@Guinevere
No, you may not be a marketing wizard, but those are some great thoughts!
You’re right, I don’t want to spread myself too thin. If I’m going to work with a large and varied audience, I need to work with them one by one. Sako-san brought out some basic business theory out to me the other day and I thought hmm… I can’t ignore this stuff, can I!
I think I’ll take your invitation for a further chat on this. I’ll give you a call on skype!