With all the emphasis photographers are placing on social media and online marketing these days, it’s easy to overlook the value of the good old-fashioned business card as a means of introducing yourself to prospective clients.
The fact is, business cards remain an excellent tool for marketing your photography business. And thanks to the Web, making elegant, effective and relatively inexpensive cards is easier than ever.
How easy? Here’s my step-by-step guide to making a great business card in just 15 minutes.
1. Identify four to six of your best images and save them as high-resolution files.
2. Create a collage of these images using Photoshop or one of the free online editing sites, such as Picnik.com. Alternatively, you can take advantage of Google’s free download of Picasa 3.0 and use its collage function.
3. Choose an online business card Web site, such as Vistaprint.com or 123Print.com, and open an account.
4. Find a blank card template on the business card site and insert your collage file. Size it to fit properly, either horizontally or vertically, and add your name, business name and contact information.
5. Don’t waste the space on the back of the card. That’s the perfect place to include the address of your Twitter feed or Facebook fan page, along with the icons of these social networking sites.
6. Proof your design and content and place your order.
Above is the business card I created using this simple process. I’ve found that prospects really like it, because they can view a sample of my best images without having to log onto a computer. In many ways, it’s just as effective as a postcard mailer in showing off my work — and a lot less expensive.
In my case, around $80 for 1,000 cards.
September 20th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I personally love Overnight Prints, they have the heaviest paper stock and offer rounded corners for next to nothing. http://overnightprints.com
September 20th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I find it kind of funny, that on your step by step instructions you talk about 4-6 photos, but yet your own business card has 16 photos in it.
Anyway ... how would you compare collage vs. bunch of business cards with different photographs in it. Collage gives you option for printing larger number of copies from same card, but cards with differnt photographs would give you better option to market what your customer is probably looking for.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:33 am
Brandon: I'll have to check out overnightprints.com. Thanks for the tip.
Juha: Very good point.
The quantity of images on a business card is really just a personal preference. Whatever works for you and the readers of this post. Using 4-6 images (vs. 16) enables you to size them larger on the business card and really makes them pop.
Your idea of different images for different cards is being used by other photographers as well. I would recommend http://us.moo.com/en/ for your suggestion.
Best regards,
Ryan
September 21st, 2009 at 9:42 am
I agree with Ryan that moo.com kicks ass! Zazzle.com has some good ones too.