My new business cards : guitar picks
2009-01-13
I haven't made a business card in 8 years.
Because I wasn't eager for new work or even new connections, not having a business card helped keep the less-interested people away.
I was easy enough to find. If someone wanted to contact me, they only had to go to my company website, and click “CONTACT”. But that step kept away most of the salesmen who just collect tons of business cards, scan them all in to their computer, then relentlessly spam those contacts for life.
But now, since I'm going to many conferences, and I'm not with my old company, I thought I should finally make cards again.
I wanted to do a creative design. Something to do with music. Not the normal business-card shape.
It didn't have to be big. I don't have a mailing address, and prefer not to get calls from people unless we've already emailed. So just my name, email, website, and maybe a short description of what I do. (“entrepreneur”)
Hmm.... What's small, flat, and musical? I know! Guitar picks! (I remembered an Ian Rogers post from long ago.)
(sorry - only cellphone camera)
I had them done at Clayton Custom in Oregon, which was ridiculously fast, cheap, and easy.
If I see you at a conference, I'll be glad to hand you my business card for the first time in years. :-)
Hooray for Clayton! We've been doing this for several years now. Great way to be remembered.
Man I do the exact same thing!
I've been giving away guitar picks for years now. Not so much as a business card, but more as a promotion tool. Usually I'll just sign my initials on the front and people love it, especially the chicks :P
Except lately I have to buy them in bulk because I run out so fast!
Clayton does make nice custom picks!
Me, I opted for the (small and cool-ish) cards from Moo.com. I'm only printing my name and URL in the back. No phone, no email - the site has a contact form, and I can always scribble more contact info if needed.
I mostly use them whenever I get asked/talk about my band, so people don't have to remember the band name or URL.
Very clever!
Now you can be like Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, and the next time you do a public talk, towards the end just throw a huge handful to the audience (while Dream Police plays in the background of course). People will certainly remember you and your message.
I like the idea to promote my book about my spiritual journey with rock music. I'll look into Clayton Custom. Thanks!
Tragically, no one ever makes anything cool like this for piano players. ;)
Pax,
Matthew
--
http://matthewebel.com
http://matthewebel.net
You should ask people to send you pictures of themselves using your pick/business cards at their gigs and post them here. That would be fun...
What a fun idea! We'll definitely look into doing this for our bands.
I've thought of doing this as well. They could be given away at shows too!
Now that's resourceful, Derek. I have a feeling we'll all see a lot more people doing this at conferences, thanks to this post!
Wow what a novelty. I want to go to a conference, just to get one, so I could save it and brag to my peers that I actually met you.Save one on the side for me D. Peace
I got to open a show for Cheap Trick a couple years ago and I finally got my hands on one of Rick Nielsen's picks.
It then sort of naturally occurred to me what a great idea that was for a business card! I asked and found out that Rick had done some picks with Steve Clayton and it led me to your conclusion. I get a great response and people remember since a pick tells them exactly what I do and where to find me. Great idea Derek.
I use guitar picks also, Derek, - -and a few other items:
(1) Gourmet steak sauce manufactured especially for one of my songs
(2) Large post cards created for a character used in different versions of one of my songs
(3) Bar-B-Que matches in five different colors
(4) Personalized paper sleeves for my 45 RPM vinyl pressing
(5) Juke box title strips (for my vinyl)
(6) A screenplay with my songs written right into the story line
(7) Fishing lures and fishing wire (leader) to promote my song, "Fishin' Wire Eddy"
(8) Toy race cars to promote my song, "Racing Round the Track"
(9) Bags of human-like cremation ashes to promote my song, "Who Dat?"
(10) Miniature roses to promote my song, "Message of Love"
(11) Round wood "Tuits" to promote my song, "I Got A Round Tuit"
(12) Round wood "nickels" to promote my song, "Drive-In Romance" (sixty-five different versions)
(13) Round wood "dollars" {larger than the wooden "nickels"} for promoting my song, "Bald Head Diva" (sixty-two different versions)
(14) Broken guitar strings once used in recording sessions
(15) The actual Tin can (after I've eaten the soup) that were used as percussion in recording sessions { I need more tin can - - - not cow bell } !
If I could upload a picture, I would show you these items.
I have four members in a teen band (that has played the Hard Rock Boston/Hampton Beach/Higher Ground -- so they are a good teen band) and actually just made "custom" custom guitar picks for all four. They all share the same back with the logo and on the other side they have the band members name with the URL. We can also make them into necklaces.
A few problems with this approach that I found with my first order using their designer. You have to upload the same side and place it on the design separately for all four orders (no way to "share" a side across orders). With no guides, the logo doesn't have the same placement so making necklaces and putting the hole for a necklace where it doesn't go into the logo is very much an individual affair depending on which bandmember's pick you are working on.
Second, probably because of the uptick in orders for holidays, the weather, the small order size, and the complexity of the order, it took over three weeks to get them. I was going to mail some out in Xmas cards but they didn't come until after Christmas. So if you have a complex order like this, give it plenty of time.
I only ordered a 100 of each which made them pretty expensive because you can't combine them to have an order of 400 for the four band members, they are an individual order of 100 each, but they let me combine shipping.
Here is a copy of the pick design from their designer.
http://www.jessicaprouty.com/jphome/Portals/0/PicsforSite/JPBandPicks%20copy.jpg
I'll take a regular photo later!
And if anyone has any advice for a teen band, I'm all ears!
Best,
Katherine
www.JessicaProuty.com
I t was so great to see you at MIDEM and a total surprise. And I love your business card.
Hope to see you again before we leave Cannes.
Hey- That is totally cool! For real.
I love the guitar pick idea.
I've taken to carrying mini-CDs with 4 or 5 of my songs on them, nicely printed with a photo and as much contact information as I can fit on the surface. I can fit about three in my wallet, so I have them with me at all times.
I'm working on something like this at the moment. Business cards with downloads attached. Cheaper than CD's and much more environmentally friendly. Nice thing is, you can sell them at gigs too as you can load each one up with up to 100Mb of content. We're not ready to go yet but take a look at http://www.electropuppy.com and drop me a line if you're interested.
Nigel@electropuppy.com
Those are cool too : Lego dudes business cards :
Coolest business card ever
What a very clever promotion. Thanks for the source.
Nubette
I think it is great to think outside the square and offer something a bit different from every other business. This has given me a few good ideas. Thanks