Sunday, July 24, 2011

My Business Was Carded...

So 20 years ago I was living in Tallahassee and formed a business to create photo business cards.

Unique. One of a kind.

I showed people they could have their face, their store, their product on a VERY personal card.

Oh, a few people had tacky cards printed on flimsy Kodak photo paper.

But, mine were real cards, printed on a 6-color high speed press in Toronto, Canada. You could even write notes on the back.

Find a need, fill it better than anyone else for a fair price and you'll succeed.

When I came back to Charleston I still would keep my eye out for a suitable business for my cards.

Say you were on Folly Beach about 12 years ago and you owned a bar/restaurant that overlooked the ocean

Now, THAT's the picture you should have on your card!

Of course, a few years later, the view was completely blocked by a 4-story Condo but you see my point.

A pretty scene. A pretty card.

Sometime you just wanted your face on the card. Or be pictured in front of the sign on the front of your place.

It was fun giving out MY card for Boyd Multi-Media

Keep in mind that picture of me WAS taken 20 years ago. The phone number is accurate though after all these years.

Well, the area code was updated when we changed from 803.


Actually, I did meet a guy when I was still in Florida who had a unique card.

His you could even call MORE unique because it was printed on a thin, thin piece of wood.

And it's one of the few I've kept.

Wonder how many trees died for his cards?

Now, you can go online to design and order your cards to hand out. The price is a LOT less than I used to charge so I guess I'm no longer in that business.


I get mine online and was able to be fairly creative.

My Smartphone also now can display my QR (Quick Response) code.

Other Smartphones can scan it and bring up and store my web site.

Good thing too because I just changed to Gmail so I have to order a batch of new cards now that I'm no longer on Comcast.net.


(As usual, click on the photos for more details.)Thanks for stopping by to read my blog. Leave your card.

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posted by chuckography @ 10:29 PM 3 Comments

Monday, July 04, 2011

Very "Social" Media....

I have been very happy to attend gatherings of "Social Media" people.

They are cutting edge.

And you might get to eat and drink. Or get flowers. And usually learn new technology.

Over the years - since I retired from the paper - I have been invited as a local blogger.

Once I was part of a Charleston Cookie caper. I watched as judges choose a new flavor that reflected our city. I believe benne seeds were involved in one entry.

I checked all of the contestants' efforts. Several times.

I also sampled an ice cream flavor contest, invited by these very pleasant Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ fans and practitioners.


A few years ago, I covered the creation of a new Save The Parks group.

We all left with a handful of flower bulbs.

Mine just bloomed for the 4th time.

They pop up and magically appear every summer.

I merely dug holes and then covered up the bulbs.


Last week I attended a gathering at Uno Mas in Mt. Pleasant for a "Social" Happy Hour.

I noticed the fellow from Rawle-Murdy Marketing Communications agency had a camera with two 5 MegaPixel lenses.

Sorry.

It was a phone that took 3-D pictures.

He said it was the htc EVO 3D and he had started at the large ad agency about 18 months ago.

Yes, he was the head of their social media efforts so I asked for his card and handed him mine. He wanted to know if I had a card reader on my phone.

Actually I did have that app, so he brought up his QR (Quick Response) symbol on his phone/camera and I scanned it.

All I had was a handful of quaint old school-type printed "calling" cards. Yikes.

As soon as I got home, I quickly found out how to create my own QR code and now I too can bring up the image for others to scan.

Social media is very groovy.


(Yes I realize now I could have gone online right there to create and respond with my own QR code. Eventually I'll remember I now have a computer in my pocket!) If you scan the QR above it will connect you to the Photo Group I formed 3 years ago. I figured you already knew about my blog. Duh. Thanks for stopping in. Please send me a comment. I'll see it on my Smartphone.

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posted by chuckography @ 2:33 PM 1 Comments