Karaoke Forums

I have always made my own business cards - have different ones for everything.

I have a strictly karaoke card that lists my gigs - if I'm out somewhere and I hear someone singing, I hand them a card....

If I'm starting a new gig, I'll make one that just has their info on it ... hear someone singing (in the mall, at the gas station, in the grocery store) I hand them a card. I say something like, "Hey, you're a really great singer. Do you ever go to karaoke? This is a really great place ... "  If it's a new place, I'll ask them to run a special for a week or two while we work hard at building business - if it's a bar/restaurant, I'll suggest "2-for-1 dinner" and on the back of the card I'll put their 'coupon.' Bring the card in to sing and have dinner.

Something that doesn't take any time to do really once you've got your template done - print-at-home biz cards are cheap, and the ink to print them is negligible. I always carry them with me. Even if people just put them in their pocket at that minute, it's there when they clean out their pocket. Some of the least expensive marketing there is, and it's amazing how many of those cards I see around.

Just an idea I thought I'd share. Let's build this thread ....

k

I'm not one for home printed cards.  They look too cheap to me.  I'm pretty picky and will spend what it takes for quality.  If Blue Rose sees this, she can comment on my card since she has one.  

I didn't do this but heard about someone who did.

The competition came to their parking lot & plastered the cars with fliers advertising the other place.  Someone collected all of them & the KJ took them home & on the back printed, Good For One Free Drink With This Flier!  And passed them back out in a different parking lot.

So whether it's true or not (funnier than Hell if it is though), you do not want to promote by spamming cars with fliers.......!.

_________________
LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Well, I have to admit that I have left flyers where folks go to other karaoke shows (on a different night of the week from my show).  And we advertise one free drink with flyer.

Also, I have business cards with both my company name and the name of the venue on it and it also offers one free drink during my show.

I'm not sure what your idea is of a "home-made cheap looking card" but mine are not. I wouldn't hand them out if they looked cheesey.

k

And furthermore, both cards, yours and mine, probably get crumpled up and put in a trash can at some point anyway.  All I use these for is a reminder. These are NOT the cards I hand out to potential gigs....better than handing them one of my slips, which WILL hit the trash can sooner than a card.

What cracks me up about this forum is the assumptions that are made about a person's intelligence and ability to cope in the business world. Happens over and over again. Almost have to type 2-3 pages of information about anything so there aren't assumptions made about how we do business.  

k

MY point is, I have NEVER seen a card printed from a home printer that did not look cheap.  It is obvious they were done at home.  Do you print on 80 or 100 lb stock? Parchment? Linen? Velum? French paper?  Do you have them die cut?  Do you have a printer that has the capability to look like it didn't come from an inkjet?  Can it do raised printing?

My cards cost me $.05 a piece.  Do they get thrown away?  I bet they do.  That's the cost of business.  Deal with it.

What I think is funny is someone who wants to cop an attitude about how great their home printed cards are.  With the cheap alternatives out there, why bother printing them at home?

Go to vistaprint.com  

Excellent quality, lots of options and custom ability, and CHEAP.  You can order just a few cards for a little money, and often times they even have FREE offers.

BUT, back to your point.  I do think it's a good idea.  For those situations though, I'd just hand out my normal cards.  They make a good impression.  They can find out where I gig via the website on the card.

Jeeze guys, don't get so bent out of shape!  A KJ that has it together enough to use business cards at all is ahead most of the competition in my current neck of the woods.  The "home-made" cards can look fine if their design is tasteful and makes the most of the inkjet's limitations (though they keep getting better).

There's no doubt that the printed cards are sharp looking though.  Thanks for the link!

We're swapping ideas here!  Everybody executes ideas differently.  "Deal with it."

BTW:  In some jurisdictions, it is illegal to advertise free drinks!  Funny, but that's the way it is in some parts of the country/world.  You can comp someone a drink, but you can't advertise it!  Bowling Green, Kentucky for example...

--Tad

I don't mean to be snotty, and I also don't mean to knock down Karen, even though it may have come across like that.  I was simply stating that ALL of the cards I have been given that were printed at home I KNEW RIGHT AWAY.  Can they look decent?  Sure.  Dusty's card for Blue Rose is an example.  BUT I could still tell it was printed at home, and to me that simply appears to be cheap.  I think the biggest reason is that you can see the tear lines on the cards from the paper that is used to print from home.  

But then I'm VERY detail oriented and a graphic designer.  I'm sure I'm a hell of a lot more picky than most.  To me, I just don't see the point when options for cards are so diverse and inexpensive today.  Vistaprint is a great example.  Free cards, sales of up to 80% off, etc.

To me, if you want to look more professional, it shouldn't kill you to spend $20 on a few business cards.  In the end, with the cost of ink and paper, I bet you will spend at least half that anyway to print a bunch of cards up.  Just don't go to Office Max/Staples/Kinkos.  Their cards are more pricey than what you can find online.  I learned that the hard way too.  I've got 1000 generic cards sitting here that I wasn't happy with so I designed my own from scratch.  MUCH better looking.  That actually gives me an idea.... Look for a new thread.  I wont hijack this one.

Yep I read his comment too and thought it smacked of either a. farting from the mouth simply to blow his own trumpet or...
b. assuming women can't work as smart or smarter than men.

Karen I am marketing and promotions manager for a Hotel and a nightclub and various other properties in the town I live...keep doing what you are doing

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Its certainly illegal here, hell we cant even advertise happy hour

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

I'm not knocking what she is doing, and said it was a good idea.  My suggestion was to simply do something like buy a few cards that you can design yourself and have printed professionally for very little money.  Yes, a little more than printing at home, but you will come across as more professional.  In this business, image is everything to get patrons to the show and bars to book.  Then, you have to prove you are a good host.

But the Home-made cards she is making are basically coupons to get people in to her gigs..  I highly doubt that any business has ever spent 5 cents on every coupon they printed.  And it also seems that she is changing the cards up often, and having 1000 printed if you are only gonna use 100, is not cost effective.

Yeah, you may not have wanted to come off snotty, but to me it seemed to me that you were, IMHO of course

hells teeth twans...omg we actually agree on something  :shock:

thats twice now...I am really scared

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

After I read into her original post more, I see what she was saying and why only a few cards would be needed.  I read it a little hastily from the get-go and didn't see it as a "coupon" card.  For it's purpose, I agree it would do fine.

I just saw "print at home business cards are cheap..." and instantly thought of every card I've seen done that way and thought, yeah, they look cheap too.  

Even my own mother is guilty of the print at home cards.

I still suggest the alternative through vista print with runs as small as 250 cards, but for this purpose don't pay the $20.  Get the free cards or wait for a good sale, which they have all the time.

I apologize Karen, I'm really not that much of an (@$%&#!) I swear.

You might be interested to know that I am a graphic arts designer as well; I also charge $500 to decorate wedding cakes and I get it; I am an amateur photographer, and pretty good at it; I do videography for bands; I do sound for my husband's band; I do stage presentation workshops with kids; everytime I write a letter to the editor it is published....Oh, and my promo pack is printed on glossy paper; it is in a booklet form with all our info in it. Nothing cheesy about it. I print on a high quality photo printer and my cards look good. I use expensive card stock.

I don't try and slide by when something really counts. I am, I have been told, a very 'classy' woman, whatever that means. I am over 45 years old, have been working on stage for years, have done musical comedy; I have done choreography professionally. I have fronted and done backup in bands.

So, as you can see,  just like everyone else here, I am coming from a different place. So, next time take an extra minute or two to read what I have written - no need to jump to conclusions. Nothing i ever write on this forum is meant as an affront to anyone. And an extra minute or two will preclude apologies.

k

Sounds like we have a lot in common then.  (Photography as well, also into videography) And it's a first to hear of someone NOT using the standard punch out paper cards that you can get in a "print kit."  With a photo printer and expensive stock, I'm sure they look better than any home made job I've seen in person.  I'd be interested in seeing your promo pack or at least hear what you include in it.  :hug:

I have offered to send my marketing promo to individuals who contact me personally. I'm not really interested in posting it in cyberspace because, just as on this forum, someone will grab something in there and run with it, and create all sorts of confusion/excitement. you can ask Randy J about his thoughts on my promo pack - I loaned him one for a week.

Oh, I also speak French and Spanish. I've traveled around the world, have lived in other countries; my first scoot was a 1500-cc. I drive a big truck and pull a 28-foot travel trailer without thinking twice; I've had horses and ridden some nasty ones. I have two very intelligent and captivating grandchildren.  Might as well give the whole story, just in case anyone else thinks I'm in need of edification. Have at it if you have something to offer that I may not already know about! .  :hi5:

k

see come to the DARK SIDE, it is much better over here.  

I've done some page layout work for money and have some rather nice photos in my portfolio. Hmm... is there a connection between singing and graphic arts?

Karen's brochure for potential new gigs: 8.5x11 with nice binding (clear plasic cover) about 4-5 pages organized by type of information. Cover page: large print, nice font, easy to read, quick info, bullet points on why you should hire her. Includes a photo and logo graphic. Other pages include a resume, equipment, reference letter. Very nice and professional looking.

One thing I might add is a picture(s) of a singer(s) or group of people having fun at your venue.