Ever get asked that question like its some kind of probing question about to tear the fabric off the top of our little twisted universe and reveal the darkness within?
I’m just answering it with…
“Gee I dunno, why does everyone have a photo of themselves on their MySpace or Facebook page?”
…
Maybe people just like faces instead of a wall of text. Whether its on a web page or on a little tiny piece of cardboard.
Mariana
December 24, 2007 at 4:50 pm
People love pictures.
Christina Ethridge
December 24, 2007 at 5:13 pm
We don’t have our photos on our cards – instead we have a gorgeous photo of the area. We’ve received more comments and recognition from this photo then anything else we’ve done. Of course, we’ve used this photo in some of our other advertising as well – it’s become our ‘logo’ of sorts.
Josh
December 25, 2007 at 2:02 am
Great idea Christina! I am adamantly against pictures of agents on business cards. I think it looks tacky in the mom ‘n pop sort of way and self serving. If there is one topic I have gone to war with my brokerage about, it’s photos on business cards. Such is the great divide of old and new school!
Teresa Boardman
December 25, 2007 at 6:36 am
My business card has a picture on it, a photo that I am told is really very good. It isn’t a picture of my face. It is more a picture that represents where I work. I like to keep my marketing about the consumer, not about me.
Athol Kay
December 25, 2007 at 7:16 am
It’s also important to remember that 98+% of all realtor headshots are generally lame. It’s like a ten second photo that goes on all their marketing materials for the next 15 years.
Andy Kaufman
December 25, 2007 at 11:04 am
I took my picture off of my card a few years ago and never looked back. I’ve been getting a lot of comments on my profile photo recently and that’s actually a thing I started doing a while ago lampooning REALTOR marketing materials where they’re busy looking important on the phone…ooooh!
Rather, I think that incorporating something else that’s remarkable, whether it’s an odd shape, cool colors, a matte finish, rounded corners, or something else that will help someone remember you is much more important. Ever think about adding a tag cloud to your business card?
I had no idea how many would comment at the fact that I have my skype ID on my card. It’s a fine detail, but my target market notices. Do they ever call me on skype? Of course not. But it’s instant cred in their eyes.
Since I do quite a bit of networking within the technology & startup circles, I’m constantly coming across innovative business cards that emanate WOW and that by borrowing an idea here and there, I hope that my next design does the same.
Disclaimer: Right now, I consider my business cards boring & lame (except the skype ID), but at least I didn’t plaster a picture of my grill taken at glamour shots 5 years ago on there.
Marry Christmas!
Jonathan Dalton
December 25, 2007 at 12:37 pm
I’m leaning toward letting Tobey go solo on the next card. For better or worse, his mug has worked in getting business – dog lovers stop when they see the picture.
Probably a sad fact but it’s working.
Mariana
December 25, 2007 at 12:48 pm
We just have our smokin’ cool new logo on our card (of course with contact info). I have only seen a few agent pics that should be on a card …
Teresa Boardman
December 25, 2007 at 3:20 pm
“It’s like a ten second photo that goes on all their marketing materials for the next 15 years.” Athol, I was shocked when I went to a conference and discovered that some of the pictures were 20 years old. I was not able to recognize many.
Benjamin Bach
December 26, 2007 at 5:54 am
My business cards have a cartoon image of me on one side (go to benjaminbach.com to see the image at the bottom of my posts), and my contact info on the other side.
I get GREAT feedback from the cards.