I redid my business card - and so should you.
August 25, 2018 When I recently started running low on business cards, I slightly redid mine - and so should you when you need more printed - before going to the printer.
My business card is on a low-cost color choice - which allows it to be without the high price of “fluorescent” color paper, yet bright and will get attention. The printer I use - Markell, here in Burlington, N.C. - does great work inexpensively, being that it specializes in political ad material and commercial ad specialty items. I buy them by the thousand.
And I give those cards everywhere. I leave one on the table when leaving when I eat out. But, now, in addition to listing the types of photos I shoot - and, of course, the Web address of my portfolio and phone number - it prominently advertises that I license archived photos (see photo). That is, if you or someone else wants to use some photo I may have shot previously, just call me - and see if I have it and what the licensing rates and terms would be.
Licensing allows you to continue making profit from your past work - from your hopefully-growing photo library - not only from further work. That’s why you should always think in terms of licensing, not selling, photo rights. This is especially important if you shoot politics, sports, or entertainment; today’s junior-varsity nobody may be tomorrow’s NFL star - or tomorrow’s president - and today not been covered by photojournalists. Former president Reagan played football - and someone had a great photo of him playing high-school or college ball. The highest-payoff photo will always be someone who became a superstar - taken back when they were a nobody and no serious photos were ever being taken of him or her; licensing allows you to make the profit.
Of course, I have photos of politicians at top news stories - some at stories they’d much rather forget. I have the photo that made our likely coming president world famous - and one of the guy about her age urged to run for Congress who conceivably might run against her! And also the protest movements that roiled then-president Obama’s presidency: the Tea Party and Occupy. And photos showing the economy - another favorite subject of mine.
Guess which version of my business card I handed out at the all-but-official declaration of the candidacy of Trump’s likely successor - that was packed with her crew!
My new business card emphasizes licensing of past photos.
Yours also should.