This post is by Jeff Esposito, Vistaprint’s Social Media Manager.
Have you ever noticed a fishbowl sitting out in a local restaurant or store offering a free lunch or giveaway with the addition of your business card? Chances are, you’ve probably dropped in your business card once or twice, but have you ever read the fine print of the offer? It’s OK if you haven’t, as we all love getting something for free, so we won’t hold it against you. Most times companies offering you a chance to win something for free will give that in exchange for a short business pitch or add you to their marketing list (either email or direct mail).
With that in mind, take a look at the next fishbowl you see, and make sure to take note of the number of cards in there. Ask yourself if you can do that for your business. If you answered yes, consider what you could offer as a value add from potential customers (a demo, free lunch/service or deep discount). Once you have that set, pick up a fishbowl and consider setting it up in one of the following places:
Put one in your shop: If you have a storefront, put one up in a prominent location for visitors to see. This can be near the entrance, or a register to maximize the exposure – remember you want more people to enter their details.
Partner with another local business: If you don’t have a store, consider one you could partner with. Many local restaurants have fishbowls out for a free lunch sponsored by a bank or investment company. If you offer a service, this could be a great way to expand your audience.
Sponsor a booth at an event: People congregate at events and love the chance to win free swag. If you attend events or trade shows, consider adding a fishbowl (or hat, or vase) to your booth to collect contact information in exchange for a prize or free offer.
One thing that we forgot to mention earlier is to make sure that you call out that dropping a business card into the fishbowl will result in a certain action, especially if you are adding them to your email list. You want to make sure that no one is surprised when you contact them in the future.
Have you or will you use a fishbowl for your business?
How can i order visiting card or t-shirt
No I have not but i would do it if I find somewhere that would let me do it,