Back in the early days eCards were all the rage. Everyone was sending them. Hell, even my grandmother knew how to send one. Then hype wore off and the interest in eCards seemed to reach a plateau of sorts. eCards may not be as popular as they once were, but thanks to creative animators and companies like Hallmark, the eCard is still alive and kicking.

Think of your eCard as the business card that asexually reproduces.

Who Cares You Ask?

If you haven’t seen a eCard lately, some of them are downright hysterical. Some are still cheesy and lame, but isn’t that cards in general? Check out some of these creative e-cards to get a feel for what Im talking about.

Hoops and Yoyo - Made famous by Hallmark

How to Use eCards for Marketing

Think about it, how many times have you seen something funny on the internet and emailed it to your friends, put in on your blog, or posted to MySpace? That’s the effect you want your eCard to have. The funnier/bizarre/unique your eCard is, the more it will get around the block.

I suppose the creation of a unique eCard is easier if you are a flash designer, but I don’t see why a funny image or animated gif wouldn’t work as well. Perhaps you could use some flash animations from FlashDen.net?

Using Your eCard as a Virtual Business Card
Think of your eCard as the business card that asexually reproduces. You send one to your client as a “thank you” card. He sends it to his partner because its soooo funny. The partner then sends it to his wife…. You see where Im going with this.

Novelty eCards
Why not create a few funny and generic eCards and add them to your contact page or your blog? Clients who come to your website might find them interesting and send one toothier friends just for the hell of it. Add a link/watermark to the video and bada-boom bada-bing!
It might not be the most successful marketing campaign, but its cheap and takes little work. What have you got to loose?