Subscribe to PostsI read once in a book called “Mastering Business in Korea: A Practical Guide” by Thomas L. Coyner and Song-Hyon Jang, that “the exchange of business cards in Korea is very important which is a formal affair and plays a very important role in introductions.” This is very true even for Photographers.
Why I say this is that, most of you have a flickr account or a website, YOU WANT PEOPLE TO GO THERE! but nothing looks more unprofessional that saying “yeah I got a site…. here, let me write it down for you on this napkin” Korea is a business card culture and it is almost as important as shaking hands. Nothing gives your work more credibility in this country than having a set of business cards made up.
I have met some important people here in Ulsan and I have made some interesting and sometimes embarrassing mistakes when I have run out of cards. The worst was when I was invited to a conference with the Vice-Mayor of Ulsan, the Dean of International Affairs and Education for Ulsan University, a large number of NGO’s with foreign businesses and some members of the migrant worker community. Once the meeting was finished, a line of business card exchanging began. By the time I reached the Vice-Mayor I was out of business cards. The look on his face was complete shock. Thankfully I bluffed my way out of it, stole back a card that was sitting on the table when no one was looking and got him one in the end. Suffice to say you need cards here.
Here are some tips:
1. Be Unique
I have had a millions different cards printed for the different things that I have done around Korea. However, when I printed cards for my website, I asked for something different. I made up some metallic, shiny cards with a simple design. They were plastic and matched the colours on my site. They were a little pricy, about 40,000 won for 200 cards but I knew it was worth it. Why? because they looked cool and people, upon receiving them, said the same thing “Wow… that is cool” In places like Canada, I went through a bunch just because most of the people had never seen that style of card before. This works great because then my name was circulating around. People tend to hold on to unique and interesting things.
2. Be Creative
You can make a plastic card look the same as all the paper ones or you can also make paper ones look really cool. I had a fellow photographer make up some cards with different pictures on the back (all his shots). It was cool because there were about 6 or 7 different photos. People really wanted to get each one. This is a great idea if you have photos that are bright and colourful. I had another photographer friend that took a self portrait with a fisheye lens and stuck that on the back. The photo was hilarious! and it made the card more memorable and hence, so was his site.
3. Don’t Be Cheap
Nothing reflects more poorly on you than a business card that looks like you hired my Mom to make it using a template from Microsoft publisher and a broken inkjet printer. Invest the capitol and it will reward you, especially here in Korea. Yes, my cards were a little on the pricy side (about 200 won each) but they have the cool factor. Explore your options and talk to people that are printing them out for you. Find the style and the cards right for you and disregard the price. Be it 5,000 won or 40,000 won, if you want to being people to your photos, this is a great way.
4. Logos
Now this is one that I am working on. Last year, A friend working for a huge firm in Vancouver would come into my cafe and talk about business. The one thing that he stressed on me was to create a logo and brand for whatever I was selling. Good idea! Creating a consistent logo for your site and your cards is a great way to make an image and a brand for yourself, especially in markets where English may not always be the first language.
5. Make Tons and Use Them
I have seen this happen too. A buddy makes up some cards, gets a few hundred made and then they sit in a box on his desk forever. I have stashes everywhere. I put them in my camera bag, my wallet, backpack, pocket, my motorcycle, wherever I think that I may need them. Never be without your cards because you never know who you may bump into. I once was at a photo gallery and started talking to this kind older man. It turns out that he had a gallery in Seoul and asked if I was a photographer. I said “yes” and he asked if I had a card. I had none on me at the time and quickly wrote my email address down on HIS card and gave it back to him. Suffice to say that I never heard back from him. Once you get them printed hand them out as much as you can.
If you are around Ulsan, I use Dam Design, near city hall. They are 3 sisters who have great design work and I have always been happy with their cards. Their number is 010-7469-2800.
