The Actor's Business Card
What It Is and Why You Need One
So in your quest to gain legitimacy, you’ve decide it’s time to get some business cards printed up...this being one of the badges of the professional actor. At your local Kinko’s or Staples, you can choose from a dizzying array of colors, fonts and styles, each designed to allow you to create that one-of-a-kind card. You put your name, cell number and email on it, and if you’re feeling extra special you might even add the title Actor or Performer to it. But this calling card you’ve created is based on the mistaken idea that it should mimic the business card of the real estate agent, the attorney or the car salesman. It doesn’t and it shouldn’t.
Lesson Number One
To begin with, you’ve ignored the “Holy of Holies” of actor marketing, “Thou shall not create any piece of advertising without your picture on it!” Your face is the single most important marketing tool you have. People may not immediately recall your name or where they met you, but they will certainly remember what you looked like. So whether it’s a flyer, your letterhead or a business card, you must help the person receiving it connect your name with your face.
Actually, this concept goes back almost 150 years to a style of calling card created in France known as carte de visite – a small photograph mounted on a thick paper card about 2 ½ by 3 ½ inches in size with the person’s name printed on the back and used to announce their presence at someone’s home, etc. It was such a hit back then that people use to trade and collect them.
The Check List
Here is a selection of the type of information that should go on your business card. Some are essential, some are optional. You can also use different cards for different markets – i.e. a commercial or theatrical look, stats or no stats, etc.
- Your Picture – Always a must. It can either be the same picture as your headshot, to reinforce the image in the person’s mind, or you can choose an alternate look that reveals another side of your essence.
- Your Professional Name – Especially if this is different from your given name.
- Your Cell Phone/Office Number/Fax Number – Do not give out your home phone number!
- Your Performer Specialties – Such as narrator, stunt driver, mime or magician.
- Email Address – A word to the wise. The email address which is the best, most professional and easiest to remember is your own name, sarahwilliams@gmail.com...and not SassyBritches@gmail.com.
- Website Address – If you’ve taken the time to create one, then promote it.
- Promotional Info – Your MySpace site, Facebook Fan Page or E-newsletter telling people where you’ll be performing next.
- Mailing Address – You can list this as long as it’s a PO Box and not your home address.
- Items Available Upon Request – Your audio narration CD or your DVD reel.
- Your Basic Stats – If you do a lot of commercial modeling this is a good thing to include…height, weight, hair color, dress size, etc.
- Union Affiliations – SAG, AEA, AFTRA, and so on.
No Card…No Problem
But what do you do if you meet someone and want their card for your files and they tell you, “Sorry, I don’t have any on me. Just give me yours and I’ll drop you a line.” Well, first off, the odds that they’ll actually get around to contacting you are pretty slim. After all, you’re the one who wanted their card, not the other way ‘round.
Well, the folks at Holdonlog.com have created a downloadable sheet of blank showbiz cards that have spaces for the person to write in their name, title, company, email, phone and any comment you’d like to add afterwards. Best of all, it’s free!
Disclaimer: Sean Pratt gets no remuneration of any kind for mentioning a product, person or service in his articles.
If you liked this article and want to read more about this general topic, then go to: The Actor’s Headshot - Alternate Advertising Uses for Your Picture
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