Magicians Business Cards in Party Bags

Is it OK to put your magicians business cards in event party bags?

We received this email from a magician worried about the best way to hand out his magicians business cards:

Scott writes:

'I have a gig on Wednesday, and have been emailed by the organizer who has said to me if I drop some business cards to her, she will include them in goodie bags that are being handed out. She has asked me to let her know by Monday, so I have some time to consider it. However, I have a couple of tricks I like to do that involve handing my business cards out as part of a reveal. Should I take her up on the offer? It sounds like a great idea, but at the same time takes away a part of my act'

Dominic Reyes recorded this advice for Scott:

We highly recommend that you DO include your magicians business cards in the party/goodie bags. The more people that find your card the better. Don't worry about using your business cards in a few tricks at the same time. It's unlikely that you will do that magic trick to EVERY guest, and the cards in the bags will probably remain in there until the guests get home.

Magicians Business Cards – 3 Tips to Make Them More Effective.

by Dominic Reyes 2 Comments

A Guide to Better Business Cards for Magicians

Marketing is a huge part of any successful magician, and magicians business cards are still an extremely effective way of getting your contact details into the hands of others. However, there are some important things to remember when it comes to designing your next card, things that many magicians often neglect.

1) Keep it modern.

For reasons unknown, many magicians feel the need to emphasise what they do with cheesy images from a bygone era. Believe it or not, 99.9% of the population are already fully aware of what a magician does! Revelatory news I know. Furthermore, an outdated picture of a bunny being pulled from a top hat is not likely to endear you to the more sophisticated audiences of today. Remember that your business card is a direct reflection of you and your services, removing the tacky stock photos will make you appear far more professional and competent.

Another mistake, similar to the above, is to include a photograph of yourself on your card. It just isn’t necessary and it looks old fashioned these days. A far better idea would be to have a good quality logo designed that best reflects the service that you offer. Doing so will help you to present a clearer, more focused image of your business to the recipient.

2) Keep it simple.

So, what should be on your business card? The best approach by far is to keep your card as plain and simple as possible. Filling it with lists of what you do and who you are will only make it seem like a pushy advertisement, so keep the text down to a minimum. You could even take it as far as just having your name and web address on the card, but it is perfectly acceptable to have a brief strapline and a contact number on there too.

Nevertheless, having just your name and web address on the card not only keeps it uncluttered, it can also add an air of mystique too. Encouraging clients to view your web site allows you to elaborate on your personality, and what you have to offer, once they are there. A client will be much more inclined to read about you and your magic business if they have made the choice to be there in the first place.

3) Quality counts.

The one area where keeping things simple doesn’t apply is in your choice of card stock. A good quality card will be harder for the recipient to disregard and throw away. A flimsy card that feels more like paper may not even make it home with them.

Choosing to have your magicians business cards laminated on the printed side will also improve the feel of your business card. However, it is advisable not to laminate the reverse, and to leave it blank, as this will allow you to clearly write on it with any type of pen or pencil. Doing so is especially important for those of you who intend to incorporate your business cards into your performance, which is an excellent way to dispense them to spectators.

Having a clear and concise magicians business card that will direct traffic to your website should be your key goal. Marketing is best performed in small stages; your business card should be seen only as the first step towards your next booking, not the last. Count how many cards you hand out at your next event, then try and hand out more next time. After all, a business card is only able to work its magic once you give it away, no matter how well designed it is.

Why Your Magicians Business Cards May Not Be Working

by Merchant of Magic 1 Comment

How to use magicians business cards better

‘I am struggling to get people to hire me as a magician, I give out my magicians business cards, but they never seem to call back.‘ – Sam

Sam.. sounds like your being smart and giving out your business cards as much as possible. That’s really half the battle. So many close up magicians fail to do this. We all get a batch of magicians business cards printed, but then hesitate to give them out as we feel it seems to be touting for work.

As you know from many of the other articles on magicians business cards on the Magic blog, we suggest every magician gets cards printed and hands them out as much as possible. You are doing it right, but you don’t seem to be getting the results you would like back from them. Let’s look as some of the ways we can improve the effectiveness of your magicians business cards.

Check your worth contacting.
Firstly, are people enjoying your performance? Are you getting good feedback from your shows? It doesn’t matter how much you hand out your magicians business cards if you are not offering a product people want.

Have someone film your act and ask for critical feedback. Ask other magicians to review your act. Some magic shops like The Merchant of Magic offer a paid service where magicians can have their live act privately reviewed by a team of trained professional magicians. Getting third party feedback can help you identify weak spots in your act that you may be blind too.

Call them instead.
It’s good business practice to give out your magicians business cards, but that’s just part of the process. If someone asks for your card, they are making a direct move to start engaging with you. Don’t leave that just to them. Give them a card and ask for their email address so you can email them a brochure. Always try to capture THEIR details. Starting a communication process with a prospect is more important to YOU than them.

Where you hand out your cards.
Everywhere! During walk around magic, at the tables, whenever you talk to someone about magic. Don’t assume the person may not be in the position to book you. Magicians business cards are like the social share buttons on a web page. People pass on details to others and can recommend you. Months may go past, then someone mentions to that person that they have an event. If the people that met you can’t remember you, they can’t recommend you.

The business cards you use.
Plain and simple magicians business cards are usually better, unless you have your business cards professionally made. Avoid cliche images of playing cards, rabbits, and top hats unless that’s exactly what you offer. The card should look expensive, clean and free of clutter.

Unless you are very attractive and that’s one of your unique selling points, don’t include a headshot image. If someone has been passed the business card and hasn’t met you, have your website communicate the impression of you, not a small headshot photo.

Remember to include your website address and a telephone number.

Working with the client.
Before you leave your magic gig, be sure to give the client who books you, some of your magicians business cards. They will often be complimented about how great the magician was, or asked about how they found you.

If you’re at the event through an agent, make sure you hand out the agents cards (with your name on) instead of your own.

It’s a numbers game.
Magicians business cards are adverts just as much as they are your contact information. They are subject to the same statistical probabilities as any other form of advert. Some business cards are highly targeted, given to ‘leads’ that are ready to convert. Others are simple ‘spray ads’ distributed around in the hope that one finds its way to an interested person who contacts you and becomes a ‘lead’.

The only useless business card is the one that’s still in your pocket.

The 10-3-1 Rule.
There is a general rule of thumb in sales called the 10-3-1 Rule:

For every 10 calls you make, three will turn into prospects, and 1 of those three will lead to a sale.

The more conversations with clients you can start, the more bookings you will get. You may have a better or worse ‘conversion rate’ than 10-3-1, but it’s still statistically predictable over time, and there will be a degree of consistency. Your business cards are the gateway to starting each of these conversations with your prospects. The number prospects that will convert into clients are directly proportionate to the number of cards you distribute.

Use a magic trick to link your business cards to your website.

One way you can increase the number of people who recontact you from your magicians business card is to give them an added reason to reach out to you, by building in some magic.

Perform a magic tricks and bring it to climax. Give out your card and explain that there’s something special on your website, just for them. Your website can be built to have a section where another revelation happens. Perhaps a secret word they ‘chose themselves’ is revealed to them. Maybe the card they ‘picked’ is found in a photo on your site.

When you bring a prospect to your site from a magicians business card, you give them an extra special magic experience. The prospect also receives an invite to receive your brochure, or a quote. You impress them with your magic, right at the moment that they can find out about booking you. That’s a very powerful moment to convert them.

DO THIS: It’s vital that you are pro-active rather than reactive in your use of your magicians business cards. It doesn’t matter how well designed your magicians business cards may be, if you simply hand them out when asked and then wait for the phone to ring, you will not get the quantity of work from them you could be getting. Make sure YOU make contact with anyone who is interested in finding out more about your services.

Capture THEIR details and follow up as soon as you possibly can. If you can’t get their details, give them a compelling reason to visit your website or get in contact. Don’t leave your marketing to chance, and you will find that your cards are the best tool you have to getting more and higher paid work as a magician.