By Jeannie Ben-Hain
My first thought when I visited the Connectcards.com is that the
site is just a giant advertisement. It really didn't have very much
content. The site offers website creators a new way to advertise their
sites. After paying a fee, they can put a link on their site that
will take visitors to the connectcards site. Then, users can send
their friends a postcard via snail mail to tell their friends about
the site. The postcard can include a screen capture of the website.
This seems like a good idea for web businesses because it connects
them to something real: a postcard in the mail. Still, it seems a
little unnecessary. I usually just email links I like to my friends.
It might be good for businesses, however, especially if they use the
site's suggestion of including a coupon on the postcard. I think that
some people may be wary to give this company their address because
who knows which advertising solicitors they will give out names to.
People may resent being added to a mailing list. This is clearly something
the website uses the addresses for because the people who pay for
the advertising also get the name and address of the person the card
is being sent to. Overall, I think the idea is innovative, but it
may not be a popular way to advertise.
In all, Email Shows is a clever concept in two ways. First, the idea
of an email epistolary story is an interesting one. I have heard of
other "independent" publishers who provide serial email
stories for a fee. Email Shows, however, takes this a step further
by working with famous film studios. This attracts users as well as
letting the whole site be free to use. While Email Shows may not change
how media is presented, it seems destined to become a widely-used
tool in film studios' marketing strategies.