Social Media Turns Tangible
Article: Huntsville, AL based Meshables (http://www.meshables.com) is ushering in a new twist on the social media phenomenon with the advent of social cards anyone can design themselves.
If you have not notice by now, the impact of social media has gone beyond the expectations of nearly everyone. It has proliferated so many avenues of our culture that social networking has irrefutably changed the way we interact and form relationships with others. Or has it? Whether you are on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or any other SN sites, most of our friendships initially start at the same place: offline.
Think about where you met your most recent casual acquaintance. Perhaps it was at a party, or at your child’s little league game. Maybe you had a great conversation with the person seated next to you on a flight. So how do you keep in touch?
Business cards are fine for the working world, but in casual situations, they can send a lot of mixed messages. The new way of connecting “off the clock” is social cards, or meshables, as they are frequently called. Meshables can be most anything, from a picture with your contact info on it, to attractive artwork that might have links to your SN pages. They are creative little handouts that say something about you as a person, not just you as some company’s property.
If you are into music, classic cars, cooking, or any other hobby, then put a piece of yourself out there for the world to see. It is amazing how many people share the same interests. Other variations of meshables include Mom Cards, that can be handed out at PTA meetings or sporting events. There are also event cards to promote small concerts, get-togethers, ceremonies and much more. The model is simple: users can create designs online using pre-built templates, or go wild and design their own from scratch. Once ordered, meshables are delivered to your doorstep within days.
“I first saw this concept in action in a local mall in Huntsville, AL,” says Tim Williams, Founder of Meshables.com. He went on to say “I was approached by a rapper who was trying to sell me one of his self-produced hip hop CDs. He was from Greensboro, NC and was on the road promoting his new album. I never buy music without hearing it first, so I asked if he had a MySpace page or something else I could check out.” Without hesitation, he handed Williams a card with the album artwork and a link to his MySpace page where the music could be heard. Williams quickly realized that every bar band, artist, comedian or social butterfly should be carrying something similar.
Under the mentorship of Fred Durham, CEO of CafePress.com, Williams set out to produce a system that would allow people to create their own social cards with ease, and Meshables.com was born. Meshables runs on the PrintBridge platform (http://www.forixprintbridge.com), powered by FORIX. “It was one of the only solutions that could perform the way I needed it to for less than $5,000,” claimed Williams. “Most of the comparable systems out there were between $80,000 to $100,000.”
One of the key differentiators that attracted Williams to the PrintBridge web-to-print solution was that he needed an online editor that was dynamic, yet simple. “The other W2P solution providers and photo sites have completely static templates. There is no play or flexibility in the designs. Our customers have full creativity and can even design their pieces entirely in their browsers,” said Williams.
Williams went on to say “The PrintBridge online design editor has the functionality of advanced design software, but is easy to use as any simple tool. There is nothing foreign or different like some of the more complex programs. My tech-challenged aunt got in there and figured it out within a few seconds. It truly is something anyone can use.”
Meshables.com now joins the ranks of Moo.com and TinyPrints.com, bringing its novel and original concepts to the forefront of social media. They are poised perfectly on the next big wave of where casual networking is headed, and certainly are a company you will want to keep your eye on.
About the Author:
PrintBridge web-to-print software is distributed by FORIX, LLC. Please visit us to find out more about using this on your social media.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Social Media Turns Tangible