Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Thinking Outside the Bundle: Unique Baby Shower Invitation Ideas

A new baby is a joyous occasion to celebrate, so of course you’ll want the invitation to the baby shower to be unique and very special. Keep in mind that baby shower invitations don’t have to be just the usual card-in-the-mail kind of thing. You can have a baby shower invitation printed on just about anything you choose. The following are some ideas to help make your baby shower invitation special and one of a kind.

Scratch Off Baby Shower Invitations

Our Baby Shower Scratch Off Game Cards can be used to encourage guest interaction at the baby shower, but we can also customize a similar concept to create the perfect Scratch Off Baby Shower Invitation. A fun and exciting idea is to include a Scratch Off Gender Reveal as part of your unique baby shower invitation. If you’ve chosen a very creative baby shower theme, a custom invitation is the perfect way to build anticipation for the event.

Tea Party Themed Invitation

If your baby shower is going to have a tea party theme, there are several ways you can incorporate the theme for your invitations. You can send a flat invitation that is shaped like a tea bag (like this one from ALadysbugLane) or teapot, or you can find an invitation that includes a pocket so that you can actually send a tea bag as part of the invitation. A clever line like “a baby is brewing,” or something similar, makes it fun.

Newsprint Invitation


Extra! Extra! Read all about it! You can start with a catchy headline, personalized for the mom-to-be, and add the essential information as part of the “newspaper article.” This is a great idea if the mom-to-be would like to share a bit about the baby’s story in the fine print.




Balloon Invitation

“She’s Ready to Pop!” You can find LifeAsPaper on Etsy and order a clever baby shower invitation printed on a balloon and attached to a card for mailing. The person receiving the invite will have to blow up the balloon to see what it’s all about!


Wooden Baby Block Invitation


A company called Sideshow Press can create an adorable screen print on a small wooden block as part of your baby shower invitation. You can have the shower information printed on the sides of the block with any font you choose. Select a design that fits the mom-to-be. Her friends and family will enjoy getting the box in the mail and will have a keepsake to remember the special occasion.


 Library Card Invitation

 Help the new mom build her baby a library of children’s books with this cute idea. You can fill the card with all the information needed and make a notation to bring a loved children’s book instead of a card with your baby gift.


Make It Memorable

Whichever unique baby shower invitation idea you choose, the occasion is sure to be memorable for the guests, and especially for the mom-to-be. With the versatility of Scratch Off Labels from My Scratch Offs, you can add an extra element of fun to any of the ideas mentioned in this post. If you have something specific in mind, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave us a comment here or share your ideas with us on Facebook!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Top Business Promotion Ideas




Top Business Promotion Ideas – What Will You Reveal?

When a customer approaches me with an interest in creating a Scratch Off business promotion, I always ask a few starter questions to get the ball rolling:

  •     How will you be using your Scratch Off cards?  
  •   What are your card specifications (size, quantity, print formatting)?
  •   What promotional message do you want to reveal under the Scratch Off Label?
Typically, the first two questions are fairly easy to answer. Most individuals have a clear vision of how they would like to use their cards and how they want their cards to look before making their initial contact.  But, in my experience, the promotional message is where project creativity can start to slump.  I am often asked, “What do you suggest?...” What kind of business promotions do other [insert appropriate business here] do?”. 

Revealing Your “Promotional Variations”

Before I go any further, let me clue you in on our lingo. We use the term “promotional variation” to refer to the promotional message or specific information that is contained beneath the Scratch Off Label (if you’d like additional information on how our Scratch Off Labels work, I will refer you here). In some cases, the card issuers want to include very ambiguous promotional variations (“Winner” or “Try Again”) but more frequently, our customers want promotional variations that are specific to their products and/or services.

While there is no right or wrong answer, we do find that certain industries favor certain types of promotions/incentives. That being said, here at My Scratch Offs, we put our brains together and compiled a “Top Business Promotions” list by industry based upon our past custom projects

Top Scratch Off Business Promotions by Industry

Service Industries  


Food & Beverage
o   $ off Purchase
o   % off Purchase
o   Size/Quantity Upgrade
o   Free Food Item (i.e. Free Appetizer, Free Dessert, Free Beverage)
o   Buy One, Get One Offer
Hospitality
o   Complementary Room Upgrade
o   On-property Restaurant/Bar Comps
o   In-room Dining Comps
o   % off Stay
o   Free Nights Stay

Entertainment/ Amusement
o   Free Game Play/ Game Tokens
o   Free “Prize” Upgrade
o   Free Concession Item (i.e. snack, beverage)
o   Buy One, Get One Offer


Professional Services

Accounting/ Banking
o   % off Annual Tax Prep or Service
o   $ off Annual Tax Prep or Service
o   Free Gift with New Account
o   Account Contribution Match

Real Estate & Home Inspection
o   Free Gift Upon Closing
o   % or $ off Inspection Services
o   % or $ off Radon and Mold Testing

Medical/Dental/Vision
o   Free Consultation
o   Free Product with Service or Treatment
o   $ off Service or Treatment
o   % off Service or Treatment

Veterinary
o   Free Nail Trim
o   Free Grooming Services
o   $ off Service or Treatment
o   % off Service or Treatment

Health & Beauty
o   Free Product Item
o   Free Service Upgrade
o   % or $ off Product
o   % or $ off Service


Retail

General
o   $ off Purchase
o   % off Purchase
o   Free Gift (i.e. product or service)
o   Complementary Product Upgrade

Jewelry
o   Free Jewelry Inspection
o   Free Jewelry Cleaning
o   Free Gift (i.e. bracelet, jewelry charm, jewelry cleaner)
o   Complementary Stone Upgrade
o   Free Professional Sizing or Repair (if offered)
o   % More for your Gold or Sterling Silver (if offered)

Automotive
o   Free Auto Detailing
o   Free Gas for a Year
o   Free Service (i.e. oil change, tire rotation)
o   Free Window Tint
o   $ off Vehicle Purchase
o   $ or % off of Service

Employee Rewards

o   Cash Bonus
o   Extra “PTO” Time
o   “Boss For A Day”
o   Free Promotional Products

When it comes to planning your promotional variations, the possibilities are (literally) endless and as mentioned, there is no right or wrong way of doing things. This list of “Top Business Promotions” is simply a conglomeration of our past experience and is meant to springboard your own creativity! So now that you’ve perused our list of business promotion ideas, what type of promotional incentives do you think would work best for your industry? Please feel free to share your comments below or on Facebook!



Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Your Wedding Save The Date: The 4 W’s




Scratch Off Save The Date, MyScratchOffs.com

Since the first recorded marriage ceremony took place in 2350 BCE in Mesopotamia, wedding traditions have evolved over generations to become a rite of passage that marries (pardon my pun) deep-rooted cultural heritage with au courant trends. One of the newest wedding trends to have quickly established itself as commonplace is the Save The Date. First popularized in the mid-2000s, the Save The Date card might be a rather modern addition to the wedding timeline but it has proved itself to be a rather handy and impactful staple, none-the-less.

Your wedding Save The Date is your guests’ first introduction to your big day! Use this opportunity to create a dynamite first impression and set the stage for your dream nuptials. Whether you’re planning a fairytale dream day full of fancy frills or a quirky and fun themed wedding, your Save The Date is the perfect chance to impart a little fun and creativity into your wedding planning process. To help you navigate the ins-and-outs of Save The Date etiquette, I’ve done all of the legwork, so you can do all of the fun stuff. Read on for the who/what/where/when/why of it all…

Why Send A Save The Date?
At its core, a wedding Save The Date is quite simple. It is a formal (or in some cases not so formal) request for your guests to kindly mark their calendars and save the date for your upcoming wedding. Pretty simple, right? While a bride and groom may choose to send a Save The Date for any number of reasons, there are two instances that make a Save The Date a must: holiday weddings and destination weddings. Since holiday schedules fill up fast and long distance travel plans require months of coordination and planning, both situations require that you provide your prospective attendees with ample lead-time for prep (or else you risk eliminating the option for some guests to attend). There are no rules that dictate when not to send a Save The Date, so if it feels right…do it! Just remember, for certain guests (especially for those out-of-towners) the sooner they know what date to save, the better.

What Information To Include?
Your Save The Date should contain as much (or as little) information as is necessary for your guests to start making their arrangements to attend. Conventionally, the Save The Date will contain the following information:

  • Bride and Groom’s Names
  • Date
  • Location (If your venue has not yet been firmed up, then geographical location will do!)
  • Wedding Website
  • Travel/Lodging Information (Especially appropriate for destination weddings.)
  • “Formal Invitation To Follow”… (Just to avoid any confusion!)


When To Send Them Out?
The Save The Date is customarily sent months (or even up to a year) in advance of your big day. It is also sent in addition to a formal invitation. Save The Date timeline etiquette varies by the source, but for good measure I would suggest sending your Save The Date approximately six months in advance of your big day, except in the case of a destination or holiday wedding; then up to a 12-month notice can be appropriate. 

Want To Get Creative?
From classy to sassy, your Save The Date is an opportunity for you to show your creativity while conveying important wedding day information. Why not consider sending an off-the-beat announcement? Some of my favorite unconventional wedding Save The Date ideas include:

Do You Need a Save the Date?

While a wedding Save The Date may not be absolutely necessary, they can be both a fun and functional tool in the wedding planning process.  Your wedding is likely to be the biggest celebration of your life, so have fun with all the little details leading up to your day!  When you express your creativity and couple-style with your Save The Dates and Wedding Invitations, it will help your guests get to know the personalities of the bride and groom, building anticipation before they come to celebrate with you.

At My Scratch Offs, weddings are one of our specialties!  In addition to Save The Dates, we also offer “Marry Me” Scratch Off Proposal Cards, Wedding Shower Game Cards, and Custom Game Cards that can be created for anything from asking people to be part of your wedding party, to Bachelor and Bachelorette party invitations and games.

Have a unique idea for one of our Scratch Off Labels?  We’d love to hear from you!  Feel free to comment below or share with us on Facebook!