Today I prepared a little something about thinking and writing about my work on a regular basis, and how that process is essential to having materials at ready for exhibition opportunities. Then I came home from work and discovered my free mini-card samples in the mailbox.

I recently took advantage of the 10 free cards Moo offers to new Flickr Pro users. Moo interfaces with your Flickr account, making it super easy to order business cards, mini cards (half-size, trendy business cards), stickers, postcards, and more.

Tempted though I was to order a full 100 cards right away, I wanted to take advantage of the free sample offer in case I got them and they were low-res, flimsy, or had some other shortcoming I'd regret spending $20 to discover.

What arrived in the mail today proved to me the massive value in giving away free samples. Just like the man at the farmer's market who enticed me into his tent with spicy ginger tea, these cards gave me a little taste and left me feeling like I could not go another day without buying more. They are printed on sturdy card stock with a depth and quality of color that really does the images justice. The proportions are a little odd, so giving someone a card is like giving them a little free sample of your work – hopefully they are intrigued enough to want more.

The back of the card is a blank slate, completely flexible. In addition to my vital contact information, I chose a Creative Commons license and the exposure time of the photo shown on the front of the card (automatically pulled from the image data on Flickr with no added effort anywhere on my part).

I will definitely be ordering a set of 100 of these cards this week. Self-promotion is so important, and at this level it needs to be done in a way that I find fun and comfortable. My husband remarked that these cards are “too pretty to give away.” Hopefully they make that much of an impression on everyone, because I've been searching for the business cards that are “just right” for my personal taste and style and these just may be it.