Greeting cards are a rapidly growing industry, as the public is embracing the inexpensive and low environmental impact of digital media. Hallmark, America’s largest greeting card company, estimates that the purchase of paper greeting cards has dropped from 6 to 5 billion annually. A recent Greeting Card Association statistic estimates 500 million e-card are sent each year worldwide. Small businesses use them as an effective marketing tool. E-cards can be sent automatically from your computer to hundreds of people or to a few friends. Post offices nationally report a drop in the sending of paper greeting cards. The Wall Street Journal reports: in a Postal Service Study, there has been a drop of 24% in greeting card and written correspondence between 2002 -2010. Postal rate increases have occurred six times over the past decade.
Online e-cards offer a convenient alternative to paper greeting cards. The typical cost of a paper greeting card is between $2.00 – $5.00. The musical chip and LED-lighted paper card can cost up to $10.00 per card. The average cost for a subscription for an e-card website is currently $10.00 per year. A subscription at Hallmark is $12.00 per year for online cards. American Greeting, a close second in greeting card sales offer subscriptions for $19.95 per year or $29.99 for two years. Jacquie Lawson, an English artist is a popular choice for her artistic, detailed e-cards. The price at her website is $12.00 for an annual subscription. The e-cards of today are creative and fun to receive. E-cards have become more interactive than their predecessors. Artist’s renderings of video e-cards can be personalized and no longer have the feel of a mass produced offering. The card giver can write a significant message in their own words. From picking out the font to the perfect e-card, they are consistently on time and as sentimental as you desire.
Several sites offer free e-cards. Blue Mountain Greeting cards, Hallmark, and thousandwordscards.com offer a section of free e-cards. Thousand Words Cards offer free personalization and gorgeous visual photographs. Distinctive photos with heartfelt quotes are simple to send to your Facebook friends and relatives. There is no need to sign up for anything. Simplicity and beauty mesh for the ultimate e-card experience. Recipients can respond to an online card immediately, and you can put a smile on their face at any time.
Charities including The Salvation Army and UNICEF offer e-cards as way for purchasers to support worthy causes. E-cards are versatile and you can share them on Facebook, blogs or websites. Children’s hospitals and animal shelters also use e-cards as fundraisers. Supporting a worthy charity in a green conscious world has never been easier. E-cards cut the clutter and offer a valuable service for our technological world.