Before and After the Tech Boom
In today’s modern age of tech, gadgets, and high speed internet, one piece of history is still around and thriving. For those that think eCards are a thing of the pre-internet boom, think again. eCards are a fascinating piece of internet history, as they have been around since the start of the internet, yet continue to evolve along with today’s digital society and tech boom.
The first eCard site was called The Electric Postcard, which was created in 1994 by MIT Media Lab, and soon grew to 20,000 eCards sent per day. eCard mania peaked in 1999 when eCard company Blue Mountain was sold for $780 million to Excite@Home. After that, eCards continued to be a major player in the digital society and marketplace.
And, like with most things on the web, eCards have matured along with the internet, and are quite compatible with many of the most popular aspects on the web, including social media, apps, and modern tech.
Social Media
Sending an eCard through an email still works, but that possesses an old school feel to it. Considering that 8 out of the top 20 Alexa ranked websites in the U.S. market are social networks, it would make sense to integrate anything out there with a social network. Currently there are no direct options to send eCards via Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, and that is primarily due to the fact that their API’s are closed.
There are other options for those who love eCards: Sending & creating eCards with Facebook in which you can first customize and then send a card to a Facebook friend as either a private message or as a wall post. Considering that Facebook is the second most popular website on the internet, it would be a safe bet to send your card there.
In regard to social media sites which don’t allow cards to be sent through them, all is not lost: eCards are actually quite popular on social media. Meme-centric Some eCards has a robust 2+ million following presence on Twitter. Sarcasm_only has an impressive 8.5 million followers on Instagram. And not to be forgotten, Pinterest also has an undoubtedly huge eCard presence.
Apps
Nothing screams 2016 like smartphone apps. iOs and Android are chockful of apps that allow for sending digital cards. And in an age when mobile phone usage has officially overtaken desktop, it’s time to embrace devices that fit in the palm of one’s hand.
123Greetings has close to a million downloads for their birthday-centric digital greeting card app. American Greetings has a very popular personalized greeting card app which lets you send customized cards from your phone via a plethora of platforms.
Fusing Technologies
If eCards are considered old, then what does that say about print? One recent and increasingly popular fad is creating an eCard, and then ordering it to be physically printed out and then sent via snail mail to its recipient. There are many sites and apps which do this, including a handful which connect to social accounts via smartphone, including Social Print Studios, which lets you print Instagram photos into physical greeting cards delivered by regular mail.
In terms of other trends, animation seems to be the most popular. Additionally, there are a number of eCard services which let you record your own voice or face into a card.
As for the future of eCards, there are a few possibilities. One likely scenario already unfolding is that websites may incorporate more personalized video so that eCards become animated mini-movies.
Another slightly more fantastical option is fusing with virtual reality. As people begin to wear headsets showing them alternate worlds, they’ll likely be able to view email in such systems. Imagine opening up an animated eCard in such a world, with a personalized video from a friend.
The possibilities are endless, but due to evolving technology and a rich digital content, the possibilities may indeed be endless.
