About 2 weeks ago at thebizzybuzz.com we received the most beautiful card from one of our subscribers inviting us to an event…and it came via e-mail.

Animated virtual cards have been around for years, but in my opinion they are usually pretty cheesy with cartoon like graphics and corny music.

This card was nothing like that. Stunning, tasteful, and elegant are all words that come to mind when I think about this card. The website: Paperless Post.

When you receive the invitation in your email it looks like an envelope, personalized and addressed to you. Click the envelope to view the invitation and you are taken to a website where the envelope is animated to flip over, open up, and pop out your invitation. In the case of the invite we were sent, there was also a virtual RSVP card that we could fill out to easily announce to the host whether or not we could attend (which was very convenient!).

Paperless Post has cards for all occasions from parties, notes, bridal, save the date, thank you, holiday, love notes, plus other endless ideas not listed here. They could even be great for your next promotion or announcement to your business e-mail list.

Some of the features we particularly enjoy are the ability to customize your invite, post your invite on your social media accounts, and track your stats (yes!) including open rates, bounces, rsvp’s, and comments, the ability to schedule automatic reminders and updates, and (our personal favorite) the ability to link your invitation to Eventbrite and sell tickets to events online.

Many of the cards are free, but there are also paid options as well. You can also upgrade your cards with additional bells and whistles for an additional fee.

Today’s communication is electronic, and Paperless Post’s invitations and announcements have the beauty and thoughtfulness of traditional cardstock, with the convenience and accessibility of today (not to mention they are eco friendly!).

Go to www.paperlesspost.com to create your first announcement. We know you will love it as much as we do!

Because of all of the cool tracking features we have been brainstorming how we could use these e-cards in our business to generate sales. What are your ideas as to how you could use them in yours? Let us know in the comments below.