iStockphoto has announced a new app that lets anyone create fast, fun and free e-cards for use on Facebook. Customer surveys have revealed that e-cards have become more acceptable and often preferred to traditional cards.
The iStock e-card App can be accessed via any existing iStockphoto Facebook page or
http://apps.facebook.com/istockecard/. In a matter of seconds, a user can create, customize and personalize a card that can be posted to a friend’s wall or sent privately via Facebook message. iStock offers over 50 free images, illustrations and videos representing major holidays, celebrations and milestones, but it is also easy to pick a different image from iStock’s general collection of over 7 million images. The other images you pay for at iStock’s normal rates.
iStock’s e-card app makes it easy to customize an electronic greeting for virtually any occasion. The company also announced the results of a survey it recently conducted on Facebook, which revealed the following:
• Environmentally conscious women are OK with e-cards over paper cards (even on Valentine’s Day)*
• Most women prefer Valentine’s Day gifts to e-cards *
• Most men find Valentine’s Day e-cards a fine substitute for paper cards, but say a naughty outfit can negate the need for either (shocker)
• For recipients aged 50-years and up, a handwritten card is more meaningful than an e-card in most cases*
* According to a panel of iStock relationship advisors, an e-card on Facebook is rarely an acceptable substitute for a traditional card when it comes to mothers or anyone over the age of 60. They also caution that the inappropriate use of an e-card with a sensitive spouse or significant other – particularly for birthdays, anniversaries or Valentine’s Day - can result in spending the night alone on the couch. In cases where a physical card is necessary, advisors recommend creating something unique using images procured from the iStockphoto website.
The iStock e-card App is available immediately. International versions of the Facebook app have been created in
German,
Italian,
French,
Japanese,
Brazilian Portuguese and
English. The application is free and available to anyone with a Facebook profile.
“One of the greatest things about Facebook is that it lets you stay in touch with a wide range of people simultaneously,” said Rebecca Rockafellar, general manager of iStockphoto. “If you’re one of the more than 800 million people who frequent Facebook, chances are on any given day at least one of your friends is celebrating something special. The iStock e-card app makes it easy to mark the occasion with something more meaningful than a simple comment or wall post.”