A business card is the ultimate tool in promoting your brand: it’s small enough to fit in a coat pocket, it contains all your important information and it’s affordable. It's important for your business to make a connection anywhere and everywhere you go, so having a business card on you at all times is a great business decision.
If business cards are so vital to brand awareness, why are so many thrown out?
Here are three possible reasons:
Help your card stand out with these three strategies:
High-Quality Cards go a Long Way
Tell Your Story In Seconds
Demonstrate Higher Value
Remember, a business card is a tiny but powerful representation of your company. The quality of the card you choose, the design, and the colors all play a role on how other people perceive your business. But the most important part is still the information you have on the card and the way people can connect with you. Don't lose sight of that.
There are a lot of great ideas floating around that have yet to be discovered, so dare to be different and strive to be unforgettable.
Here are three possible reasons:
- The recipient just isn't interested.
- The card doesn't instantly convey what type of business you’re in.
- It gets lost in the shuffle until it is of no use anymore.
Help your card stand out with these three strategies:
High-Quality Cards go a Long Way
- Your business card needs to be interesting enough to make people want to keep it and remember you and your business.
- Use high quality cardstock - if it can’t withstand 10 minutes in your pocket, upgrade.
- Go for premium and use embossed or textured printing - these finishes add an extra professionalism to your cards.
- Depending on your business, choose colorful, unique designs that are eye-catching. However, be careful to not distract from the information on the card.
- Finish is everything. Cards with photos should have a glossy finish; use matte for cards that have appointment reminders - writing on glossy cards can be challenging.
Tell Your Story In Seconds
- Design it in such a way that at a single glance, a person knows exactly what your business is all about.
- Your email and website are the calls to action on your business card - make sure they are in a big font on the front of your card and that they are the main focal point.
- Customize your card - for example, photographers can use one of their shots as a high resolution image on the back, or optometrists can print a mini eye chart that spells their name.
- Create unique business cards that make a lasting impression and stand out from competitors.
Demonstrate Higher Value
- Depending on what type of business you’re in, you can add value to your card by giving it an extra function:
- Chefs can hand out cards that have basic kitchen conversions or a famous recipe on the back.
- An auto repair shop can list basic car troubleshooting tips.
- Contractors can add a ruler to the back of their card for emergencies. It may be short, but it can do the job in a pinch.
Remember, a business card is a tiny but powerful representation of your company. The quality of the card you choose, the design, and the colors all play a role on how other people perceive your business. But the most important part is still the information you have on the card and the way people can connect with you. Don't lose sight of that.
There are a lot of great ideas floating around that have yet to be discovered, so dare to be different and strive to be unforgettable.
Stacy CyrStacy is the Senior Marketing Manager for FreeLogoServices (now LogoMix), a self-service branding and marketing platform for small businesses, featuring an online logo maker and business card tool.
