50 Surefire Business Card Tips
Business cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Here are 50 surefire tips to make the most out of your business cards:
- Your business card must communicate more than just your contact information. Make sure that your card includes a tag line that explains what you or your company do.
- Order them in large numbers. By ordering 1000 your cost per card will be significantly lower than if you ordered 500.
- Even if you can produce your business cards at home using an inkjet printer, have your business cards professionally made by a printing company. Your business card will be the first impression your prospects receive of your business, so let them convey the best possible one.
- Avoid using standard clip art as your business logo. A logo brings credibility and brand awareness, so before you invest in business cards have a logo professionally made for your business. Nowadays, there are online companies that can produce a professional logo for as little as $25, so there is no excuse for not having one made.
- Put up a website and use the URL in your business cards. If you don't have a website, people will notice the absence of a web address in your business card and, depending on the business you are in, it may make you lose credibility.
- Keep all the information in your business card current. If you changed address or phone number, don't scratch the old number and write down the new one by hand; get new business cards.
- Keep your business card simple. Don't use too many fonts or try to cram too much information in it. Try to use a pleasant layout and make sure that your main message (your tagline or your unique selling proposition) doesn't get lost.
- If you live in the US, limit your business card size to 3.5" x 2". Anything bigger will not fit in standard card holders and your card may end up in the trash. Business cards in Europe tend to be larger, but so are the wallets and card holders.
- Make sure that your business card reflects your image. If you are an artist or a graphic designer, it is OK to use trendy colors and fonts. If you are an investment banker, a sober layout and colors such as blue or gray work better.
- Your business card is an integral part of your brand or corporate identity strategy. It should follow the same graphics standards as the rest of your communications material (stationary, brochures, letterheads, etc.).
- Find a way to make your business cards stand out. I've seen business cards with one of its corners cut in an angle, or with an interesting texture, all of which makes your business card stand out of the crowd. The best one I've seen is from an interior designer, who used a hologram to show a room before and after a redesign.
- Make your business card easy to read: use high contrast between the background and the type. Light background with dark type works better.
- After your logo, your name should be the largest piece of information on your card.
- Make sure that all the information on your card is printed in a large enough typeface to be easily readable.
- Run your business card copy through a spell checker and double-check your contact information.
- Keep your business cards with you at all times. Keep a stack in your car, in your house, in your office, and in your wallet.
- Leave your business cards in billboards at supermarkets, schools, stores, libraries, etc. v
- When giving away your card, give two or three at a time, so that your contacts can in turn distribute them to other people. This will not only help you distribute them faster, but will generate a beneficial "endorsing effect".
- Include a business card with all your correspondence. People may throw away the letter, but will usually keep the business card.v
- Make your business card go the extra mile: use the back of the card to print more information: special offers, checklists, schedules, etc.
- Throw in a business card in every product you ship.v
- Send a business card with any gift you send, instead of just a card with your name.
- Scan your card and use it as an attachment to emails.
- Use your business cards as name tags. Get a transparent plastic cover with a pin, and attach it to your lapel. Wearing it on your right side tends to make it more noticeable.
- Use your business card as a name tag on your briefcase. Make sure that your company logo and tagline are visible. This way, your business card will turn into a "conversation piece" during plane rides, which may help you meet interesting people and good business contacts.
- Use your business card as an ad: many publications offer "business card size" classified ads. If you design your business card properly, it can double up as an ad in those publications.
- Don't give your business card too quickly. It may be perceived as pushy. Try to establish a conversation with your prospect first. For example, ask them what do they do. That will usually prompt them to give you their card. That is the perfect moment to give them yours.
- Don't try to give your card in situations where many people are giving them to your prospect. Wait for a moment when you can capture your prospect's attention span.
- Another tactic you can try when your prospect is overwhelmed and can't pay you enough attention is to send your card by mail. Pretend you ran out of business cards and ask for theirs. Then, mail them your card and take the opportunity to drop a follow up note.
- If you have a mobile phone number or a direct phone number that is not listed in your business card, write it at the back of your card before handing it out, and tell your prospect that you are giving them your direct number. This will make your card more important, and less likely to be lost or thrown out.
- Another way of increasing the chances that your prospect will keep your card is by printing valuable information on the back, for example important phone numbers (local police, hospitals, etc), a calendar, or a football schedule.
- Offer to hand out cards of complementary (non-competitive) business people in exchange for them distributing yours. An example of non-competitive businesses is real estate brokers and mortgage brokers.
- If somebody gives you their business card, you should give them yours in return.
- Always give your business card face up.
- Take a cue from Far East business people, who hand out business cards with both hands. It helps give the impression that your business card is something very important.
- If you conduct business internationally, use the back of your card to print a translated version of your business card in your customers' language. Even if they have no problem reading English, it will be a classy touch and they will appreciate it.
- If you sell different product brands and want to put their logos on your business card, print them in only one color. Using each logo's brand colors could make your business card look chaotic and busy.
- Create a business card in magnet form. Magnets are widely used, to hold important papers on the refrigerator door at home and on file cabinets at work. They are always visible and always get read.
- When receiving somebody else's business card, don't put it away immediately. Instead, keep it in your hand for a while you talk to your prospect, or place it neatly over the table, and try to develop a conversation based on the information on the card.
- Use the back of the cards you receive to write down important facts about the persons who handed them to you. It will help you enormously when you follow up with them.
- If you are in a profession where relationship selling is important, it may be a good idea to include your picture in your business card (i.e. real estate brokers).
- Even if your business is a sole proprietorship, you can still use "account manager" as your title instead of "owner" or "president". If you do sales (and we all do) "account manager" is a perfectly appropriate title, and it will give the impression that you work for a larger company.
- Use logos of organizations that you or your business belong to in your business cards. They are an easy way to provide instant credibility to your business. For example, if you operate a repair shop you can display the logo of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) or the Triple A (AAA). (Check with them first about the terms of use).
- If you participate in affiliate programs online, you can still use business cards to promote your affiliate links. Use the name of the affiliate company as the company name, use 'partner' or 'associate' as your title, and the URL of the directory or web page where you have placed your affiliate links as your web address. Just because affiliate programs are online doesn't mean that you can't use off-line marketing methods to promote them.
- If you need to give cards to different kinds of prospects (for example if you are a student looking for work), make business cards with just your name and contact information, and attach custom made self-adhesive labels at the back with information of interest to each specific prospect.
- Include an information email address (for example: info@yourdomain.com) that is set in autoresponder mode, that automatically triggers an email message with full information about your product, service or company. This will increase the effectiveness of your business card since you will give your prospect much more information that you can fit in a card.
- Take good care of your business cards. Keep them clean and crisp in a cardholder. Don't give away cards that are bent or damaged.
- Try to get a cardholder with two pockets. That way, you can use one for your business cards and the other one for the business cards you receive.
- Keep all the business cards you receive neatly organized in a rolodex. It will save you time and will provide you with a database of contacts with whom to build positive business relationships.
- Collect all the business cards you can find, even if you don't need them. Together, they will act as an "idea file" that will provide you with valuable tips that you can use to design your business cards.
About The Author
Mario Sanchez publishes The Internet Digest (http://www.theinternetdigest.net) an online collection of tips and resources on Internet Marketing and Web Design. You can also visit his Business Card Tips page at: http://www.accordmarketing.com/businesscards/.
In The News:
You certainly must know that Many Big Marketers consider COPYWRITING... Read More
The more things change, some say, the more things stay... Read More
To succeed in today's crowded marketplace where most of the... Read More
If you own a mobile detailing business or mobile car... Read More
Graphical LED Displays utilize high-resolution graphics and video to transmit... Read More
In the world of advertising there are many forms of... Read More
If your ads aren't paying off then you need this... Read More
Well, Super Bowl XXXIX is history. Too bad for the... Read More
Tired of pouring endless money into advertising? Do you wonder... Read More
LED scoreboards can be utilized in most of the sporting... Read More
Advertising will make or break your business. It is crucial... Read More
Many entrepreneurs believe that they understand what public relations is,... Read More
Your Yellow Page Ad Deserves More than 10 Minutes of... Read More
Wide range of electronic Key venues around the globe has... Read More
Many of the most memorable ad campaigns around tend to... Read More
In part one of this article we discussed the importance... Read More
The ability to lead, persuade and influence are integral skills... Read More
It is a given that billboard advertising "outdoor" is not... Read More
People say it all the time: "This advertising costs too... Read More
Your marketing and advertising won't be effective if your potential... Read More
If you're a retailer and the only kind of advertising... Read More
Unless you have become extremely popular in your personal or... Read More
In the sign industry we commonly refer to the material... Read More
Response rates to Yellow Page advertising are decliningThere's no getting... Read More
Ezine Articles - they're everywhere!And little wonder. They're one of... Read More
If you knew these 10 high impact insider's hidden psychological... Read More
Without a powerful headline, your message stands little chance of... Read More
The Ultimate, "Must-Have" Home-Based Business for YOU a Underemployed, Unemployed,... Read More
It was two days before our shoot. I was in... Read More
From my experience, I've been on many discussion groups and... Read More
Advertising and promoting your business is expensive, so it's important... Read More
New Age Media Concepts issues its first article... Read More
Are you confused by all the information you receive from... Read More
In a recent article, I shared five of my top... Read More
Scrolling LED signs is type of LED signs that displays... Read More
From my experience, I've been on many discussion groups and... Read More
What many may consider the most important part of advertising... Read More
The title of this article also happens to be one... Read More
One of the most powerful offers you can use in... Read More
Using flyers is one commonly overlooked method of advertising offline.... Read More
So many business people neglect this valuable asset that may... Read More
There are several ways to advertise and get the word... Read More
One way to make extra money or start a... Read More
New Age Media Concepts issues its first article... Read More
If you haven't made many sales or perhaps none at... Read More
Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said,... Read More
To succeed in today's crowded marketplace where most of the... Read More
Your website is done, your business cards have been delivered,... Read More
Lets examine the use of Giorgio Armani Company's advertisements for... Read More
Graphical LED Displays utilize high-resolution graphics and video to transmit... Read More
As a business owner, you have the option of taking... Read More
Mobile detailers have all types of customers, many of whom... Read More
The content of advertising is basically the same no matter... Read More
To many ad agencies, radio is considered advertising's ugly stepchild.... Read More
Rule One :- The HeadlineThe headline should summarize the whole... Read More
The big news on Wall Street last year was the... Read More
In 1957, a perspicacious young journalist from Pennsylvania named Vance... Read More
Too many business owners and marketers know that Yellow Pages... Read More
One of the keys to strong positive mental attitude is... Read More
The most common way to drive people to your business... Read More
Aggressive business card marketing isn't about handing your business cards... Read More
Everyone knows that advertising is essential to growing a business.... Read More
Starting a placemat ad business can create more business for... Read More
Since most of us are always online and our business... Read More
Here's a neat trick to get lots of radio advertisement... Read More
Pay close attention and make it work the best for... Read More