We are fortunate to be surrounded by a wealth of talent in our contacts and in those we associate with, and we have posted a number of successful guest blogs. Here is another from Richard at The Read Aloud Creative I am sure you will agree, very sound advice!
The Importance of The Business Card
The business card is one of the most important marketing tools you can have for your business. Regardless of whether you are a one-man band or a multi national corporation, a well-presented business card can be the first form of communication between your brand, and a prospective client. From the moment they touch it, take it back to the office, and even to the moment they stumble across it some six months later, it is constantly playing an important role of subtly promoting your brand’s existence.
At the very minimum, a business card ensures that the recipient has all the necessary contact information should they need to get in touch with you or your business in the future. What it also does on a more fundamental scale, is plant your brand into their sub consciousness, like a seed. All you need to do is let it grow, along with some other supporting forms of marketing.
What is often hard to vision is the journey that one single business card can take. It could sit on someone’s desk for years, gradually establishing its brand awareness, or it could be passed on to others, but most importantly it is a constant reminder of your business and its presence.
Five tips to ensure of powerful business card
Make it different
Experimenting with shapes, colours, and varnishes is a good way of standing out. Too many bells and whistles can be overwhelming, and prove to be counter productive. Remember that the portraying your brand and contact details is the main purpose. Keeping it simple and well branded often triumphs in impact.
Try to stand out First impressions count. What you are ideally looking for is “Wow, I love you business cards” when you present them to the recipient. By my desk, I have a big pile of boring business cards, all blending into one big boring blur, don’t let your card follow suite by blending in with everyone else’s.
My business cards have a spot UV varnish and two rounded corners, and I quite often get people stroking & feeling around with my business cards while we’re talking. I find that great as they are using other senses to comprehend the brand.
Be prepared Never leave home without them. You never know when the opportunity could arise, and you wouldn’t want to end up writing your details on a beer mat. Is that really going to have the same affect? Nope, unless you work for Carlsberg!
Another tip, If you’re going to give someone a rough price, or a website link, or any short piece of information, you might as well write it on your business card. This will make the card more valuable to the recipient, and they will be reminded of the kind gesture when following up on your advice.
Be frivolous Give out a handful of your business cards to your clients or suppliers, you never know when you might come up in conversation and having a spare business card to present might come in use.
At every opportunity, get talking about your business and give your business cards out. Leave them laying around in business centres and networking meetings, and if you can, give a few out to one person so they can share them around. I have had people who I have never met get in contact from one of my business cards, proof that they get around!
Be helpful Include keywords of the products and services your brand offers on your business cards. This reinforces your overall image but more specifically, you’re not always there to do the supporting talk. If someone picked up your card that you left in a business centre, will they find out the essentials they need to know about your business? They should be able to!
