Play Your Business Cards Right
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First impressions are important, and nothing beats handing a new connection a sleek, professional business card. Cards on the table, they’re handy to have. Business cards are the perfect grab-and-go handshake that almost every public-facing industry professional needs. Making them look their best can be a challenge, but far from impossible.
Read on for some tips, keep your business and brand in mind, use good judgment, and soon you’ll be holding all the cards when it comes to business cards.
The Need for Business Cards
Most professionals use them, but as useful as they are, business cards are not one-size-fits-all. Some professionals will only need a few, others will need quite a bit more, depending on the type of business and who you’re trying to market to.
Business cards are certainly useful to have, but that doesn’t mean you need to break the bank ordering thousands of them if you don’t need that many. Start out with a few and see how many you use. If you discover that you’re using a lot of them, or you’ve got a big networking event coming up, you can always order more.
Getting Down to Business Card Content
You’ve decided you need business cards, but how should you design them? There are plenty of choices to make, but overall, it all comes down to what you and your business need to tell the recipient of your business card.
Think about how your business itself runs. Does your business operate mostly online or in person? Do you have a physical location? Should you be contacted directly? These are all questions that will help you design your business card.
If you’re thinking a business card catered to you specifically isn’t what you’re looking for, business cards for your overall company are excellent for creating a spontaneous, tangible connection with your customers. Whether you hand company business cards out at events, leave them on a counter or desk for them to take, or pass them out at a new product launch or open house.
Here are some items to add to your business card. Remember, this is a place to start, so if you need to add something else or there’s something here you don’t need, feel free to adjust as you see fit.
Content for your business cards:
- Name: This can be your name or the name of your company, whichever one will make it easier for your card recipient to find you when they need you.
- Contact Information: State clearly how interested clients and customers can get in touch with you. Give them options, but only the ones you check regularly. For example, avoid an email address that you only check sporadically.
- Website: If you have one, putting your website address on your business card is an excellent way to improve awareness of your online presence. They can also visit your website to learn more about you. Add a QR code for a multi-channel approach.
- Certifications and Titles: If you have certificates or job titles significant to your business, add them to your business card so there’s no confusion about what you do and what you offer.
- Address: A street address is more for businesses with one physical location. Multiple locations can sometimes make your business cards too cluttered, and if you do most of your business on the road or online, you might not need a physical address at all.
- Headshot: Whether you’re in real estate, insurance, home services, or many other industries, a professional photo to personalize your business card is a great way to make sure your connections can put a face to the name. Just make sure the photo is as up-to-date as possible.
Business Card Design in Mind
Now that you’ve decided on the content of your business card, it’s time to begin the design. You’re looking for a compelling business card design that balances both style and functionality.
Make it easy to find your information first. Bright colors and eye-catching designs are one thing, but they won’t do you any good if the recipient of your card needs to work to find your name or phone number. You only have about 3.5” x 2” surface area on the average business card, so try to create a design that draws the eye to what you want the recipient to focus on.
Creatively, your business card design will depend on who your card represents. You might do a lot of networking or sales on behalf of a company or facilitate real estate transactions through a brokerage. On the other hand, you might be a single person operating as a company and need personalized business cards.
Here are some differences between the two:
Company Business Cards
Affiliated with a company and want a business card? Check whether your company has approved templates, brand colors, and logos you can use for your business card. Templates will be especially useful for business card design due to their ease of use and readily available brand-approved assets.
Independent Business Cards
Business owners, entrepreneurs, and independent contractors have a bit more freedom in designing their business cards. You are your brand, so the colors and logos are up to you. You don’t technically need a specific logo if you don’t have one, but a cohesive design will help build brand recognition and increase awareness.
If you don’t have a logo or even brand-approved colors, there’s no need to start from scratch. You can always find business card design templates with your chosen business card printer. These templates not only make business card design simple but also help you create the most effective business card possible.
Here are a few things you should ask yourself about your business card:
Is my business card easy to read?
Use no smaller than 8-point lettering and go for a straightforward, less stylized font. Connections should be able to tell a lot about you from even a glance at your business card, so make it as easy to read as possible.
Does my business card feel impressive?
Premium business cards with a professional design are less likely to be thrown away. So how do you go about this? What materials should you use for your business cards? If you’re hoping your business card will be kept, go for a thicker card stock and tactile details like embossing or coating.
Does my business card fit my needs?
You know your business better than anyone, so put yourself in the shoes of your business card recipient and make sure it’s saying what you want it to say. Communicate luxury, expertise, personality, creativity, or confidence with the right business card.
Where should I order business cards?
You can check out selections of business cards from Xpressdocs here!
Xpressdocs has decades of experience driving the success of organizations and busy professionals nationwide by providing them a simple, efficient, and effective way to produce high-quality marketing materials. Contact us today!