Your business card is the tool that will attract customers and get them to contact your business. For it to serve its function, it needs to be designed properly and not get lost amongst other business cards. Your business card is a representation of you; it needs to have relevant and important contact information on it if you expect it to work as intended.
Ensure that your business card works for you by following these business card dos and don’ts.
Do make sure your card stands out amongst others, especially competitors. Most business cards out there don’t leave a REAL impression on potential customers. You want to hand someone a card that looks great, feels great, and clearly defines what your business does.
Don’t settle for an unattractive or unprofessional business card, or it will soon be forgotten. If you can’t afford a professionally designed business cards, there are plenty of other resources. Check out software templates that are available online to find a design that perfectly fits you.
Do pay attention to the presentation of your card. You want to use good stock paper, ink that doesn’t run, and the card should feel substantial and pleasing to the touch.
Don’t skimp. Your design could be great and the information on the card can be relevant, but if the presentation of your card is poor you will end up repelling prospective customers. A poor-quality card suggests that your business provides poor quality products and services.
Do make sure that the information on your card is clear and concise. The information on the card needs to be relevant. Make sure that anyone who receives your business card can instantly tell who you are and what you do.
Don’t have a “mystery” on your card. If it’s not very clear what your business does, don’t expect to get too many calls or referrals.
Do provide a unique selling proposition. Your card should state at least one very powerful reason that a customer should do business with you. Use this as a chance to sell your business!
Don’t miss the golden opportunity of utilizing your business card to its full potential. Give potential customers a reason to pick up the phone and give you a call.
Do use the traditional and standard measurements of a business card. Make sure your card is the right dimension – a 3.5 by 2-inch business card.
Don’t go any bigger than the traditional size of a business card. Bigger is not always better! Anything larger than 3.5 by 2 will not fit in most wallets or business card holders and will ultimately end up in the trash.
Do use the right sizing for fonts. Beware of using a font that is too small. You might be able to cram more information into the card, but it will all be lost if the person holding the card can’t easily read the information on it.
Don’t use a type size any smaller than 7-8 point. Your name can be a bit larger, about 9-10 point, and the company name usually stands out best at about 12-15 point. Keep in mind that most people aged 35 and older use reading glasses. What good will your card do if someone can’t read it?
Do make sure your card looks clean and not crammed. Sort out the information you want to put on the card, and make sure to only keep what is totally necessary for someone to know. This includes your name, your company, what you do, and why they should do business with you. Simple is best!
Don’t hand out a cluttered card. Too much print looks busy and terribly unprofessional. Definitely don’t skimp out on your contact information either; you want to be easy to reach.
Do display the proper use of colors. A little splash of color can go a long way. Avoid using a boring card that isn’t visually appealing. Gray print on a white background lacks contrast and is difficult to read.
Don’t make the mistake of color-overload. While a splash of color is a good thing, it can easily go south if you use too many colors. Pick your colors wisely; they should complement one another nicely without looking too busy and distracting readers from the content of your card.
Do include an email address and website on your card. Many people resort to contacting someone online rather than making a phone call. People that want to learn more about your business without hearing a sales pitch will ultimately want to browse your website to see what you have to offer. This is also where they will turn to find social media pages. If your email and website are not listed on your card, you are most likely missing out on the full reach of your business card, resulting in less business for your company.
Don’t hand out a card with only your name and phone number. If someone isn’t ready to dive in and make any commitment, they may be hesitant to call as they only expect to hear a sales pitch.
Do make sure that you are actually distributing your business cards. Distributing your card means you are putting yourself out there to be contacted. Carry around a supply of cards wherever you go. Give them out when appropriate. Invite people to pass extras along to others who might need your services. You’d be surprised at how often this can result in a referral!
Don’t waste your effort and money designing an effective card that won’t be used to its full potential. What good can a card do that is sitting around collecting dust? It would serve you and your business better to apply the old axiom, “use it or lose it”. What can you lose? Business.
Conveyance Marketing Group is a team of bright, innovative and talented veteran marketers dedicated to big ideas, fresh insights and measurable results. We pride ourselves on taking challenging marketing issues and turning them into opportunities for our clients, on pointing brands in the right direction, and on getting our customers noticed both online and off. From branding to websites to digital marketing, and public relations, we handle all your marketing communication needs! Web Design and Development | Brand Strategy | Inbound Marketing | Social Media | SEO | PR
