Your business card is one of the printed marketing materials you use the most. While your website may be the first encounter people have with your business online, your business card is often the first contact someone has with it in the real world. These days, everyone from corporate managers and taxi drivers to teachers and astronauts carries one.
But does your business card stand out when stacked up against your competitors?
Your Business Card Is Your Calling Card
Your business card is an important sales and marketing tool that will get people to remember you and contact you for business.
Whether you're meeting a client or networking at an event, "exchanging a business card acts as an ice-breaker," says Takayoshi Kasuga, creative director of Mill, a design studio in Osaka, Japan.
While business cards may have gotten their start as simply proof of one's visit to a business or organization, in today's digital world, the traditional method of exchanging your business card with someone provides an opportunity to develop a direct and personal connection, giving you an opportunity to leave a memorable impact about you and your brand.
"People don't realize that business cards are a sales promotion tool," says Takashi Nakano, director of the Japan Business Card Association.
One thing is for sure, says Nakano, "the strangest thing a person can do in terms of their business cards is probably not to have one at all."
Are You Getting Lost In The Pile?
If you attend a lot of events and tend to collect stacks of cards on a regular basis, you'll appreciate that some cards pack a more powerful and positive punch than others. On the other hand, if you're the one typically doling out your card to loads of prospects, keep in mind that your card is likely among many of your competitors' in your prospect's pile. Is YOUR card packing that impressionable punch?
When it comes to creativity, the options for your business card design are pretty much limitless. Croatian designer Ivan Dilverovic recently won four awards, beating out over 1,000 competitors from 52 countries, at the IDA International Design Awards, held in Los Angeles, for the business cards he designed for the Croatian Discography Association. His design stemmed from the idea of recycling old vinyl records, which resulted in unique business cards that can still play music. Pretty genius, eh?
So, what gives a business card the WOW factor? The anatomy of a great business card starts with the essentials. Cross-check your business card with the list below to see how it measures up.
Business Card Basics
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Use your logo as the basis. Make it the largest element on the card.
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Keep it simple. Do not cram too much information on the card.
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Do include the essentials - your name, title, company, name address, phone and fax numbers, email and website addresses.
- Stick to one or two colours that are in line with your brand.
Depending on your type of business, the level of creativity you adopt for your business card may differ, depending on your style or appropriateness as it relates to your business. For example, a fashion designer's business card might be much more vibrant and edgy than, say, a legal firm's, but that doesn't mean you can't make an impact.
Get inspired by these 50 business card designs:
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As an essential part of your sales and marketing promotional materials, let it shine!
3 Ways To Put Your Business Card To Work
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Always give people more than one card (so they can give it to others).
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Include your card in all correspondence.
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Carry cards with you at all times, in a card case so they're neat and clean.
