The Most BANG For Your Marketing Buck - Business Cards

The business card may be the most underrated piece of marketing material used by your business. That 2 x 3 ½ inch piece of paper has several advantages over other forms of print advertising:

• You can get a large quantity of professionally printed business cards for a relatively low cost.
• Because they are small and easy to store, people tend to keep business cards, while many other printed marketing materials are tossed into the trash or filed away and forgotten almost immediately.
• Additionally, there is a personal aspect to business cards because they are often handed out directly from one person to another. This creates more of a mental attachment to that piece of paper than one that came in the mail.

Design and quality are the two most important things to consider. Often the first impression about your company in a person’s mind is made by your business card. If it does not look professional people will not think highly of your business.

Here are the most common mistakes people make with their business cards:

• Using “free” business cards…you know, the ones that say “This card printed for FREE by XYZ Company” on the back? The purpose of your business card is to put your business in the customer’s mind, not advertise somebody else’s business and distract from your own message!
• Printing their own. The flimsy paper with perforated edges and poor print quality gives a poor impression about your business, and just think of all the time and ink and paper you waste trying to get it right! Your time is worth more than the money you save trying to print your own cards, and the impression cheap cards make may end up losing you potential business. Professionally printed cards give your business instant credibility in the minds of consumers. They are also more durable and less likely to get beat up in someone’s wallet or card holder.
• Overcrowding the business card. Don’t try to squeeze in too much information. Remember, it’s a business card, not a brochure. Think of it as a miniature billboard. The point is to capture attention, tell who you are and what you do, and provide contact information. Don’t forget to include your email address and website URL.
• Not making it clear what products or services are offered. If your logo or company name don’t clearly convey what it is that you do, be sure to use a tagline that does.
• Getting plain black and white cards that look just like everyone else’s. Your business isn’t just like everyone else’s, so why should your business cards be? Add color and graphics to grab attention and show how you are different.
• Forgetting to carry them at all times. What good is a well-designed business card if you don’t have one when you need it? Keep extras in your car, your desk, your gym bag, etc.
• Not using the back of the card. Make it a “keeper”. For a relatively small additional cost, you can have the back of your card printed to include something useful, such as a coupon or special offer, a map of your location(s), a handy chart that pertains to your business, a calendar, etc. Give people a reason to hold onto your card longer.
• Using out of date cards. Scratching out old information and writing in corrections may give people the impression that you are unorganized and not concerned with details.

To give your business the professional image that you desire, use a clean design with contrasting colors, readable fonts, and good-quality images. Your company’s name and logo should be prominent. Use a color theme that complements your logo and grabs attention. Group related information together logically. For example, your contact information should be grouped together with your name and title rather than spread out all over the card. Try to keep the number of groups or sections down to 5 or less to make your card easy to read.

	This card has too much detailed information crammed together, making it hard to read. Detailed information is better suited to a brochure.
	This card has just the essential information split into easy-to-read sections.
	The use of color with contrasting text grabs attention and makes the card stand out.