As 2012 nears its demise, so has the bland, boring business card. Why deliver an ordinary, average cheap first impression when you can hand someone a classy, innovative and professional card. Your smile and greeting are the first impressions you deliver. Your professional business card is your lasting impression. Your business card is designed to be distinctive; this is the quality image of you and your business which they will retain and refer to frequently.
Value in the Marketplace
Design inspiration is excellent. Focus on the purpose of a business card. The role of the business card is not only to give a dynamite first impression but to remain as a constant quality reminder of your contact information and the services your offer. PrintPlace assists their customers in creating the look and feel you prefer to make your business card stand out from the plethora of other cards on the market.
Stand out. “Nothing has yet matched the power and simplicity of handing over a well-designed card–it starts a conversation.” (8 Ways to Make Your Business Cards Stand Out)
Granted there is a unique factor in the origami, concrete, wood, rubber, metal, sponge and hinged cards, but how can you conveniently carry them in your wallet? They serve as a grin at the moment of impact and land in a drawer rarely, if ever, to again see the light of day. Have you ever attempted to fit any of those specialty material cards in a card case on your desk? If you are having difficulty carrying and displaying them, how do you expect your prospect to use them?
How can You Stand Out from the Masses?
What do you Include, or Not, on Your Business Card?
Include
- An attention-generating image. Don’t be afraid to be visual. Keep it relevant to your business: a product, service, caricature, or graphic design.
- A fun, curiosity- inspiring slogan – A one liner to entice a smile and a desire to follow up with you to learn more about what you do. Giving the impression that you enjoy what you do attracts others. Remember the old adage “catch on fire with enthusiasm and the world will come for miles to watch you burn.” Your business card can help you convey that message.
- Contact information – Include the basics: phone, email and a link to your online world. Use a QR code, a link to your social media site or a link to a fun video; select a blog page, free offer page or an entertaining site. Critical – test the link to be certain it functions with a variety of smart phone apps.
- White space – Sometimes less is more. You card is a call to action. Keep it clear, crisp, open and inviting.
Avoid clutter
- Avoid including your birth certificate, family history, a map to your business and every conceivable way to contact you. Including too much information wastes valuable space on the card.
- Printing your entire 30 second elevator pitch. Keep it brief. You card is an invitation to connect with you to learn more, not the entire sales presentation.
- Avoid linking to a tidal wave of information page. The confused or overwhelmed mind does nothing. Avoid too much blah, blah, blah.
Be Creative, Classy and Unique
- Use top quality paper – Avoid the “this card is a free service of Cheap.you.” Use a 14pt cover gloss 2 sides, gloss one side or uncoated card. My preference is gloss for the front and uncoated for the back to allow for writing notes.
- Select vibrant attractive cards. Colored paper or at least color on the face of the card adds appeal. Be certain the print is clear and not so small you need a microscope to read the words. Printing which is too small or very difficult to read results in a throw-away card.
- Die-cut cards – stand out from the crowd. (A die cut is created by using a sharp steel blade formed into a specific shape, then cut through the paper. Think about how a steel cookie cutter would work; just substitute the dough with paper. The shapes for die cutting are nearly limitless—circles, squares, holes, curves, stair-stepped, rounded corners, sharp points, just to name a few.) Fun shapes and designs help you stand out from the crowd.
- Fold over cards – Affordable and different from the average and yet they still fit in the standard business card holders. Increase your creativity and display space.
- 4 Color printing – Express yourself in your company colors. Make your images come to life.
- Unique sizes and shapes – Round the corners, die-cut unique shapes. Express your individuality.
Posts by SpeakBindas Editorial Team.