Using Business Cards

Business cards are an important part of your marketing plan

As the name business card implies, these little cards are for advancing, retaining and growing your business. If they just sit in a holder they're not doing their job. You need to design and distribute them effectively.

Sure, most people know about printing business cards, but do they know how to make them have the most bang for their buck? Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Use custom business cards if you can afford it. Potential clients may keep them, and share them, due to their looks or content.

2. Bring your professional business cards everywhere you go and have all employees do the same.

3. Don't just distribute business cards to managers. You never know when a mail room worker could make a key contact.

 

Take business card design seriously

It can be tempting to go with just any business card company to get the printing out of the way, especially if you're constantly hiring new employees. However, you need to resist this temptation. Low quality or unimaginative business cards will not do you any favors in the long run. Once you have a template established, reprinting is pretty easy.
Try: Consider embellishments, like raised print business cards to make yours stand out from others. Check out Toxel's collection of creative business card designs. Allbusinesscards has magnetic or sticker cards available for order. If you want, you can design your own business cards. Just make sure your cards' design have something to do with your business. Don't go out on a creative tangent.

Include vital information on your business cards

Once you've got your business card design picked out, don't shoot yourself in the foot by making them useless to potential customers. If you leave out important contact information -- or worse, it is incorrect -- you might as well just throw them in the recycle bin.
Try: Read Small Business Brief's article on what to include on your business cards. Then visit Executive Travel Magazine's site to learn what you should red line before your cards go to the printer. You don't want to include too much information either, or the client won't have reason to call and ask questions. Finally, always proofread.

Work on using business cards for networking

Of course you want to keep a good supply of business cards in the office to give to interviewees and potential clients who drop by. It is just as important, if not more so, to have them with you when you're on the go. They may be the most important networking tool you have since they tell customers how to find you.
Try: Make sure each employee has a business card holder or designated area in his or her wallet that protects cards from getting soiled or creased. Consider giving out holders as a holiday gift that also serves as a gentle reminder. Executive Gift Shoppe has a great selection of products. Then check out Business-networking-techniques' article on networking effectively with business cards.

 

• Don't use multiple business card printers. It can be hard to match colors and sizes and could dilute your branding.

Copyright © 2011 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

---