The business card is an important step in the realization of your small business. And for many potential customers, it’s the first interaction they’ll have with your brand, so it must have a positive impact.
A carefully crafted business card doesn’t just contain your contact information. Communicate professionalism, build customer loyalty and help you set your small business apart from the competition. Before you start distributing business cards, stop for a moment and answer these questions: What makes a business card effective? How can you make it stand out from the competition and, above all, make it grow your business?
Here’s the answer: it’s about carefully combining the information you include and how you present it. Check out these 10 helpful tips and find out how to create a business card that best represents your business.
Find a model that reflects your brand personality.
Your business card needs to talk about you and your business, so pick one design that reflects your brand. Do you deal with interior furnishings with a modern style and clean lines? Prove it with a simple and clear template. Are you a dog-sitter, and do you have a friendly personality? Then your card will be fun, colourful and less formal.
Choose the right font
If you’ve already used a specific font on your website or other marketing products, apply it to your business card as well. The font you use should represent your brand – for example, a stylish font if you’re teaching etiquette or a typewriter-inspired font if you’re a writer. Also, it must be easy to read. The text size must be at least 8 points, while the most important information (such as your name or company name) can be printed in a larger size, in another font or even in bold.
Select the format and size
The size and orientation of the business card affect the size of the text and the amount of information that can be included in it. Plus, it’s one more tool to express your brand’s style.
Is your business conventional and no-nonsense, or is it decidedly nonconformist? Most business cards are rectangular, about the size of a credit card, and oriented horizontally. It is a safe choice that everyone is used to. But, if you want to stand out from the crowd, consider a square format, rounded corners, or portrait orientation.
Organize the information to be entered
There is no doubt about this: your business card must contain everything customers need to contact you, find you online or reach your place. In addition to your name and role, indicate your company name, phone number, website, email address and any social network details.
Please include all of this information about your business card, so customers can choose to contact you however they like. When entering information into your business card template, consider how to arrange it. All the elements must be visible individually and, at the same time, must be able to integrate.
Give the ticket a dual function
Your business card can perform a dual function for you and your small business. Use the back as a reminder for upcoming appointments, affix loyalty stamps, or highlight something related to your business.
For example, if you run a restaurant or a cocktail bar, you can include a quick dish or a special drink. Do you sell handmade products? Use business cards as labels for jewellery, clothing, accessories, and other handicrafts.
Another solution to make your business card stand out is to turn it into a magnetic product. This strategy is especially ideal for businesses that offer periodic services, such as plumbers, gardeners, pet boarding houses, hairdressers, car rentals, restaurants, and so on. Customers will be able to stick your business card on the refrigerator, for example, and your information will always remain in view.
If you want an effective business card, the solutions are endless. By putting them into practice, your ticket will go farther, last longer and leave its mark.
Make your logo stand out
In a business card, what matters most is the logo. Consider dedicating one side of the ticket exclusively to your logo. As a visual representation of your business, it deserves an important position that will grab the attention of potential customers.
Leave some space empty
Don’t fill the card with lots of text. If there are too many elements, everyone will compete for the reader’s attention, and none of them will stand out as they should (and don’t forget that you also have the back of the card!). In terms of design, leaving some space empty relaxes the view and focuses on the most important details.
Additionally, you may need to leave a note on the card before handing it to a potential customer. Having some free space available allows you to write down a new phone number, the name of a colleague to contact, and so on.
Include a call to action
Placing a call to action on your business card isn’t essential, but it can encourage potential customers to get in touch with you. Try a special offer, a useful tip, a discount code. The important thing is to create an incentive that invites customers to take action.
Consider using a QR code as part of your call-to-action strategy. We are all getting used to the existence of QR codes to be scanned: this is the right time to put one on your business card and allow those who find it to reach your website, subscribe to your newsletter, or receive an exclusive discount in a few moments.
We suggest that you place the code on the back of the business card, so it will be easy to scan and will not interfere with your logo placed on the front.
Add a special touch
To highlight your business card, you can add a more extravagant design element than usual or a special print type. The metallic embossed accents add a touch of sophisticated light, and the UV varnish creates a glossy, embossed coating – in both cases, the 3D element makes the business card hard to forget.
Review
There is nothing worse than opening the box of your freshly printed business cards (or menus or flyers) and finding a typo in them. Before confirming your order, ask a colleague or trusted person to review your business cards and check for typos. Or, even better, for a perfect ticket, hire a professional reviewer. Business cards don’t contain as much text, so this will be a relatively quick and inexpensive task.
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