Deconstructing the Business Card

The purpose of a business card is to make people remember you and contact you, and while we all understand it is a necessity, we often fail to see our business cards as a marketing tool.

In addition to this, people don’t realize that your business card accurately reflects your brand image and helps people to for them perception they have on your business and your professionalism. You need to be able to give prospective clients a great impression of your business.

With do-it-yourself business cards printing companies entering the market and lowering expectations and standards, it’s not hard to see when someone chooses to go for the “cheap and nasty” option. What message does that send to your prospects? People often think “start-up” or “part-time business” and possibly get the impression that they are not serious about business.

This small piece of card, is a very important part of your brand collateral. It is often the first item a prospect receives from you, so it is your first opportunity to make a strong, positive impression

So, what information should you put on your business cards?

CONTACT DETAILS

Give some thought into what contact details you would like to include on your card, as a minimum your card should include:

• Business name in the form of your logo – your professionally designed logo, of course!
• Full name – just as important as the business name, as you are the person making contact.
• Job Title
  This allows people to have a clearer understanding of what you do, your day-to-day responsibilities and how you can help them. It also helps to establish credibility with those who may prefer to work with a particular professional, or even the business owner.
• A minimum of two contact methods
  Think about how do your customers like to contact you, or how do you prefer them to contact you?

I suggest your mobile number, landline number if possible and email address.

Do you need to include a physical address on your business card?

If your business is location based and you do prefer to work in a certain area then “yes”.
If your business is a web based business, an ecommerce store for example, and there is no reason customers would visit you, or even care where you are located, then leave it off. However, I have had many clients who have wanted to include their physical address even though they are mostly mobile, as it can help to validate the legitimacy of a business.

What about your website URL?

If you have a website (and you should!) this is good and simple call to action, and encourages people to find out more about your business, it’s also another chance to add credibility and convince people to use you.
Keep it simple and make it easy for people to contact you directly.

BUSINESS INFORMATION
Other than your contact details, consider adding some information about your business, the following suggestions can work in your favour: 

– Services
A short list of services can help to reinforce your business offerings to prospective customers and ensure they understand what you do.

– Unique Selling Proposition
Handing out your business card is a golden opportunity to share what you do and why people should do business with you. What is unique to your business and why should someone use you? Use these prompts to create a powerful statement and add this to your cards.

– Brand Promise / Tagline
Every business needs a strong brand promise. It is a way to quickly tell your story and why you are relevant (or not) to them.

– Legalities

Some businesses and industries need certain licensing numbers and details, ABNs, accreditation details and logos and the like. Make sure you check these, but also know they may or may not be legal necessities, they do also add credibility to you and your business. 

USE YOUR CARD AS A MARKETING TOOL

 Here are some further suggestions to make the most of your business cards and to use them as a marketing tool. Make your business cards work for you.
– Add a call to action
Consider producing a small number of cards that are customised or tailored to specific events, campaigns or particular markets. Include an offer or a link to a landing page on your website.

– Track your marketing
Every marketing activity should be tracked and measured. Include a QR code or a link to a unique landing page and give the recipient an incentive like a bonus offer, an E-book or a coupon. This way, you’ll be able to track the rate at which your card compels people to action, if it doesn’t work, tweak the offer and try again.
– Add Testimonials
Add credibility and allow your prospective customers to relate to your happy customers and see how they have used your product/services.

– Use a Motivational Quote

If you are the motivational type, include a quote from a famous person, a quote you say a lot that people know you by, or a movie line that connects with your brand. Say it out loud when you pass over your card, you could make someone’s day!

Make your business card a conversation piece and your business will automatically become a part of the conversation.

Shout louder and stand out against the rest, contact Evoke Visual Creations if you need a hand with designing your business cards.

Elisha Crismale

Creative Expert

www.evokevisualcreations.com.au