Business cards are a tried-and-true method of marketing your business. It’s marketing and promotional material that almost every business owner has, but often doesn’t use to its fullest potential. The first step to using a business card right is to create one that you’re proud to show to people.
Hire a Graphic Designer
The best way to create an attention-grabbing business card is to hire a graphic designer who has experience creating business cards. They’re going to give you your best results and something you can be confident in. You can still use any printer you want once the card is designed. If you can’t find one locally, try looking nationally to find a contractor.
Use Color Correctly
You want to use the colors that are associated with your logo and your brand, but you may need to use them differently to make them readable on a small business card. Try out different arrangements to see what works best.
Use Readable Fonts
If your font is not readable, then the card is useless. Print a test from a sample on your own computer to find out if it’s readable before getting 100 cards printed. Typically, if you can read it okay that way, then it’ll look even better after being printed professionally.
Answer the Right Questions
The recipient of the card should be able to tell who, why, where, what, and how to do business with the card owner. If people don’t know what you do by looking at the card, then the card is useless without you being there. You want them to know what to do when you’re not around. Be warned, however. A card cluttered with information will distract and confuse. Try and find a balance between including your information concisely while still being easy to read.
Try Different Shapes and Materials
Business cards don’t have to remain the same shape; you can get them made as bookmarks and even with other materials like plastic. Although they’ll be more expensive, they could give your brand the edge it needs to stand out against your competition. MOO.com offers some interesting choices for business cards.
Add a QR Code
Some people think QR codes are dead, but if you go to other countries you’ll see that they’re far more popular than in North America. Putting a QR code on the back of your card will make the recipient curious.
Make It Visual
Using graphical images as a background on a card looks special and catches people’s attention better than just plain black and white cards without images. Ensure that the print can still be seen.
Don’t Print Them Yourself
Nothing is worse than business cards that look like they were home printed and feel like they’re home printed. Spend the money to get them printed professionally. You won’t save that much money by doing them yourself.
Don’t Be Cheap
Thicker cards will stand out more than cheap, thin cards. Spend the extra couple dollars to get good paper for your business cards. You won’t regret it. The money you save trying to do them alone isn’t worth it.
Creating a business card that looks great is a lot easier today. Even if you can’t hire a graphic designer, you can use a company like PrintsMadeEasy.com, or Vistaprint.com - use one of their templates to create a great card. You can always improve your design and figure out your branding more down the line.