How well do your business cards represent your company?
What do your business cards look like? Erika recently came back from an event with a stack, and it got me thinking about what makes business cards effective.
Your business card is a reminder of you and your brand. You want the overall design to reflect what you do, in addition to providing your contact information. If nothing else, be sure you include:
- Your name
- Your phone number
- Your email address
- Your website
- Your logo and tagline
- Any additional ways you’d like to connect with you, such as your Facebook page URL, Twitter handle, etc.
- Your mailing address and fax number for convenience, too.
Get creative when you design your business cards. A lot of business cards are mostly white, so feel free to use different colors – just make sure everything is still easy to read. You can also explore textures, holograms, round the corners, make it vertical, etc.
There are all sorts of websites that provide tips for making your card stand out – such as changing the shape, making them out of chocolate, etc. Feel free to explore different options and, if it’s cost effective and fits with your brand, give it a try. Personally, I prefer the standard size and shape, though. Here’s why:
- I like to take notes on business cards I receive. It’s hard to write a note on non-traditional business cards like CDs or coins, though.
- I have a business card holder to keep the cards I collect. Non-traditional cards won’t fit in the holder so I actually end up losing them instead of knowing where to look when I’ve got someone in mind.
Here are a few more tips for creating your business cards:
- Keep it simple. Don’t use too many fonts or include too much information as it can be confusing and convoluted.
- Triple check for typos. Use spell check and make sure your contact information is correct.
- Always have a few business cards with you. You never know when you’re going to run into someone that might be a valuable business connection.
Do you have any additional suggestions?
Photo Credit: kibrly