The humble business card is such an important part of a business’s promotional arsenal. Whenever you meet a person and you don’t get a card, do you walk away from them and the next day struggle to remember who they are? At events and meetings, a simple card can work so much in a person’s favour. We’ve come up with 3 important reasons why business cards are important for businesses.
Reason 1: It gets your name out there
If you have a memory like many others, you’ll probably not remember a person easily from a quick conversation. You may remember small details and potentially write down a little about them, but chances are you don’t have enough information about them to find them again easily.
Business cards get your name out there to others – it’s as simple as that. A business card doesn’t have to be complex in the information it provides, but it does have to have your name and a little bit more about you such as an email address, phone number and a website for your business.
Whilst you have business cards, be a little selective about who you give them out to. Whilst you may think every person is an opportunity you should be thinking about why you want to give your card to that person, and what reason will they have to follow up with you.
Cards cost very little money to produce so it is a very inexpensive way of marketing yourself and your business. However, you do need to give your card some thought about how it’s presented. Make sure you have your business logo on your card. Use your business colours and use a consistent design to match the style of your business.
Also, make sure your business card is scannable to devices. Many people use phones now to scan in their contacts and cards that are not spaced well, use odd fonts or are too fancy do not scan at all well. Fonts should be clear and readable. We recommend using an international phone number (with +xx at the start) as when it scans into a mobile phone, your phone number is instantly callable.
You may want to have a short statement about what your business is. This will help your recipient to understand further why you have given your card to them and hopefully form a small connection with which to build upon.
Reason 2: A card allows someone to connect with you at a more convenient time
You may meet someone at a time that is not all that convenient for them or for you. Conferences are especially difficult to connect with people, and you meet so many that it is not always possible to recall who you have met. A card will provide a contact the opportunity to find out more about you, and you should always try to get a business card from those you have handed one too.
If you receive a business card, we encourage you to connect with someone within 48 hours of receiving the card. You may like to develop a follow up template in your email that you use when you follow up with someone. Check why that person wants to form a connection with you as you also don’t want to waste your time, but be genuine with your connection.
If you receive a card and choose to not initiate a connection, you could still link with that person on LinkedIn. If you choose to do nothing then that’s up to you, but there should have been a good reason why you have a business card and there may be opportunities missed if you don’t action a business card in some way.
Reason 3: A card shows professionalism
This is a point where many may say that there are so many other reasons why a person would be seen as professional, but for many events we’ve attended, those that came prepared were remembered afterwards because we had a point of reference.
Your card is a living document of your business. It will change and morph over time, and rightly so as your business evolves and grows, so should your marketing materials. A card does not have to be expensive to have an effect on people. There are some people that have metallic, embossed glittery cards that have all the bells and whistles and others that have a nice, simple card. Both will have the same effect – providing your information to someone else.
We recommend a strong card that feels nice to hold, that will last being wedged into a bag or pocket. Card sizes have evolved, and you can really show creativity with your designs, but remember the smaller the card, the more possibility there is of it being lost.
It does not generally matter if you have a landscape or profile style card, as long as it is readable and provides a connection with your business. The majority of cards will be landscape as it feels more comfortable to read – experiment with your card to find a style that suits your business style.
You do not need to spend a lot of money on business cards to have a nice card that helps you to build connections and be memorable to others. As long as your card is readable, clear (scannable), articulates who you are, what you do and how to reach you then you can’t go wrong with a business card to promote your business.