Out of all of the tools that you can use in the physical world to market your business, your business card is by far the least expensive and most powerful one that you should be investing in. For just pennies each, you can have a marketing piece readily available to give to anyone you might meet. They’re small, they’re important, and they can be powerful, if you use them correctly!
Business cards are a small space, so you have to carefully balance information without being overwhelming. Necessary items on every business card include: 
- Name
- Title
- Business Name
- Logo
- Contact information (email, address, phone, website)
Additional information that can be included, if space allows include:
- Motto or tagline for your business
- Description of your business
- Unique Selling Points
- Mission Statement
- Offer or coupon
- Benefits of your company
Let’s examine the pieces, using my business card as an example.
As you can see, you can neatly fit the necessary information and some of the additional information on one side of your card. In my case, I was able to combine my logo and business name, as they are one in the same. I used a different font for my name and tagline to draw attention to those areas, while using a plain, easy-to-read font for the contact information. It is important to allow for some “white space” so the reader isn’t visually overwhelmed. This is one of those “less-is-more” cases.
As you will see, I utilize the back of my card, also. There is a debate to be made for/against this practice. Some people feel that you should leave the back blank to write a note; however, in this case, I chose to put the back of my card to work for me. I chose a contrasting color, so it will catch the eye, should someone see the back first. The light blue lettering isn’t as harsh on the eyes as a white was, but contrasting enough to be easy to read. By choosing a yellow for the offer, people will immediately be drawn to read my offer.
It’s important to have your cards printed by a quality printer. I started out printing my own, but soon realized that the cost of looking less than professional was too high. Cards that you print yourself generally look like you’re cutting corners, which is an image you don’t want to portray to your potential clients. For this card, I chose a glossy front, which I’ve been really pleased with. The print really jumps off the page.
Using a local printer is always an option, but they are considerably more expensive than the mail order services. I have been very happy with VistaPrint.com and continue to use their services on a regular basis. They are generally running some sort of special, like $3.99 for 250 premium business cards. The current special is even better!
You will pay extra for color on the back or to upload your logo–or your whole design, which is what I did for the front, but the cost is still very, very inexpensive. Here’s a tip– after you place the order and pay, the system will give you an option to order additional copies at a reduced price. For example, if you want to get the 250 cards for $3.99 and you’re thinking about ordering another 250 at the regular price, wait until after the order is placed and they will offer them to you at a significantly reduced price!
Next week, we’ll discuss how to utilize your business cards and put them to work for you!
Until then, I would love to see your business cards and hear about how you use them! Please leave a comment with a link to your card or write a post and link to it for the Monday Marketing meme! It’s all about tips and inspiration…join in the fun, won’t you?