In a time where most information is exchanged electronically, the idea of handing some paper rectangle with your information may seem out of date. Nonetheless, business cards still prove to be one of the most efficient forms of marketing out there. The idea of handing out a business card conveys a personal exchange of information and strengthens your relationship with us your customer.
However, just like in all forms of advertising there are good business cards and bad business cards. Lots make the most out of your prints budget by exploring six things that make a successful business card.
Table of Content
- Which Font do I Use on My Business Card?
- Where do I put a Logo on My Business Card?
- When do I Give My Business Card?
- What Information should be on a Business Card?
- What Material Makes a Good Business Card?
- Best Colors for Business Cards – Perfect Color Combination
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes and 45 seconds.
Which Font do I Use on My Business Card?
It’s all about the font. Not only is selecting the right font type important for the sake of a customer reading your information but the size of the words matters a great deal on that small piece of premium paper. Your font style showed reflects your business attitude. Selecting a font that will clearly convey information without straining their readers’ eyes is a priority. Most business card readers will spend less than 3 seconds scanning the card for information. Make sure your fonts are built on easy-to-recognize letters. This is one of the situations where overly fancy may seem appealing to you, but may not necessarily be effective for the reader. Remember that a business card’s useful life span is about 3 seconds. In that short amount of time, it’s supposed to get your customer to commit to action whether that means calling you or looking you up on the web.
Where do I put a Logo on My Business Card?
Your logo is the keystone of your branding strategy. It should appear on everything your company hands out. Logos on business cards are a cheap and effective way of reminding your customer that this picture represents an aspect of your business. At the same time remember that it’s your name and position that takes center stage on a business card and not the company logo. The logo should be displayed in the corner of the front of your business card. As a general rule of thumb, the size of your logo should be about the size of your thumbprint.
When do I Give My Business Card?
The purpose of marketing is to create a funnel that begins at an initial contact on one end and moves a prospect moved to your sales department on the other. Your business card plays an important role in that funnel. Whether you are using your business card to blanket a large group of people at a networking meeting or whether your business card is used in the middle of the final process to make sure that your customer reaches out to you, the proper design depends on when and to whom you were planning on handing out this business card. For example, a sales position of a person that does initial contacts will require a business card that is more informative about the company than the card of a salesperson in a closing position where after some degree of the sales process you’re simply trying to emphasize your contact information and your readiness to do business with your customer. A company that has several positions of employees should generate a business card that has a standard theme and different content design according to when it is used in the sales process.
What Information should be on a Business Card?
Quite often people ask me whether they should include information on the back of their business card. Again, it depends on when you are planning on handing out this business card. As a general rule, I tell clients that if their customer conversation is less than 10 minutes then their business card should have two sides’ worth of information about the company. If the conversation is longer than an initial meeting and the customer has had a chance to communicate extensively with the salesperson then an elegant short information business card would be preferable. Although it’s rare where information will keep somebody from contacting you.
What Material Makes a Good Business Card?
Let’s talk about the actual business card. Undoubtedly, you’ve handled more business cards than you can remember, and you know they come in all sorts of textures and paper types. We generally advise our customers on the card material type based on their industry. For example, a jeweler may want to convey a delicate and elegant image with a lighter material business card that has some aspect of gloss or luster finish on it. Whereas a mechanic who probably has a good amount of oil in the shop, and on his or her hands, would probably prefer a business card that is thicker and less absorbent. In some cases, we even recommend vinyl material that is washable and a lot more resilient than card stock. The good news is that this is your chance to make an aesthetic choice.
Best Colors for Business Cards – Perfect Color Combination
The color of your business card matters a lot. Choosing a color other than a white background means that your business card will differentiate from other business cards more. That is the whole point of the business card, when the customer begins to review their stock of business cards you want to make sure that yours somehow catches their attention. Above all make sure that the print on the business card contrasts with the color background. If you are planning on a dark background color such as dark metal, dark gray, or black then your print should be in white, silver, or yellow as an example. Choosing the correct color of your business card should be consistent with your company color. If the rest of your print, for example, tote bags and tee shirts, are done on yellow then you may consider a yellow background for your business card. Consistency is the key.
Finding the perfect combination of characteristics to make an ideal business card suited only to you is a long process but worthwhile. At the end of the day, you want to make sure that the rectangle riding in someone’s pocket is a good representation of what you are trying to sell and how you do business. There is no lack of bad examples of business cards out there and most of those end up in a trash can. Following these simple rules will get you started on your design journey. If you should have further questions feel free to reach out to us.