Instead of heralding the decline of these small, paper-based calling cards, the digital age has in fact created new, creative, business card opportunities and trends. Perhaps against the odds, business cards are still as important, if not more important, than they ever have been before. This blog post will provide you with some helpful hints for how to make your business cards stand out from and above the rest of the crowd.
It might seem that in this world of LinkedIn, Skype and social media that businessmen and businesswomen would have no need to network (or perhaps even encounter each other) face to face and that, as such, business cards would slowly fall out of fashion and use, but that is not the case.
First things first – you need to get the basics right with your business card:
Keep it simple
Use legible fonts and keep colours simple, and down to a minimum.
Provide the essentials
Cramming a business card full of social media details, or other gimmicks is a waste of space. Typically a company name, person, job title, website, phone numbers and an email address will suffice. Its your name and company you’ll want people to remember, details can be looked up later.
Be different
A flimsy business card with a generic look and feel will see you blend into background. Tips on making your business cards stand out from a look and feel point of view are below:
Let people feel your business card – raised prints or logos will have people touching and exploring your business card, and it will stick in their mind.
Consider the details – a gold or silver edged business card will catch the eye and will make yours stand out.
- Make it weighty – nothing screams quality (which is undoubtedly a quality of yourself or your business you want to promote) more than durability. A flimsy business card will become tatty and sad looking as soon as it’s put in a pocket or bag. Something weightier, possibly with a second material duplexed on the back,400gsm+ will last longer and will look professional.
Finally, where to keep your new cards ready for presentation and where to put cards given to you.
For engraved cards it is best to keep them interleaved to keep them in the best condition and therefore a wallet or purse is too cramped for such cards. After being presented with a card keep them in view to study and remind who you are talking to, place in a top pocket or cherish portfolio preferably where it is the only card visible.
