Your business card may be the first impression someone gets of your business, so it’s important to make sure your business card contains the right information.
It’s amazing how many people have business cards that don’t do them, or their business, justice. You go to an event or a networking meeting, and the amount of people who have ‘forgotten’ or ‘run out of’ business cards is tremendous. This is the memory of your chance encounter that your prospects will keep, so why are you not making the most of the opportunity?
Here are 5 tips to help you make the most out of your business card, and ensure prospects remember you.
Make sure it contains your key information
First of all, do you have a business card? If you do, does it include the vital and necessary information for someone to contact you?
- Who are you?
- What is the best number to contact you on?
- What is your email address?
- Have you placed your address so that prospect you are setting up a meeting with knows how to find you?
You also need to take care to spell check your information. If you have misspelt your information, not only does it mean the prospect is less likely to be able to contact you, but they’ll be less likely to want to if you haven’t taken the time to spell check a small amount of information.
Consider how your audience want to contact you
You need to consider how people may want to contact you. Understand that shy people would rather email and have a response before they pick up the phone. Others want to pick up the phone and talk to someone directly and have an instant answer on their query.
If you only provide certain contact information on your business card, you limit who will make the first contact with you, so ensure you leave a good selection. However, be warned, you can include too much information.
If you are adding your Facebook address, Twitter handles, LinkedIn profile, Pinterest account and where to find you on Google+, you may want to scale back a little. Include your key contact information, and leave the social accounts for when people head to your website.
Encourage people to contact you using your preferred contact method
Though people do have preferred methods of contact, you can try and suggest which way is the best way to contact you.
With a business card, it can be as simple as explaining to someone, it is easier to reach you by phone, as you are on the road all day. Prospects will appreciate knowing the best time and method to get in touch, and it will help build a bond, knowing you are making it easy to be contacted.
Make it memorable
Your business card is the part of your company that others get to keep. Do you really want that represented by a flimsy piece of card with the bare minimum printed on? What would you think if you received your business card? Is your brand instantly recognisable?
Ensure your card is not only informative but eye catching. Not only does this give you a better chance of your business card being kept in a safe place, but if it does get thrown on the pile of paper at the office, it will definitely be spotted again.
Use both sides!
When you receive a business card, what is the first thing you do? You read the information on one side, and then you turn it over to look at the information on the back. You have two sides to a card, why are you wasting one?
If all of your info fits neatly on to one side, then why are you not using the other side to promote your business, represent your brand or as an opportunity to sell? Printing one sided business cards is a wasted opportunity.
Not sure what to do with that spare side of your card? Why not have a look at this case study to give you some inspiration?
Looking to update your business cards? Why not give us a call and speak to one of our friendly team, you can even pop in if you like. Or if you’re looking to read more about print, why not check out our other blogs.