Business Cards – Your Hidden Marketing Tool

Where would we be without our trusted pile of business cards? Everyday we handout our little rectangles with our contact information. We probably also have a pile of other people’s business cards on our desk or stuffed in a draw. We all understand that a business card is a necessity but we often miss a great opportunity to market our business to a captive audience.

If you make your business card part of the conversation, your business will automatically become a part of the conversation.

For your business card to do its desired job, it must be professional, attractive and memorable. Having a beautiful eye-catching business card should be an integral part of your branding. At any meeting or networking event there are so many business cards being dished out, it can be hard to make your card stand out.

There are a number of ways to make your business card a conversation piece:

1. The Design: Having your business card designed by a professional designer can make a big difference and they can help to produce a unique design that represents your business. A great design can vary from a minimalistic approach to full creative design, both work well and a chat with your designer can help decide which route to take.
2. The Print: A good paper quality can make a positive first impression for a potential client, but even more important is the print quality. There are so many different printers to choose from, online as well as local to you, and the costs can vary massively. Make sure you ask for print samples before you book in your job. Your graphic designer can also help you here and even manage the print for you.
3. The Finish: Along with your business card print you can also choose to use a whole variety of laminations, varnishes and fancy extras including Matt Lamination, Velvet Lamination, Spot UV, Foil Blocking, Embossing plus many other options available. Again ask the printer for some samples to see how the effect looks and which finish might work best for your business.
4. The Shape: While the standard rectangular shape can be used to good effect with the points above, making a new shape can give an extra touch of uniqueness and will also help you to standout from the pile. The process of cutting the business card into different shapes is called die cutting and you can create almost any shape you like. You also have the option of creating a folded business card which can give you double the space to put information on the card.

The points above give a guide on how you can use your business card more effectively as a marketing tool. Obviously, some processes are more costly than others but try to get the best quality you can that fits within in your budget.