Many people overlook the value of having a professional business card that accurately reflects your brand image. Yet this small piece of paper can be an important part of your collateral package. It’s often the first item prospects receive from you, so it’s your first opportunity to make a strong, positive impression on them. Use these tips:
1. Hire a professional.
Enlist the help of a professional designer unless you have the required skills to design your business card yourself. Ideally, this person is also tasked with designing your other collateral (letterhead, brochures and website, etc.), so it will be intuitive to carry your brand image through from those items to your card.
2. Keep it simple.
Business cards are typically just 9cm x 5cm, so you don’t have too much space with which to work. Don’t make your logo too large, don’t make the type too small to be comfortably read, and don’t be afraid to use white space.
3. Keep to the standard size – unless you’re the adventurous type.
There are things you can do to a 9cm x 5cm card to differentiate yourself (such as having rounded corners), but going with an unusual shape can be tricky. A round card, for instance, is quite memorable, but it certainly won’t fit in standard business-card holder devices. You must be willing to trade convenience for memorability if you choose an unconventional shape or size.
4. Be deliberate in choosing the information to appear on your card.
What’s most important? Don’t clutter things too much; as with the design, simpler and cleaner is always better.
5. Keep the back blank, or use it for non-critical information.
How often will people see the back of your business card? Traditional card storage modes assume that one side is blank. If you do wish to put copy on it, be sure the information is of a supplemental nature, like your company’s mission or tagline.
6. Can you business card be multi-purposed?
A card can do more than promote your name and business-it can also serve as a discount coupon, an appointment reminder or some other function. It may also provide valuable information that the average person may need. For example, a hotel may include a map on the back of its card for any guests who are walking around the local area. A card of any type can be made multipurpose by adding any of these types of features.
