In recent days and across a few of our events, we have noticed how varied the quality, effort and design that business cards have. Pair this with the recent trend on LinkedIn polling the public to see if business cards still have a use in today’s digital world, and you might just think the business card is outdated.
Well, we are here to tell you that the death of the business card is a long way away. Still to this day, it could prove to be an incredibly useful marketing tool, provided they are done right.
Business cards can be a powerful marketing asset and a great tool for your marketing strategy; not just for providing your contact information, but also for instantly giving a feel for your brand.
They are an introduction to your business, so it’s vital it grabs people’s attention from the get-go.
Where people often miss out is when they use a standard single card that has a logo, contact information and their position within the company. But times have moved on and this no longer cuts through the noise.
Good card design
By using a design and print agency to help create your new and exciting business cards, potential clients are more likely to comment on your card, in turn making it easier to start a conversation. It can make you stand out and be a great introduction tool when networking.
When business cards are poorly designed, ill-thought-out, and aren’t used to their full potential it’s not surprising people don’t see their worth.
Making your business card as interesting and eye-catching as possible is essential to attracting future clients’ attention, and in turn, putting your business in front of them.
We recommend looking into concepts and ideas you can use for your business card; this can help with any creative block you may have.
For example, our Growth by Design business cards are like a booklet. It features a window that allows our logo to be seen both on the front and inside. Our contact details are printed on the front, and inside we have our company motto, a few services we provide and a quote from our team.
It is an interesting design that catches people’s eye. Our business cards tell you who we are and gives you a feel for what our business does and what we stand for – which is exactly what we want!
We suggest looking at what your business does (the who, what and why), and researching interesting concepts that could work perfectly with your business cards.
Bad card design
When looking at bad examples, they are often too plain or have a design that is too busy.
That’s not to say that simple cards aren’t effective, however, we recommend including something that stands out on your business card. This increases engagement and is more recognisable. If the majority of people have handed around business cards at a networking event, will a plain and simple design really stand out?
Busy card designs could have the best intention behind them but will often be brushed aside. If the colours clash or the card is packed with lots of text, then this can be difficult to read or understand, as you can see from the example below!
Print quality of your cards
One final aspect to consider when creating your business cards is to use a high quality printing service. Using a professional ensures the designs are displayed nicely, and you won’t have to worry about your design appearing faded or avoid any image quality deterioration.
For example, our sister company’s Growth Coach, business cards uses embossed features as well as some texture to certain elements to make them stand out as well as feel nice to the touch. So even if you have a simpler design, the print design of the business card could be enough to make the difference and be your conversation starter.
Quality business card design and print produce useful tools for networking and recognition
Overall, the business card is still a useful tool to utilise in your business. We can speak from experience, as we have seen great success from using our business cards at a variety of events.
Ultimately, business cards are great for:
- Creating an easy conversation starter when networking
- An extra way of communicating a marketing message
- And a great way to make your strongest competitors look average
