Most of us keep piles of business cards stashed in our desks and hand them out at business meetings. They are a great way of passing your salient details to a new contact without the need for writing a telephone number or email on a scrap of paper, which could then quite easily end up lost.
Business cards are an incredibly useful marketing tool – when you hand one over, you have a captive audience. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t maximise their potential. So how can you make sure your business cards end up doing exactly what they were intended to do – that is, spark the interest of a useful contact?
Create a Memorable Card
First things first, you need to design a great looking card. At the very least, a business card should have your contact details on it, but don’t stop there. Make sure the card is made from quality material and feels good in the hand. First impressions count, so be prepared to spend a bit extra on a thicker cards from a professional business card printing company. After all, nothing looks worse than a cheap, thin card. It intimates that your business does things on the cheap, which is hardly a good first impression.
Add a Photo to Your Business Card
Consider including a photo on your business card to put a face to the name and make it easier for contacts to remember who you are. Photos make you appear more approachable; they also make it easier for contacts to recognise you if you are attending a busy convention. And if you are lucky enough to score very highly on the attractiveness scale, this tactic is a winner!
Design a Multi-Tasking Business Card
More often than not, business cards end up in the bin or left to gather dust at the bottom of a desk drawer. One way to prevent this from happening to your business cards is to give them a dual purpose. By making your business cards useful in some way, people are more likely to keep them close by, and therefore remember you.
Include a Special Offer with Your Business Card
Try packaging your business cards with a special offer for the recipient. This can be anything from a free gift to a money-off coupon deal on your website. Everyone loves a freebie and the recipient is much more likely to think highly of you if they get something for nothing when they take one of your business cards.
Never Miss a Marketing Opportunity
The key to successful business card marketing is never missing an opportunity to hand a card out. Try and steer any conversation with a new contact to a point where you can hand them a business card. And if there are any suitable locations where you can leave a small pile of business cards for potential recipients, do so. You never know who will pick up a card and place an order.
Make good use of your business cards by incorporating them into your marketing campaign and you will soon reap the rewards.
