In the world of blogging, business and networking business cards are essential. When you go to professional after hours,conferences or networking socials business cards are in tow and being swapped out throughout the duration of the event. I have a few tips to help in creating a good business card.
1.) Be Original– You don’t want to blend in the crowd, you need to stand out! Your business card represents your brand. Don’t use a generic template or logo to create your card. If you don’t have a logo then leave your business card graphic free until you are able to have your logo designed and added to the card.
2.) The Font– The font you choose has to be a decent size and legible so people can read it. The font you choose will be displaying all your contact information and you want people to be able to contact you. Don’t clutter all the information, you want to look at how much information you’re trying to get on the card and spacing.
3.) Keep It Simple– I always say… “Less is more” Don’t get too busy with your business card. Keep it chic and simple.
4.) Card Size– I’m all for being different and standing out however my business cars is the standard 3.5 x 2 so it can easily fit into a card holder or wallet. I’ve gotten some amazing business cards that are round, square, oval or have rounded corners and the truth is… I keep them at home! I can’t walk with them or hand them out when advocating for the business because they’re not convenient for me to carry.
5.) Color Scheme– Choose two or three colors that blend well and won’t conflict with the text. You don’t want to fade out your contact information.
6.) Slogan/ Tagline– Tell people about your business and what you stand for. What makes your business so unique and what are you offering them.
7.) Picture– A picture can add a nice touch to a business card especially if you are an avid conference attendee like myself or build many relationships online. People want to know who they are talking to. When using a picture on your business card… **Try to match your picture with your online avatars. **Use a recent picture, not something from 2008. (Keep your photo updated)
8.) QR Code– A QR Code gives people a call to action. Most of us have smart phones that have QR Readers on it. You can seamlessly have people scan your business card and go to our web site or online portfolio. So many people are on the move 24/7 that smart phones have almost replace laptops and tablets when we’re in motion! We check email on our phones, social media pages, documents etc.
9.) Quality– You want a card that won’t fall apart in the recipients hands! I have nothing against DIY home printed cards however please get a good stock of business card paper. Check that it won’t bleed the ink once it’s printed on or if some water happens to touch the card. Use a paper cutter and cut off the perforated lines.
10.) FOR STARTERS… You definitely need your business name, logo and contact information! I have custom printed cards and I’ve also had Moo cards that I won through Klout and About.me and even though my logo wasn’t on them. I made sure all my information was there and added my picture since I am online heavily building relationships.
Are you happy with your current business card, why? or why not? Is there anything you can add to creating a successful business card?
