Your card is an essential and potentially powerful tool in your business, if you use it correctly. Yuppie competition a la American Psycho isn’t the game here. The game is networking. You need to utilize every opportunity available to spread the word about your business (especially in this economy), and that is what catchy cards are all about – telling people who you are and what your business does, and showing them how much cooler you are than your competitors.
Scott Ginsberg, author of The Power of Approachability, wrote an article for Business Know How about the importance of business cards and the basics of designing a great one. He suggests that measuring the effectiveness of your card can be done by stacking your card up against other business cards – does your card leave a lasting impression on the people who receive it?
Ginsberg also suggests that you try to incorporate a photo of yourself into your card. Cards with red on them, cards with black backgrounds, vertically oriented cards, and cards with large images on them also catch attention more than plain “ivory” business cards.
The third major tip Ginsberg offers includes several tips on how to make your card creatively unforgettable. He suggests thinking outside the box and using unique sizes, shapes, materials, languages, and multiple functions. Take a look at 51 business cards that will make you look twice for inspiration and ideas.
Ginsberg’s fourth step to awesome business cards is implementation. He admits that card printing can be expensive, but it is money well spent. Only give your perfect card to people you have established rapport with, says Ginsberg. There’s no point in wasting your money on nice cards only to give them to strangers who will only throw them away. All Graphic Design put together a compilation of the coolest business cards… ever! Check it out.
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