How To Waste A Business Card

How To Waste A Business Card

Your business card is your most important marketing asset.  It is the one thing most potential clients (and current clients) keep as a record of their contact with you.  It is how they will find you when they are ready to buy.

Yet too often, this marketing opportunity is squandered on a poorly designed business card.  Here are some common pitfalls:

Can’t Read It – If the average human can’t read your card, you may as well not hand it out.  Beware of type so small you need a magnifying glass to read it.  I am a firm advocate of using your card as a mini-brochure, but don’t try to cram all the information on one side of the card.  Move some of the information to the back of the card, or better yet, use a fold-over card.

Also, beware of emphasizing design over content.  Some designers are more interested in making the card look pretty than in making it useful.  Don’t use light colors for important text, and don’t use fancy fonts that are hard to read at any size.

It’s Just Wrong – Don’t start your business relationship with an excuse.  If you have moved, or changed your email address, then re-print the card.  If either you or the printer slipped in a typo, then re-print the card.  You may be willing to accept second-best, but your customer isn’t.

Who Are You Again? – Most likely, your new potential customer will be looking for your business card long after you met them.  How will they distinguish your card from the dozens of other loose cards in the box?  At a minimum, make sure your card says what you do:  Joe Shmo Services could be anything.  Next, have a graphic designer develop a memorable logo that provides a visual reference to your business: Some people remember pictures better than words.  If you are in a person-to-person service business, put your picture on your card.  They may not remember your name, but they will remember your face.  And invest the money to get a professional photographer to give you a good face in a professional setting.

It Won’t Fit – Beware of designers who try to make your business card stand out by using a non-standard design.  If it doesn’t fit into the standard 3 ½” x 2” business card holder or file, it will be put in a non-standard location – and probably never seen again.

DIY is Death – No matter how small your business, you want to look like a professional.  Most people can recognize the perforated business card stock from the office supply store.  Spray a little water on the card printed on your ink jet and discover the mess it can create in someone’s pocket on the way home.  If you use a professional printing service, avoid any design you have seen before.  And please, if you use Vista Print, leave their ad off the back.

Your business card is the most effective and least expensive piece of marketing you can buy.  You expect others to pay for your expertise, so engage a competent graphic artist to create a unique testament to your professionalism.

Comments are closed.