For a long time, the business card remained a marketing media for which I had little interest. Every time I left my job as an employee, I had to throw 2 kilos of my own cards. I had used 2 or 3 maximum.
Often, business cards have any interest graphically speaking and the information is always the same and very basic. But since I became self-employed, I look at this means of communication with another eye and I was able to test its great power. I explain to you why to pay attention to your business card and I make you a list of the unavoidable elements to think about.
Reasons to pay attention to your business card
A marketing media like any other
As a marketing media, it serves to convey a message about your business. And often, it is the one which represents a very first contact and a very first visibility with an audience. That’s why it is important to consider doing a little bit better than just putting your name, phone number and email.
Your business card is a mini flyer that will allow people to whom you give it to remember you. It will have to mark the spirits to be told: “yes, she was the girl with the company blah blah blah”. Just for not confusing you with your competitor. The business card is a way to stand out.
Something about culture
In addition, culturally, the business card is more or less important. For example in Asia, the business card is unavoidable. If you go to a networking event, this is the first thing you will be asked. Conversely, even without asking, you get some very quickly. In this part of the world, it is distributed a lot.
But be careful, when you receive it, you have to take the time to look at it, read it and put it neatly under the eyes of your new contact. Neither in the back pocket of your jeans or anywhere in your purse.
My advice is to learn about the codes of the country where you are before making your business card. The best is waiting to receive some so that you can study them and determine what is needed.
How to make a good business card?
Without waiting, I give you a list of parameters to consider before creating your business card.
Format
You want to be original to be able to better mark the spirits and stand out. It’s perfect, you remember what I told you just before! But make sure your business card has a standard size.
By standard format, I mean; not a size larger than a credit card. It is very annoying to receive a business card and not be able to put it in his card case or wallet. You follow me? So, OK for the originality: square format, a cut corner, or rounded corners, etc. Whatever you want as long as it stays practical for the one who receives it.
Information
You’ve decided on the format, it’s time to worry about the content. A brief overview of the essential elements that must be included:
- your name: as it is known in your company. It sounds basic, but imagine that you have two activities including a writer and you use a nickname, what do you do? A second business card.
- your title: and be careful, it must be able to describe what you do and who you are, professionally speaking, at a glance. Avoid extended titles, unusual abbreviations and too specific names.
- your contact details: your mobile phone number, your email. All that is useful to reach you.
- your logo
Until then, it’s the base. But here’s what you can add and you should not deprive yourself:
- your website: just to encourage your interlocutors to find out more about you and your company. Do not forget that your business card is a way to advertise.
- your social networks: same as for the site, you encourage your interlocutors to follow you.
- other ways to contact you: I think for example Skype or WhatsApp, etc.
- your photo: yes, you can. I was rather hesitant to put my head on my business card, but after reflection, I thought it could help my interlocutors to remember me.
- the baseline of your business.
Design
The best, and I can not say enough, is to hire a professional graphic designer. He will advise you and decline your business card by respecting the graphic line that you gave yourself with your logo, website, etc. so that there is a coherence in all your means of communication. He will also highlight the information seen in the previous point.
It’s with the design that you can really be original. BUT do not forget that all the information must be legible, that we must not use all the colors of the rainbow at the same time on this little piece of paper and be synthetic.
Paper
Again, your graphic designer can advise you on the choice of paper, so that it highlights the graphics and business card information while bringing a personal touch. However, if your budget is limited, a normal paper will do the trick. Just think of selecting a paper thick enough so that your card does not crease or tear when you want it out.
Will you show me the result?
par Delphine Berclaz