Business Card Logo Design and Samples, Professional Design Ideas
Your Business Card as a Strategic Marketing Tool
Innovative business card ideas are often misunderstood. The
key message intended for prospective customers becomes lost in radical attempts
at originality. These attempts at originality can in fact have a negative impact
on prospective customers, invoking a deeper discussion about the actual design
and presentation of your business card, rather than how your business can
actually help others succeed. The last thing you want to encourage when handing
out your business card are more questions about what your business does, or why
you chose such an idea for your business card in the first place.
While every business has, or should have a business card, often it is
neglected as a part of an overall strategy. If you take the time to devise even
a simple marketing, public relations, or sales strategy, your business card
should be an integral part of your plan.
Location! Location! Location!
If you sell product, consider including your card with the product when it is
delivered to your customer. Same goes for services. For example, if you are an
auto mechanic, consider slipping your business card in your customer's car
visor, or create a sticker business card that will adhere to a discrete area of
the customer's car windsheild. If you provide regular on-site services, consider
a business card magnet to be prominently placed on a refrigerator, or filing
cabinet. Keep in mind, you don't need to actually sell product, or deliver
service to ensure your business card gets and stays in the hands of others.
Include your business card with every piece of correspondence: quotes, RFP's,
letters, even photocopy your business card and include it in fax transmissions.
When mailing out information, include it in the mailing by stapling your card
(if possible) to the bottom or top corner of your letterhead.
Easy Access
The best thing you can do with your business card is not only carry it around
with you, but have other people carry it around and pass it around for you.
Having other people carry your card allows them to provide it to their friends
or associates when they are looking for a product or service. It is a proven and
inexpensive marketing technique.
Keep a small stack of business cards everywhere you can store and access them:
in your car, your jacket pocket, your briefcase, your purse or wallet, in your
day planner, at home, etc. You'll always want to have some on hand when you meet
a prospective customer and you never know who might be your next prospect.
Getting creative with your business card distribution
If you look at your daily routine, don't overlook the opportunities which lie in
front of you to distribute your business card and be pro-active in your business
marketing. Nothing is over the top. If you conduct or attend seminars, or trade
shows, make sure to drop your card in a "fish bowl" or card collection box. Tack
your business card to bulletin boards at supermarkets, restaurants, retail
stores, schools, libraries and other public spots that have a well placed
bulletin board. With in-person distribution, consider giving out two cards at a
time, one for your customer prospect and one for her/him to give away, or at the
very least, reduce their chances of losing the only business card you gave them.
Doing business is about finding opportunities and capitalizing on those
opportunities. The catch is that many opportunities can arise when you least
expect them to. You are certain to cover your bases by having your business card
as part of a well defined marketing strategy whether you are involved directly
in executing the strategy, or a network of people jointly execute the same
strategy for mutual gain.
Making A Good Impression With Business Card
Many corporations often neglect the importance of having a good business card
and letterhead design. If you're unaware of the effectiveness of having a
professionally designed business card and letterhead, do note that you can
literally turn these two materials into an excellent, low-cost form of marketing
and advertising tool. In the highly competitive business world today, it is
crucial that you show people how you value your business by handling the
slightest thing professionally.
Choosing The Right Design. It is best if you choose a design that
reflects your nature of business. Make sure to keep your business card and
letterhead design as simple as possible. Exaggerated graphics and fonts should
be kept away as much as possible for easy referencing and readability.
Create A Logo. Whether you’re running a
big corporation or simply a small entrepreneur, it is always important that you
create a custom logo to represent your business.
Design Consistency. For a more professional approach, it is
recommended that you keep all your business materials such as business cards,
letterheads and envelopes in a consistent design. Colors, graphics and logos
should be in a standard form and compliment each other.
Business Attributes. Unnecessary business attributes should be kept
away. Important business details such as phone number, address, email and
company’s website address should be arranged and highlighted in the most
suitable order so that people can easily get in touch with you.
The Great Two-Sided Business Card Debate
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