Entries Tagged 'Business card design' ↓

This article was supplied by printed.com digital printing, suppliers of high quality business cards members of the Direct Marketing Association.

The author’s views are entirely his own and may not reflect the views of FreelanceCopywritersBlog.com. If you are interested in producing a Guest Post for this blog, please get in touch with your ideas.

When it comes to promoting your business, get your hand in before the competition with a business card that tells your customers who, what and where you are. Next time they need those services, they’ll know who to call.

Every business has to ‘buy’ its customers, in one way or another. Spending your budget on business cards is a very simple but extremely effective marketing strategy. There’s nothing like getting your name out there when it comes to attracting business. Not only this, but compared to placing adverts in papers or on the radio, creating business cards is incredibly cost-effective thanks to digital printing. Digital print runs are short and economical, and supply high quality material quickly. Follow these five steps to make a business card that stands out from the crowd and enhances the professional image of your business.

1. Content

Small as a business card may be, it’s all about getting the right information onto it so that your customers know who you are, what you do, and how they can get hold of you. Leave just one of these out and your cards are as good as useless. Don’t forget contact details, including a website address and phone number. Social media information is vital in this day and age: add your Twitter name or Facebook URL to broaden your customer base. Once you’ve got down the basics, it’s important to add a personal touch that demonstrates why your company will deliver above and beyond the competition. Creating a tagline that’s catchy but not flippant should achieve this. A call to action such as “Visit our website” or “Contact us here…” will put your customers on the right track. Lastly, proofread your content again and again before going to print – there’s nothing like a typo to put off potential customers.

2. Design

Your content won’t work its hardest unless layout, images and logo make it presentable. An attractive design grabs the attention, and images have the capability to convey a message as well as or sometimes better than words – and sometimes in less space. If you go for something a little bit different (check the internet for ideas on creative business cards) make sure it fits with your branding and ethos, so that it really inspires people to think rather than coming across as a gimmick.

3. Be Brand Consistent

Content, design and logo should match your wider branding, from in-store branding to website design. This strengthens your brand and reduces customer confusion. If your business card uses one colour scheme, and your website another, your branding will be weakened. Make sure your designs support and integrate with each other to make your message more powerful.

4. Quality

The best design in the world will suffer if the printing is poor quality. Choosing a print company with a good digital colour machine, and which prints on 400 gsm stock or heavier, will ensure your cards are completely professional. Business cards should ideally be coated on both sides for durability and sleekness. Ask for some test prints to make sure the design prints well.

5. Going to print

Digital printers produce the best quality cards for the least amount of money. Most companies require designs of at least 300 dpi, but ask your chosen printer for their individual guidelines and requirements. The company should be able to advise you on matters such as design and layout, and offer test prints before the full print run.

With a little effort, and attention to detail, the company will be able to produce business cards that perform far beyond the outlay invested in them. The whole face of your brand will be improved by the use of business cards, which give off a slick and professional impression. As long as pitfalls are avoided (including typos, missing content, inconsistent design and poor quality printing), your handy business cards are the ideal way to circulate the capabilities and details of your company, in a neat, pocket-sized and transportable form.

Business cards may seem a strange subject to be talking about on a copywriting and marketing blog. After all, can a copywriter help with the creation of business cards?

Well the answer is yes – in a way they can.

It is not very often that the  humble business card gets to fulfil its potential. Seen by many as a simple means of leaving their contact details with someone, the business card is in fact a mini marketing tool. A fact that is usually overlooked.

Its layout, contents, strapline and use of space is very important in creating something that is eye-catching and memorable. After all, how many times have you been to a networking event only to return home with a fist full of cards that all look the same? Usually they are plain white with a bit of text on showing a name and contact details. They are instantly forgettable and, sadly, so are the people who they belonged to.

If you want to be remembered, make a mark with your business card.

There are two sides to every story

There are also two sides to every business card. So why do so many people forget to use the space on the back of their cards?

Use it to show the services you offer, your USP, even images of your product.

Above is my business card. As you can see I have used both sides of the card to show not only my contact details but also the services I offer to my clients. That way I avoid the conversation that goes…

“Oh, I didn’t realise you did that as well. If I’d known I would have called you.”

The reverse side of your card can be used for many purposes:

• List of services (as above)
• Images of your products
• Your USP
• An offer
• Your picture
• Testimonials

I’m sure you can probably think of a few more.

Make an impact

As you can see from the above, my business card is fairly plain. But its white background sets off my blue logo and works well.

But business cards don’t have to be white. Utilising colour is another way of generating interest and getting your card (and you) remembered. Whether you go for something soothing and pastle or bold and vibrant, the colours you use can say a lot about your business.

For example, if you are a young and funky design agency, your business card will need to reflect that with bold colours and vivid text or graphics.

The market you are aiming for will be reflected in your colour pallett – heritage colours (burgandy, dark green etc.) for the more serious professions (e.g. Solicitors, Accountants etc.), bright and vibrant colours for ‘cool’ businesses (e.g. Design agencies, IT etc.).  Of course that’s not set in stone, I’m sure there are many trendy accountants out there who would benefit from a bright, eye-catching business card design too.

Don’t be square

People often seem to believe that business cards have to be rectangular. That’s not so.

Just because most cards are that shape (yes, including mine),  doesn’t mean that’s the way they have to be. Stand out from the crowd by using different dimensions or shapes:

Using a shape that is slightly out of the ordinary is a great way to draw attention to yourself. And, when an unusual shape is coupled with a strong colour, the impact is increased.

Interactive cards

What do I mean by interactive? Well, your business card could fold into an card that stands up. Perhaps it can be folded into a box shape. Maybe it has a slit in it to hold something – the pizza restaurant Zizzi is very good at that. Your bill arrives slotted into a business card.

This makes your card stand out from the crowd and gets you noticed.

So you can see there are lots of ways you can use colour, shape and clever functions to get your card and you noticed.

Where does the freelance copywriter come into all of  this?

Well, we may not be designers, but we are very  good at coming up with straplines and succinct ways of putting your marketing message across.

This post was inspired by an entry I found on dailyblogggr.com. Here are the 36 brilliant examples of business card designs they identfied. It’s amazing the impact such a small piece of card can have – they really can be a very powerful tool in  your marketing armoury.