Business cards may seem extremely outdated in today’s technology-driven world. However, they are actually an important part of your brand. Think of business cards as a portable version of you and your brand – one that you hand out to other people to remember you by.
Design matters
An eye-catching design can say a lot about you and your brand. Check out these before and after designs. So, take the design process seriously, and just like every other part of your brand, think about what you want the design to say about you. Do you want to be sleek and successful? Dark and mysterious?
Size matters
A lot of people are into the small business cards these days. To me, they are quite annoying and easy to lose. After all, you want me (I assume) to be able to contact you at a later point. Sure, they’re cute, but these days, you have a lot of information to fit in an already small space. There’s no need to make your business cards smaller.
Content matters
Make it easy for your contacts to connect with you. Becoming completely elusive after meeting someone does not look good for your brand. If you’re always on Skype, include your Skype username. If you frequent Twitter, include your Twitter handle. Same goes for all the other social networks and possible means to contact you.
Oh yeah, and you probably want to include three to five words about your brand somewhere on your cards. For example: “Gen Y author, columnist & mentor.” Use your cards not only to provide contact information, but also to make a statement about your brand.
Digital matters
Let’s say someone lost your business card (small or otherwise). If you don’t have an online portfolio, you should at least have a digital business card. There are many options out there, and more seem to pop up every day. Make sure your digital design and content are consistent with your print business cards.
What other elements of a business card are important to your brand?
Author:
Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended, an exclusive online community connecting the best internship and entry-level job candidates with the best employers. She is also the author of #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com.
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I agree that design and copy are extremely important, but I also believe that the first step in creating a business card is determining your goals (some people might want to have more than one type of card on hand). For example, having links to all of your social media profiles and websites might not be the best move for everyone (especially considering the limited space). When I receive business cards, the elements I notice most are:
Card stock: I like heavier stock cards – though not necessarily plastic ones.
Texture: I actually prefer the old fashion textured card, as opposed to the glossy ones.
Image: Having a headshot on a card is a great way to be remembered, especially if you met someone in passing or briefly at a networking event. Having that face-name connection will help you stand apart.
I recently advised a firm about their business cards being an extension of their brand. You make good points. One further suggestion is to utilize all the real estate on the back of the cards. A great place to list specialties.
Rob
Great Topic on such an important element that we often neglect and rush. Getting this right the first time is a bonus! Thanks -Steve
Great article, and a good idea. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting myself some business cards for ‘my brand’, including other projects, as I currently just have cards for my daytime employer.
Excellent points here on business card design! I would also add that your fonts, colors, styles, etc should match your website and other marketing materials, so you create a consistent recognizable image across the board.
What’s up, Heather?
I enjoyed this post – thanks for sharing your tips.
A site that I really like for a richly branded business card, is http://www.Moo.com
Additionally, I think having a video resume of sorts, that communicates your value proposition, is a very valuable addition to your business card.
People being able to find you and your content (blog, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin) is one thing . Which is really useful.
But boiling down your value proposition into a digestible (but rich) message, especially through video, can be priceless.
In this era of the Internet, people don’t need MORE content.
They need the minimum information, but they need MORE context.
If they like your brief value prop, they’ll dive into your content stream to learn more.
Thanks again, Heather! Love what you’re doing!