Business cards could be considered a thing of the past, right? With the advent of digital media becoming more important than ever, you would think that a paper card wouldn’t matter as much nowadays… but it still does.
The business card is still a simple but highly effective way to show professionalism, exercise branding, and give clients your contact info. Even with social media becoming as relevant as it has, business cards remain unique and crucial to a businessperson, even more so for a contractor.
Professional image
There’s something inherently elegant about handing someone a business card. That could be because we’re used to it at this point, but there’s a lot of real psychology behind it.
Mainly, it’s a physical object.
You could easily just tell someone to check your Facebook or write your number on a piece of paper, but it doesn’t have the same appeal as a business card. This is something you had to design, print, and pay for – and now you’re giving it to someone. It’s almost like a gift.
And because clients can easily store it in their wallets, it actually works better than saving your contact on a phone, where it could easily get lost and overlooked. Phones have way too much information and features in them, but your business card is completely removed from it.
Branding
A business card is a strong form of branding. Social media and digital marketing are crucial, absolutely, but they’re also overwhelming. Most people can easily ignore marketing they don’t think applies to them, which makes it hard to leave an impression.
But a business card – a physical item that you hand to someone in person? That leaves a much clearer and powerful impression.
Personal interaction
The simple act of giving someone your business card makes for a short but meaningful personal interaction. Anyone can Google you or look up your page on Facebook, but there’s something very distant about this type of interaction.
This is precisely why many companies focus their efforts on making them seem more approachable and use informal language to deal with clients, as a way to make up for this “distance”.
Giving someone your business info in person, however, is the total opposite. It’s a physical and organic interaction that means a lot more than anything you could do digitally.
More practical
As weird as it sounds, a business card is way more practical than anything digital. Yes, you can give your website address, Facebook page, etc., but there’s still something a bit awkward in the way that handout occurs.
Maybe the person doesn’t have their phone ready to take the notes, maybe there’s no internet connection… There are many small obstacles that could get in the way of giving your client your contact information.
With a business card, however, there’s no such obstacle. It’s as easy as handing it out and you’re done.
The perfect business card
The limited size means you have to be precise with the information you choose to display. Here are a few quick tips for the perfect business card:
Keep it short. Business cards are for essential info. Avoid slogans, borders, or weird fonts that are hard to read – you want to keep it simple. A talented designer will be able to set it up neatly.
Front and back. You can get away with a single-sided business card just fine, and it’s also cheaper to print. But if you want some breathing room, try front and back – it gives you extra flexibility.
Don’t be cheap. Business cards are not very expensive to begin with, so there’s no reason to skip this investment. Opt for good quality print and paper, it’s worth it.
Want to know more about how to design the perfect business card? Read our 5 tips for a winning business card!
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