What Makes an Effective Business Card?
The Good, The Bad & The Just Plain Strange |
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Although it’s small in size, your business card plays a big role in your company’s success. A good business card should present a professional image about you and your company that people will remember. A business card can ultimately make or break a client's first impression of your company. So whether you design it yourself or hire a firm, your card better be darn good!
It’s important to point out that what may be the perfect business card for you could potentially be a horrible card for someone else. In other words, every business card is (and should be) different. What works for you, may not work for other businesses or industries. That being said, there are proven tips and strategies you can follow that will help maximize your card’s effectiveness.
To help ensure your business card’s effectiveness, take note of the following tips:
Stay true to your business image and services. If you’re designing your own card, choose a card style that's appropriate for your business, industry and personal style. If you're a financial planner, for example, you probably won’t want to hand out bright cards with cartoon figures on them. When crafting a design, start with the style that best supports the business image you wish to project. Creativity is great, so long as you don’t sacrifice your professional image. |
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| Trying to be creative or memorable often comes at the expense of ruining credibility and/or professionalism: |
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| Does he sell wolves or software development services? |
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Is this a real estate professional or wanna-be tennis player from the’ 70s? |
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| Don’t ever overlook the importance of the basics. A great business card is worthless if basic information is incorrect or missing all together. Although you don't want to overload your card with information, you do want to include the basics: your name, title, company name, address, phone number(s) e-mail address and Web site. Make sure your font is readable, and proof your card for accuracy at least five times before you send it to print. |
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