Do you trust the first impression that your current business card gives off?
You have seconds to ensure that your first interaction with a potential business partner is a positive one. A well designed, unique business card is a fantastic way to offer a strong and lasting impression. A prepared entrepreneur has the perfect business card on hand to offer prospects the most vital information about their business. A business card is more than a tool to inspire people to contact you, it’s a reflection of your mission and of yourself.
Business cards are a physical medium for sharing information that comes in all shapes and sizes and they can be an exquisite work of art. When designing business cards, there are a number of important elements to incorporate into space because prospects will look for this particular information to decide if they want to get in touch with you.
You can translate your brand’s values onto a business card by considering who your target audience is and deciding what information would translate the story of your business to this audience. Images (if you decide to use them), textures and colors should be attractive and unified with your brand identity, differentiating you or your business from the competition.
Business cards have the potential to build personal connections and generate leads. Our team at Creative Repute Design Agency can help you optimize the space you have to work with on this tiny card. We can help decide what information should be on the card. Let’s take a look at the correct format for a business card:
I influence anybody who is able to get through the chaos of my first impression.
Gary Vaynerchuk, Belarusian American entrepreneur, author, speaker and internet personality.
Brand Name
Putting your brand name on the business card is quite obvious but sometimes people get it wrong. If people know you by John, but your actual name is Fred, then you should use John on your business card instead of Fred to avoid awkward reintroductions. You want consistency for your brand.
Company Logo
When you think about a business card, you should first consider the logo you are going to use. If you don’t have have a logo, Creative Repute will help you design an effective logo. Read our blog titled What Are the Benefits Of A Well Designed Logo: How Is It Good For Business? to better understand the importance of a logo.
Contact Information
Your contact information includes a phone number and email address at the minimum. The professional format for phone numbers is +1 (215) 853-6468. And it’s better to use an email address linked to your website: in our case an example is info@creativerepute.com. Social media profiles, website, and a work address should be included if it’s appropriate for the kind of services or products you’re offering.
You don’t want to put an overwhelming amount of contact info on your business card. The tip here is: the contact info should be the most direct one. Your prospect should not face delays by going through operators or trying to figure out which email address mentioned on your card is the best one to reach you. We recommend only including the most direct contact methods. It’s suggested to give prospects your professional contact information and to keep your personal information private. If you prefer to be contacted on your mobile device then bold the most important info. After your phone number, use (c) to represent your cell phone number and (o) to indicate that the other number is your office phone number.
The modern human has access to the internet and most people prefer to contact each other through email rather than through snail mail. Including your email address becomes more important if your business requires a lot of communication and fast responses so that you can be contacted anytime and anywhere.
Include your social media profiles and website on your business card. But not all social media profiles, just the most refined and professional ones. Social media has become an inseparable part of businesses. If you’re not on social media, you don’t exist in the eyes of your customers.
You should also include a physical street address only if your business holds a dedicated location. If you are working virtually, then there is no need to give a registered business address.
Breathing Space
You don’t want to overwhelm prospects with clutter, it’s off-putting. Incorporating empty space on your card will help with clarity and push the most important information forward, achieving the maximum effect with the fewest number of essentials or elements. Remember, we’re working with a small amount of space and at a glance, someone holding your card should be able to understand what you are about and what the call to action is.
Creativity
Last but not least, you need to express your uniqueness. Show people who you are by using imagery related to your job title. For example, instead of simply listing “Artist” as your job title, use images of your artwork on the business card, or add texture by including a laptop or splash of paint across the card. Or if you’re a “Real Estate Agent” printing our card on wood that resembles a floor in a home will intrigue prospects. This will help you stand out and the new owner of the card will cherish this thoughtful representation of you even more.
Organization
If you’re wondering what order your contact info should be on the business card, this depends on what you want the call to action to be. Your logo, the name, company, and job title comes first. Then you have to decide if the person should visit your website or if you want them to call and email in which case this info will come before your address. The order of the information that you list on your business card offers room for creativity and should highlight the most important call-to-action first.
We hope, this article has provided you with a better understanding of the benefits of working with the Creative Repute Design Agency and how we can help bring your branding goals to life. With our diversely talented designers are experienced with designing websites, advertisements, social media campaigns, brochures, business cards, invitations, mission statements, curriculum, product labels, restaurant menus, product descriptions, character designs, and much more.
Please reach out to us at info@creativerepute.com for a free consultation about your branding goals.
