The goal of any business card is to be handily available when someone needs what you are selling. In order for a current or potential customer to find your card when they are ready to make an order, they first have to remember it and have kept it. So how can you make your business card memorable enough that people want to keep it around? Here are some little known facts about memorable business card printing pieces that will help guide you to design one of your own!
Before we go any further let us consider the reasons people keep business cards:
- A business card can be a link to a potential customer or client – the person who gives you the card knows someone else that you would like to do business with, so you keep the card as a way to contact the other person.
- A business card can be a link to a resource or supplier – when you meet someone who supplies difficult to find resources, you will want to keep their card for future needs.
- A business card can be a link to a colleague – these colleagues may be competitive in the same occupation you are in, but perhaps you refer customers to them when you are busy. Or they may be non-competitive in a related occupation that supports your product or service, and you recommend your customers to them often.
- A business card may be kept for non-business reasons – perhaps you simply are interested in the person who gave you the card.
- A business card may be kept for referring business – you may not be able to use the services of the person whose card you take but you know someone who can.
- A business card may be kept to update old information – perhaps a contact you already have has moved, numbers or addresses have changed, and you would keep their card to update your records.
- A business card may be kept just in case – you just never know when you might need that service or product they offer.
- A business card may be kept because of something unique about the person or their card – perhaps you found the person likeable and keep the card even though you cannot imagine ever needing their service. Or you found their card design to be unusually well done.
With this in mind, here are a few design elements that can help make your card memorable and keepable:
- Your card should make the service or product you offer clear so that people know when to call you.
- Use both sides of your card – the front is for the standard contact and job description, but the back is valuable space that can be used to market yourself by adding the name of a book or article you have published, testimonials from customers, product lines you distribute, etc.
- Consider the colors of your card stock and ink, and images you could add of yourself or your product – use the ones that will make the most impact.
- Incorporate a tag line that tells potential customers why they should do business with you – what is in it for them?
- Keep the design of your card consistent with the rest of your business marketing material in order to take advantage of brand recognition.
When designing your next business card, keep in mind both the reasons that people may keep your card and these memorable design tips. This way, rather than wasting budget money by printing business cards that no one wants to keep, you’ll have cards that work for your company and your prospects, giving you the most success for your cost.
