You Need to Be Easy

Right now, I’m getting ready to print a new batch of calling cards. And it’s taking a longer time because I wanted my card to stand out. Thanks for the tips. I’ll keep it in mind while designing the cards.

a card is obviously a contact piece which, when you get down to it, is a marketing piece. therefore, shouldn’t your card have a value proposition and include a call to action?

my favorite cards are ones that have tips or other useful information that frame the value the card’s owner provides. follow that up with a call-to-action to visit a website/blog for more tips…

you turn a card with contact info into something that actually “works” for you.

Hi Chris,

Read your business card blurb with some trepidation since I’m in final proof signoff now (and just did it about 10 mins ago – could probably still change if I found a huge gaping hole) — so I go down your list.
Did that; and that; and hey! – I did all this! External proof once again that I’m not an idiot! Success!

People definitely care more about where you are located in the “real” world than I usually expect. I even catch myself often asking people “where” they work geographically.

Not disclosing your location seems to leave a hole in most peoples’ mental maps of who you are.

And it’s not only business cards that do this, I wrote a blog post back in March called “Web Marketing Newbie Mistake #1: Hiding Your Location.”
[http://www.scottfox.com/2008/03/web-marketing-n.html]

It talks about the many good reasons that people do (unexpectedly) want to know where your business is based, and how web site owners should turn their About Us pages into an asset by using their location to attract customers.

Chris –

I’ve always been a fan of the cool biz card; read a long time ago in one of Gitomer’s books – if someone doesn’t at least say, “Hey, cool card.” when you hand it to them – get one that does right away.

Use every second of that 1st impression. From the confidence you exude in your eyes, the firm handshake and the “wow factor” in your business card.

Unlike a lot of the readers here, I’m not looking for new clients…my philosophy for a new design was just something that stuck out from the rest of my industry & even from the other IT/Web people in my business.

When that rare opportunity to hand one out happens – I want the recipient to at least pull the card out and look at our name again. Or even better – show it to a friend and say “Hey, check out this cool card…”

http://twitpic.com/30ws/full

There is a great article on writing a strong about page for your blog / website at: http://www.skelliewag.org/how-to-write-the-perfect-about-page-by-numbers-150.htm

It’s a critical anchor to everything else on your page. Thanks for the smart post, Chris!

I don’t have business cards.

I have contact cards that are simple yet elegant: a deep blue foreground with four lines. The top line, centered, has my name. The next line, centered, has my web address. And two left-aligned lines carry my cell number and email address.

These are cards I mainly give to friends, networking contacts, and the like.

I’ve yet to receive negative feedback.

Google for “contact cards” or “personal contact cards” and you’ll see other examples and best practices.

SO timely, Chris (and everyone whose comments I’ve read through!).

I have had such a dilemma with business cards recently.

The main thing was that my email addresss was very longwinded, based around the corporate entity I set up here. Plus it sent people to my corporate site, which doesn’t reflect where I’m at, but does host information about our services my e-book and email sign-up.

Now that I ‘live’ at my blog, I was not sure if I should have the corporate website, plus my blog… and I wanted to have my blog email address, as I’d designed it to be easily sayable and spellable.

After much soul-searching (and picking the brain of my pet marketing genius) I’ve decided to go with my name (large and centred), my blog email address and my (one) phone number.

On the back, the blog address, and my tagline.

I just don’t see the point of a physical address, these days (although I take the points above about people wanting to locate you).

And on the issue of doing away with business cards, I’m based primarily in Asia, and it’s vital to have a card. In fact, I have caught a cab across the city and back again just because I didn’t have enough cards on me. Your card represents you, here, and without one, I’m basically not there!

Thanks again for insight, and thoughtfulness.

This is exactly the conversation I needed to have – and I got to have it with about 50 bright strangers…

Yes, I need to add a picture of ME on my about page. There’s a picture there, but it’s not of me. Which reminds me; I also need to get some current pictures taken…

I like the idea of adding city/state information to the business cards. I ordered a new batch in March, and they’re already outdated. But now I have some things to think about before I re-order. (like dropping the Twitter and Seesmic information, for one thing)

@GracePiper – thanks for the link to Prints Made Easy!

@Danielle – We’ll always have business cards. People do still meet face to face. And when one goes to a convention or other some such gathering, collecting business cards and scribbling information on them is the best way to remember the folks one meets! I can’t imagine something like business cards going to “online only”.

@Andrew Lightheart – I completely agree with your last statement there. :)

Very timely! I’m designing my business cards *and* reworking my website. :-)

Originally I wanted to go with Moo cards, so I could have my art on one side; but it’s good to know that unusual sizes can get lost. Now I see that Moo has business cards–so I may go that route!

Totally forgot to add a tagline/quote to my temporary home-printed version.

An as for “easy,” I’m absolutely Victorian. **Off to add phone # and location to card design**

I always try to have something of value on the back of my business cards. My last card had a table showing useful conversions between number of steps walked, distance, time spent walking and calories used (we run a web based stepmeter logging service to help people lead a healthier lifestyle).

My new cards I am working on at the moment for our web consulting service will have an offer of a free 1-hour web consultation that guarantees at least 5 concrete suggestions for improvement of the recipients website.

I am thinking that I will also have another version of the card aimed more at existing clients with some SEO-tips on the back.

I hope that gives some people some good ideas!

Email address. New world or not, email is still the way we tend to message folks.
Company URL (if you have such a thing)
Blog URL – this becomes more important these days, because you want to show your humanity, and/or what’s on your mind.