Business cards aren’t dead yet. Believe it or not, it’s still one of the best ways to introduce yourself at social gatherings. The business has gone through a lot of changes over the years, and many businessmen have sort of forgotten to keep up with the times. As a result, they’re led to believe that they don’t work quite as well anymore. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Put the right info on them, and they’ll help keep the phone ringing and your appointment book full.
Your Name
It seems obvious, but in the age of social media pseudonyms and anonymity, the personal touch of an actual name is lost on a lot of business owners. Put your name somewhere where it will be noticed. When a person calls your company, they’ll know who to ask for.
Your Address
Your business address is another piece of information that needs to go on your business card. This is actually a piece of information that traditional business card printing hasn’t forgotten. It’s sort of common sense. If you want people to do business with you, you have to let them know where you’re located. Plus, even if you don’t do sales in a brick-and-mortar store, having your address listed will help with the trust factor. People like to know you’re legit, and nothing says you’re serious like a physical location.
Your Phone Number
All businesses have phones – all real ones anyway. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a local phone or an 800-number anymore, since many people use their cell phones for most of their phone calls. What’s important is that you have a dedicated business line.
Social Media
Facebook. Google+. Twitter. LinkedIn. These are just some of the social media sites you should consider listing on your card. Now, you may not want to list all of them. Space is at a premium on a business card. But if your company lends itself to social networking as a way of getting leads, then by all means include this information.
Some companies should keep this information off their card, however. For example, if you sell commodity products, there’s probably not a good reason to advertise your social accounts. If, on the other hand, you have a service-based business or your company sells a novelty product that is “viral” by nature, social media is almost a must.
Website
Most people go online to check out a company before they buy anything. Put your website in clear font in a place where it’s easily readable on the card. You don’t have to include your email, but it might help. If your website lists the contact information on the front page, or is easily discoverable in the navigation menu, email isn’t a necessity.
If you have a long website name, don’t shrink the font just to make it fit within a tiny portion of your card. Prioritize the importance of all of the information. If you’re primarily a web-based business, consider shrinking your physical address and bringing your web address front and center.
Photo Credit: Flickr/Reuben Whitehouse
