Could your business card win you more business?
Being the next generation of influential professional movers and shakers, it is about time we got a basic business and advertising tool right and our business cards.
Research demonstrates only around 7% of a message communicated is based on the actual words used, so all that rehearsing of our elevator speech isn’t all it takes.
That leaves 93% of your impression based on other factors.
If we apply these statistics to your business cards, we could say that 55% of their impact comes from what they look like, the material, the tactile experience, and their shape and size.
A further 38% of the impression they make comes from their design attributes, including the colour, fonts used and size, and imagery.
With only 7% left being its content; who you are and what you do
How does your business card represent you?
What feeling will someone perceive from holding your card?
If it is thin and flimsy will they think cheap, or below-quality ? On a practical note will they end up dog-eared before they are even given to people? If someone hasn’t invested in their business card how can you believe in what they are selling?
Compare this to the impression given by a nice solid card – solid, durable, high-quality, reliable. Go for a thicker grammage (gsm) stock. A minimum of 300gsm is recommended but 350 gsm 400gsm is preferable.
The finish of the paper also tells a story, coated papers (papers with a sheen) aren’t as environmentally friendly. There are several 100% recycled uncoated papers available, labeling your card appropriately can add to the perception of your brand doing the right thing. If you choose a non-recycled stock ensure it is from a sustainably managed forest and that the stock is non-chlorine bleached.
Avoid matt or gloss-laminating your card. Once laminated, your card will never be able to be recycled. Sad but true, at some point your card will be discarded. Try to avoid foiling your card. Foils are made from toxic metals and don’t recycle well.
How can you achieve a completely different feel? Plastic, wood, metals?
There is a method available to print on virtually anything
Plastic cards be screenprinted or UV printed using a four colour process. Great transparency and layering effects can be achieved with clear plastic. Another great benefit of plastic is it goes through the wash and comes out in one piece – not like its paper counterparts, And with its rigidity it is far more likely to make its presence in your pocket felt rather than ending up in the wash. Plastic cards are also recyclable and promote this by printing the appropriate number on the back of your card, to communicate this to your customers.
Why are credit cards 85 x 54mm and standard business cards 90 x 55mm?
Credit cards are designed to fit modern wallets, why aren’t business cards?
The proportions of this standard size are both impractical and unattractive.
The orientation may also be worth considering, along with the shape.
Think about both the size and style of type (the font) used. Test your font with a few people. There is nothing worse than not being able to read a persons phone number or other contact details on their card and 7pt should be the absolute minimum font size. It also pays to remember that fonts vary in point size, with some in the same point size being smaller than others.
Pay attention to the colours used on your card:. The majority of business cards are predominantly white. The reason for this is that most logos are designed to work on white. When you are working with such a small design area, putting in a block of colour without your logo ending up in a white box can be an issue. Always try to make the background a solid colour.
If someone picked up your card without knowing you or your business would they know what it is you do?
Remember business cards have two-sides. Why not make use of both.
On the front have your logo, key contact details and email address, mobile and direct dial number and website, the back your address and benefits you offer.
Some of these rules may go out the window if you are in a creative industry, where being different is good. You still need to make practical user-friendly design decisions.
Future
Digital business cards – The cards of our future
The future of business cards – digital business cards
Including a QR code, a matrix code able to be scanned by the camera on your mobile phone is common on business cards in other countries. Over 50 million handsets able to read these codes are in use in Japan today. The code communicates directly with your phone. The codes can contain downloadable files such as your Vcard, a secret message, a SMS or a url, taking the recipients phone straight to your mobile web site.
Generating your own QR codes online is easy and free via several sites online such as
http://qrcode.kaywa.com. Other sites like http://www.viscards.com enable you to create a profile and a mobile web page that the code links to.
You can then download your QR code for use on your printed business card.
This is my code containing all my contact details on my business card.
The most exciting thing here is the ability to be instantly added to your prospects contacts list and to have them visit your mobile website immediately, rather than hoping they visit your website in an idle moment when they return to their desks at work.
Has this technology got the potential to change business card etiquette?
What do you do when some one gives you their card?
Do you have a good look at their card and comment positively?
Have you had your card put in someone’s back pocket? How would you feel if someone sat on your card ?
The business card zone is a big opportunity to win the best card of the day award, as the majority of people don’t value how important they are.
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www.duffy.co.nz
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