Does Your Business Card Stand Out?
Monday, March 21, 2005 - posted by hellomynameisscott at 7:28 AM
(Click on this image to get a closer look!)
Recently I took 66 business cards I've collected over the years and spread them out on the table. I closed my eyes for 30 seconds, opened them and took note of which cards stood out the most. And here's what I noticed:
This was a very cool exercise that I recommend to everyone. Give it a shot and find out what makes effective business cards stand out! And don't forget to put your OWN business card in the pile. You might be amazed at what you find. Or don't find...
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What makes your business card stand out?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
Great comments on business cards! b/c are easily the least effectively used marketing weapon in any guerrilla marketer's aresenal.
As a print and promo "Idea Guy", I've designed quite a few business cards, but one of my favorites is the one I talk about here -- http://www.redbirdpromo.com/promo00.htm
Read the story behind the design, and answer this question: "How many people are showing YOUR business card to everyone they know?"
Hey Scott!
Very cool idea spreading out all the business cards and seeing which one catches your eye
I also have 100's of business cards that I've collected over the year , some are really unique
and some are rather blah.
The ones that I like the most have the person's picture on the card so you can place a face with a name
I hace a couple of articles about business cards on my blog as well
Jack Bastide
BusinessCardMakeover.com
Scott,
It's amazing how many entrepeneurs will take shortcuts with their business cards just to save some time or money.
When they do, their cards are truly forgettable.
Perhaps comparing our personal card to a spread on a table will inspire some to make the needed changes quickly!
I am leading a personal crusade to rid the world of "vanilla" business cards. I have just launched ShowOffCards.com which offers personalized "superhero" themed business cards and a personal ShowOff Web Page.
Never again will your card go straight into the recipients pocket (or worse!). You'll get one of three reactions: the grin, the question or stunned silence...
But you'll Be Unforgettable!
I actually have 4 cards....one for each season.:) I have found that the color graphic on each one made a huge difference. It goes along with the theme of my web site and how I teach sales is like the seasons.....you can count on them to happen but there are never two that are alike.
People frequently introduce me at events and things and they say you should see her business card....if perhaps they had gotten a Fall one when they met me and now they are introducing me to someone in the Spring....the card is different....the original person generally says, "Mrazek, only you would have different business cards for each season of the year."
When I started this company and named it simply, The Sales Company, and my designer came up with my concepts for by business cards, letterhead and web site....those two things alone have been awesome marketing tools for me.
Debbie Mrazek
The Sales Company
debbie@the-sales-company.com
Great topic.
Business cards are the one tangable thing that a person will walk away with. Does that small piece of you look dull, forgetable?
I am a fine artist so visuals are very important to me. I have started putting one of my portraits on my business cards. Any time I pass it out ther reciever always takes at least 10 seconds studying it! Often they will grab a freind and show them the card right away. This leads to more cards being handed out.
When I first started this technique I got a portrait commission from the first card I handed out.
I would say "Visuals Sell". And You are right. The Red works too. Maybe I will switch to a red background on my next order.
Scott Holloway
www.paintingloft.com
I have to say that I really do love my business card. The back of it is bright green (full bleed) with white text that says "Imagine A Simpler Life...
I always hand it to people with the back side up so they notice the bright green and almost everyone says something about how different it is.
I think having a non-white background is a winner.
I think your business card idea is great. There are far too many things that we all do in business without thinking - you obviously take nothing for granted. Very nice.
Jonathan Ginsberg
Atlanta, GA
Business card play the important thing on doing business. Business card design is one of the good thing to do but there are some of other important aspect to do with your business card.
I am talking about 4 other ways to double the power of your business cards. You can take a thorough reading on this secret at
double power of your business card
Hope you get some idea.
Good Luck
I wish more people would try that, Scott!
True, the point of having a business card is NOT for people to be able to pick it out of a pile of non-related cards... but it does make the point that small (often free) design changes can have a major impact.
As the author of a business card design book, it's good to find other savvy marketers who obviously "get it" about the marketing value of business cards.
Some good observations and tips there, business cards are constantly overlooked as marketing tools.
My advice when it comes to business cards is to get them professionally done. I've tried doing them myself, and I have to say, Prints Made Easy does a much better job than I could ever do on my own. They have a large variety of designs and at good prices too.
i have a business cards fetish or you may call it addiction i change business cards almost every month...i just cant stop my self..whenever theres a new design that comes up my mind i would usually print it out on my own or have printed outside.
By the U Printing makes good prints
check them out here: http://www.uprinting.com/Business-Cards.html
they also have this great design tool mounted on their websites...
Wow! That's interesting, I'd recommend getting your custom business cards from http://www.printsmadeeasy.com, they do great work and have awesome values. Check them out!
I myself and new to this whole business concept. I have just barely decided I want to open my own development firm.
After working for several web development firms in utah and finding many flaws in the way they do business I decided I should break away and go solo. Keeping in mind all the things I hated about the companies I worked for, as an insider and as a potential client.
Though business cards, I never realized how much these can affect your business. But after reading about it from Scott, I now see that business cards are often the first exposure that a client has with your company, if it is dull then it doesnt boost the confidence in your company.
Over the last week, I have been reading a lot about business and getting started with little or no money into it, ive come across a lot of great information though not much pertaining directly to the field of web site development.
Scott, this article by you while not directly related to my field helped me out tremendously. As I am a graphic artist and a programmer, I opted to do my own design but now see that its probably not the best option for my start-up company. Using the technique you've used by laying a bunch of cards out, I will revamp my cards to hopefully catch the eye of my potential clients.
So thank you for this article.
Business Cards….the price points now allow people to have cards for different audiences, messages and themes. Some with cell phone, some with out, some that emphasize certain services,…the key is to target your message/card to a particular audience. A business card is marketing and targeting your message is effective marketing.
Rob
http://www.staplemonkey.com
I'm forever thinking about how to get my business card into peoples pockets without me actually having to be there to hand it to them.
So, here is an interesting way to make money with your business cards that you may not have thought of!
For me, I ended turning it into a revenue stream, because I knew there had to be a way to take advantage of the millions of business cards out there. It's a strong concept to generate leads. Here it is...worth a quick look freecard.com
Dean
I've definitely been trying to improve my business card. My business allows me to have one of the most unique, though cumbersome, business cards of all - a flipbook! I have a picFlips Mobile Flipbook Studio as part of my business, Spare Time Events, LLC. The next design I am working on will just LOOK like a flipbook.
:)
Great Story Iam a printing broker and I really push Business cards Iam looking To really change my card now after this story Thanks
Wally Reid
l
Looks like were doing it right...
Our card is vertical, full length, but 3/4 wide (so its tall and narrow), dark blue (almost black) background, with a colorful mustard gold "fivecat" logo.
Every single time I hand the card over, they say, "cool card"...every time!!
People never forget Fivecat Studio once they get our card in their hands.
Great info Scott!
Business Cards should be looked at like mini billboards. One common mistake that alot of people make is putting their business name at the top of their card! EG. If you fix broken TV's...rather then put "John's TV Repairs" at the top, you would be better off putting "Your TV Fixed in 2 Days or You Don't Pay!"
Putting an eye-catching headline is key...just like when you read a newspaper, you look for the headline that interests you and read the article...a business card is the same.
There are also ways to get your business card handed out for all over town to your target audience without you even lifting a finger....and it goes directly to your target market. I have a huge blog dedicated to the topic of generating cash flow out of your business cards. If you have cards sitting around that you don't use, feel free to take a look at www.businesscarddisplays.info .
Dean
The one thing that stuck out to me, was the fact that virtually all are poorly designed with horrific typography and spacial awareness.
It is NOT good to stand out for the wrong reasons. Good design is just that, bespoke solutions that communicates the right message within a medium.
Take a look at http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_designs for some alternative concepts.
yes, i too am a designer and i frequently have stacks of people's cards on my desk, i have started getting a custom size card that is 1/32 longer than 3.5" the standard length, also the front is almost blank, with just my name in the lower right hand corner, all the contact is on the back also in the corner...
all that blank space actualy is usefull for 'napkin sketches' albeit small ones, and the fact that it is just my name is also a chance for them to concentrate on just that for a bit, often wondering where the info is...
that was not only a simple and effective solution but a cheep one since i kept the graphics solid black ink on blank white paper.
-Pahl Samson
If you are a business owner and you would like to incorporate your company, you should understand that incorporating is a critical decision for your company. There are many legal and controversial issues related to incorporating. Learn how to incorporate your company here.
I paid a few bucks more to get a full bleed black background. Mainly because I like the way it looked. But then I noticed that if I was in a house with a bunch of cards and mine was there from a time before my client would see it shining out like a beacon. I don't think they would notice a white background in the sea of other cards. Love the visual of all the cards laid out in the photo.
I agree with everything you said and the results of your experiment. But I have to say business cards dont, or hardly ever serve as a form of marketing, but an aspect of it could 'stick'. Also you have to consider how business cards are traded, they are hardly ever compared with 30 other cards and usually u have already made contact on some form if someone is holding your bc.
This is probably the best way to know which cards stand out. Great Idea!
From my experience designing business cards, choosing a solid background color will make a business card stand out. Some cards have too much design elements, which are nice, but are not going to stand out from the rest.
Steve S.
ww.mind2print.com
Hey, you made some very strong points about what stands out. Biz cards are very important when networking, you definitely want to be remembered when you walk away from a handshake.
There's a new printing company out there that is offering 250 free biz cards. They even offer the option of uploading your photo or other image to your cards.
Check them out: www.giggleprint.com
Hey, you made some very strong points about what stands out. Biz cards are very important when networking, you definitely want to be remembered when you walk away from a handshake.
There's a new printing company out there that is offering 250 free biz cards. They even offer the option of uploading your photo or other image to your cards.
Check them out: www.giggleprint.com
I would recommend http:www.printingcenterusa.com , they print low cost business card with min. quality of 1000.
I would HIGHLY recommend:
http://dragongraphics.interfirm.com
I have used them...FAST, GREAT COMMUNICATION...and they were easy to use. Check 'em out!
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Good collection of business cards with many coupons I found at iPrint store.....!
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I made my business cards for free @ bizcardcreator.com
You could get some too if you need them this instant and don't have any money!! : )
I agree. There should be more blogs about this. People should be aware that it's NOT just a business card...it's more like your identity...and it should match your personality and represent your company. Business cards should be like finger prints...there shouldn't be duplicates because everyone is unique in his/her own way. I think I've seen enough plain, vanilla business cards to start my own design firm + print brokerage to change the world with one business card at a time. Feel free to contact me for help, if you want to transform your business cards.
Hey Scott! Great article. I use my business cards to market my business and recently discovered www.cardcues.com Have you seen these? Pretty cool. These inexpensive business card holders let you hang up 40 cards on a bulletin board with a single thumb tack. - great at grocery stores, coffee shops, libraries etc.
If you are doing business in a foreign market the single best way to make your business card stand our is to translate it into the native language of the hosting county. In some countries it is actually manditory. I know of a company that does a great job with business card translation. You can fine them at www.japanprint.com and they did a great job with my cards.