A business card is so much more than a piece of card stock with contact information. It’s a chance to stand out, make an impression, seal a deal, and take your business to new levels. In an age where communication is primarily online, a business card allows you to add that unique touch. Boring white rectangles with a simple logo should go in the recycling bin where they belong - it’s time to upgrade your business card game with these three tips:
1. The first step is to create, or build on, your brand. Now is the time to refine your logo, chose a font, a create a color palette. Coherent branding means your business card becomes an extension of your website, marketing collateral, emails, and more.
If you don’t have existing branding, sit down and make a mood board. What images do you associate with your business? What colors? What emotions do you want the typeface to express? Being able to fully see how you want your business conveyed to others serves as the foundation for the business card.
2. The key is to not be just another plain business card. When someone leaves an event with a stack in their pocket or has a pile on their desk, you want your card to catch their eye. Experiment with layouts and designs to create a unique look. Try different shapes, images, or background colors and use tools like Canva or Photoshop to execute your vision.
Not only can your card look different, but it can feel different too. Play around with textured paper and raised lettering. Or, forgo the cardstock entirely and use other materials, such as glass, plastic, recycled paper, and textiles.
3. At the end of the day, no matter how cool your card looks it needs to make sense for your business. The card should send a clear message about what you do and what services you are offering. An eco-friendly company should use recycled materials, a publisher could make their card open like a book, a lighting company could make the text glow-in-the-dark.... you get the gist! Even if the connection isn’t so obvious, there is always feature that can be expressed through a business card. This is your time to highlight what you feel is important, what you want the world to know first about what you do.
It’s time to step outside of our business card comfort zone. Be bold. Be innovative. Be true to your business and share how special it is with the world. If you don’t think of your job as a boring white piece of paper, then why would you use that to share it with others?
A business card is just the tip of the iceberg. Create a meaningful and impactful card that you are proud of, and that messaging and branding will spread to every aspect of your business. So what are you waiting for? Start designing now!
