What to put on a business card?
Table of Contents
Even in today’s world, where everything is turning primarily digital, business cards still have their part to play. Approximately 57% of business owners think business cards are essential to have for their business. An effective business card represents your business and brand; clearly, concisely and smartly. However, it can be challenging to know what to put on it before you get it made. In this article, we cover the following topics:
- Logo and slogan
- Name and job title
- Contact details
- Landing page
- Skills and expertise
- Social media
- White space
- Creativity
1. Logo and slogan
Your business card is supposed to represent your business and brand. The first thing that you need to have on it is your brand’s logo and slogan. You will need to make sure that your brand is instantly recognisable and is associated with your business. The main goal is that your brand is remembered and that potential customers recognise it.
2. Name and job title
As obvious as it may seem, this is often a crucial part of the business card that people get wrong. Business owners make a common mistake by putting their formal name down on their business cards, even though they might never go by that. A business card doesn’t have to have your official name; you can put whatever name you like to be called.
When you’re self-employed, you can have several different roles and responsibilities in your business. But, unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t sure exactly what they want to put down. Freelancer, entrepreneur, founder or CEO?
The easiest way to decide is to pick the one that describes your main function or primary role in your business. While all of the previous titles might sound fancy, they can be unhelpful for people who might want to contact you.
For example, if you run a graphic design agency, then you could write on your card: Graphic Designer and Founder.
3. Contact details
Contact information is a fundamental part of your business card. You want to make it easy for potential customers to contact you. The last thing you want is to send them to an email address that you rarely use. 7
On the other hand, you don’t want to provide them with details that are too private either. The last thing you want is someone turning up to your home address or calling your personal phone number. You should also avoid using that old personal email address that doesn’t look professional.
Should you include your address? It depends. Do you work in one area as a freelancer or as a contractor? If so, you could just put your general regional address or the city you live in. However, if you work entirely remotely, there is no point in putting down an address because it is irrelevant and takes up precious space.
4. Landing page
Your business card should be memorable but also inspire others to work with you. So instead of just sending them to a standard homepage, why not send them to a specific landing page that thanks them for using your business card. Or a particular page where they will be intrigued and interested in working with you.
You could create a short welcome video or give them a free download that could help them solve a problem. You want to create a page that builds on the brief connection you had with that person.
For the URL, make it simple and easy to remember. You could also put a QR code on your business card for added ease so people can scan it and bring them directly to the landing page.
To learn more about creating a website, visit our article: What makes a good website?
5. Skills and expertise
At this point, your prospects can see a lot on your business card at a glance; however, do they know exactly what you specialise in? A simple change in your job title could change how prospects see you. For example, you could change Copywriter to Conversion Copywriter or Photographer to Portrait Photographer.
6. Social media
Social media is a form of social proof and can be a great way to show off your portfolio and compliment your work. You don’t need to send them to a Facebook page that you set up years ago and hardly ever use.
Instead, send them to something relevant. If you want to chat with people in business environments, then Linkedin is a great choice. You can share helpful tips and case studies relevant to them and their industry.
If you’re a photographer or a marketer, maybe Instagram might be another good choice to showcase your portfolio and make it easy for potential clients to contact you.
Learn more about social media in our article: How to use social media for business.
7. Use white space wisely
The last thing that you want is a cluttered and unclear business card. Moreover, it takes away from the primary goal of your business card, which is to invite prospective clients to contact you.
You will want to use all of the space wisely and keep it clear and concise. Don’t waste space by only using the front of the card; use the back as well. You can make the most of space by:
- Removing unnecessary details
- Replacing text with icons
- Choose a minimalist template
8. Creativity
The last part of making a memorable business card is creativity. Once you have all of the above information on your card, it’s all about presenting it creatively. If you boringly present everything, it might not make people want to connect with you or remember your business.
You can search for a lot of different business card inspiration online. Depending on your occupation, there are many other imaginative ways to present your business card creatively.
If you would like to design your business card, then you can use design tools such as:
If you would like to hire a professional to design your business card, you could hire a graphic designer on a freelance website such as:
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