How to Turn Your Business Cards into Potent Marketing Collateral

By:  Renae Gregoire
The Write Idea
©2003

Have you been to a networking event lately? If you’re a social-able person, you likely went home with a pocketful of business cards. Call a contractor to give you an estimate for work? Undoubtedly, he or she left you a business card. Request information by mail from vendors or other professionals? More business cards.

If you’re like me, you’ve built quite a business card collection, and you’ve distributed a fair share of your own business cards, too. But I’m writing to tell you that if you’re using your business card to provide your contact information only, you’re not making the most of this powerful little marketing tool!

Don’t just take my word for it though. I recently spoke with three Bay area printers to get their takes on what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to business cards. So before you order your next supply, read on and discover how you can make your business card more potent, more palatable, and hopefully, more promotional!

Convey More Than Your Contact Information

“Business cards truly are the best and least expensive message board of any company’s capabilities,” says Casey Corwin, President of Corwin Design and Graphics in Tampa. “While it’s obvious that your company name and other pertinent information must be on your business card, I feel it’s equally important that you convey your message,” she adds.




What's Casey mean? Well, take a look at my first professionally designed business card. Text and logo on the front, blank on the back. Pretty nice, right? But it didn't communicate my message. It didn't tell my prospects what I could do for them.

After all, what is “professional marketing communications” anyway?

In fact, too many times, people would look at my card and say, “What do you do?” To avoid that confusion, and to promote my business, I asked Casey at Corwin Design to rework my card and add my message to the back side. Take a look.

Now, when I'm at a networking event and someone asks what I do, I can either use my prepared networking speech, or if I'm feeling tongue-tied (which happens quite often--I'm a writer not a talker!), I can simply say, "Here's what I do!" and hand them my card!

“Often, we don’t have time to listen to someone’s pitch when they’re handing us their card,” Casey says. “Or, we soon forget the message after we put the card in our pocket. By adding a quick take on your capabilities, whether by a tagline or graphic or list, the reader understands what you do and how to get in touch with you long after you’re gone,” she explains.

Personally, I’m one of those marketers who will tell you to never, ever waste any “white space” on your collateral. If you’re paying for printing, you may as well use as much space as you can to explain what you do, and more importantly, how what you do benefits your prospects.

Wondering about the cost of a two-sided card? I also spoke with David Weiss, Manager at One Stop Printing, Inc. in Clearwater, and Dolores Hamburg, President of Accuprint Printing Company in St. Petersburg. In general, they tell me, and from my own experience with two-sided cards, you can expect to pay between 50 to 70 percent more than you would pay for a standard single-sided business card.

So if your regular single-sided business card print run costs you $50, expect to pay from $75 to $85 for two sided cards. And don’t forget: you’ll also have to pay a one time fee for additional design work, plus whatever your printer charges to make new plates for your cards.

But Don’t Convey TOO Much More!

You’re not limited to two sides only when it comes to your business card. In fact, you might decide on a folded business card, also known as a tent card, which gives you more valuable room to communicate. When you have more space available, you can put your your business card to work as an order form, as a mini-brochure, as a punch-card or as an advertisement.

Dolores Hamburg of Accuprint Printing says that in her experience, folded business cards are the most effective way to get your message across. “You not only have much more space, but you can also add striking images, which is very important if you’re selling a product,” she says.

But experienced printers will also tell you that if you’re choosing a tent card, pay attention to possible pitfalls that will make your piece less effective than you hoped for. “Make sure you give the card a clean look,” says Dolores. “And make sure it’s easy to read.”

Casey Corwin agrees. “Tent cards tend to be too bulky. I say if you can’t get your message across on two sides, try to slim it down…use bullet points instead of long sentences, or graphics or photos that say more,” she explains.

David Weiss will tell you the same thing. “If you want to go with a folding business card, make sure you don’t try to cram too much content in. If you do, your card will appear overwhelming,” he says.

Your cost for a folded business card? The experts agree: if you want to go with a tent card, expect to pay between 1.5 to 3 times more than your standard single-sided card.
So if you’re paying $50 now, plan on spending anywhere from $75 to $150, plus additional design and plate fees.

Is it worth it? If you’re using your card as an order form, or to convey images that sell, I would say yes. Otherwise, I agree with the experts: narrow your message to its most salient points and keep your card to two sides.

Food For Thought—Unusual Business Card Ideas

Are you looking for something that really stands out? Something your prospects will be less likely to throw away? Then you might want to try some of these unique business card ideas.

“The most unusual I’ve ever seen was an etched Plexiglas business card,” says David Weiss. “It was very striking, and really made an impression.”

Dolores Hamburg shares some of her favorites, too. “The most unusual things I’ve seen include a business card printed on a coffee cup, a talking business card, a business card that was made into a sign for the side of a car, a CD-ROM business card you can play on your computer, and a welcome rug with a business card on it.”

Casey Corwin describes an unusual project she worked on with an interior designer searching for a unique way to get her message across. Says Casey, “We designed a series, or set, of business cards that worked as mini-postcards. Each set had different images on the back side depicting various design styles, while the front side remained the same on all the cards.”

“What was nice is that each designer on staff had his or her own set of cards showcasing their particular design style on the back,” Casey adds.

Want a few more ideas? From Getting Business to Come to You by Paul and Sarah Edwards and Laura Clampitt Douglas:

• A facialist uses a two-sided card—one side with a mirror.
  
• A metal sculptor creates a card sculpted from soft aluminum.
  
• A packaging company distributes a shrink-wrapped business card.
  
• A vitamin retailer staples trial packs of three capsules to his business card.
  

Business Card Advice from the Experts

In closing, I asked our experts what advice they would give business owners who are getting ready to print their first, or fiftieth, set of cards. Take heed, and make your next business card print run your most successful one yet!

I would tell them to remember: Less is best. The easier your card is to read, the more effective it will be. Too many people try to put too much stuff on their cards.

David Weiss, Manager
One Stop Printing, Inc.
1500 Gulf to Bay Boulevard
Clearwater
727-442-6566

First of all, I’d advise people to make sure their business card files are prepared correctly. It saves time and money when it comes time to print. Second, check prices on various quantities. Your price per piece goes down as your quantity goes up. And finally, be specific with the information you present on your card, and keep the look of the card clean so it’s easy to read.

Dolores R. Hamburg, President
Accuprint Printing Company
2860 21st Avenue North
St. Petersburg
727-321-3316
www.4colorpower.com

First, I’d say that when you’re preparing to get your new cards done, using a consultative printer is, by far, the least expensive and most accurate way to go. Consultative printers act as your business partner…someone who helps you save money by printing smart, and who gives you options to lowering your cost on all your printed items.

And second, if you’re using a ‘freelance’ graphic designer, make sure you take their design on CD and hard copy to your printer, because she must understand and be able to duplicate the designer’s image from the monitor to the press. In other words, remember that what looks good on screen may not look good in print.

Casey Corwin, President
Corwin Design and Graphics Corporation
107 North 11th Street, Suite 1
Tampa
813-226-4242
www.corwindesign.com