Your business card is one of the most basic marketing tools you have – but certain mistakes can make it ineffective, costing you business as soon as you hand your card to a prospect.
Check out this week’s video below, for 6 tips on how to make sure your business card is working FOR you instead of AGAINST you.
6 Important Elements for Your Business Card
You never get a second chance for a first impression- and your first impression can be defined by your business card, especially when you’re attending a conference or event. Faces and names may blur, but you’ll be left with a stack of business cards that can mean important connections later. And buyers and sellers may meet with several agents, but your business card hangs around longer than you do. Does your card have these important elements?
- Tactile. Your card should be printed on high-quality cardstock, with a nice weight. People should be able to hold it in their hand and have it feel valuable. The card should feel like it’s not something you can just toss away.
- Raised Lettering. Text printed in raised ink also adds to the tactile quality of your business card. This raises its value in the unconscious mind of the holder of your card. They’ll feel the card is classy, and that classy feeling extends to the person who gave it to them- YOU are classy.
- Can You Read It? The fastest growing population isn’t the young folks. It’s people like me, over a certain age, who have started to have some vision issues. Is your card in grey ink printed on a black background? If I can’t read it, I’m throwing it away. Don’t make me squint!
- Utility. These custom sized and shaped business cards are fun to look at, but when it comes to entering info in your database, or a buyer or seller hanging on to it- guess what, if it’s an odd shape it’s more likely to get tossed. Glossy cards can look nice, but if it’s glossy on both sides- people can’t write notes on them with additional info they got when talking to you. Make sure to have a nice matte finish on one side at least, so folks can add their notes.
- Does It Fit In A Wallet? This is just like the last point- utility. Many cards are saved in those business-card shaped pockets in a wallet, or the clear sheets for holding business cards. Is it oversized or too small to fit in a wallet? It’s probably getting tossed.
- Specific Cards for Specific Purposes. When I was at the peak of my real estate career, one of the things I did with business cards was to print them for certain uses. You can really WOW a seller when you show up to a listing appointment, with pre-printed business cards with a picture of their house and estimated terms next to it. You can lay out these cards on a simple desktop software program (I used Microsoft Publisher), add their photo to the template you’ve created for just this occasion, and use your desktop printer to print a few out. This was one of my most effective direct response marketing pieces. That card can pre-qualify prospective buyers- they know they can afford the terms listed on the card, and it’s got my contact info ready for them to give me a call.
Some other tips- if you’re adding your social media icons, make SURE you put the actual address/extension of those media accounts, so people can find you without having to look. Cuz if they are having to look, guess what- they’re not going to! And PLEASE don’t split up your information on both sides of the card- definitely USE both sides. But don’t have your name on one side and your number on the other side. People use scanner technology now to add your info to their contacts or databases- and if they have to scan two sides, guess what- they aren’t going to.
I hope this has been helpful- if you have business cards tips or questions, leave them for us in the comments below.
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