How To Create Business Cards & Use Them as an Effective Marketing Tool?

Silent marketing is often the most successful. When only one item is used, but it is already able to tell everything about the business of a certain company, then we can safely say that the marketing campaign was a success. And the brightest representative of such image elements is a business card. It says much more about the company than any booklets and brochures and creates a stronger impression than any website and other company image details for the public. But it is not easy to achieve such an effect.

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A business card is an element that is worth thinking about more, but to get such a product that will effectively present the organization.

Advantages of business cards

The brevity of the information. As soon as you give a business card to a potential client or business partner, a person can find out the necessary data about your activities in a few seconds.
A reflection of your business. The correct design of a business card conveys the character of your brand and shows its uniqueness among competitors.
Corporate etiquette. Business card exchange is often used when making new business acquaintances.
A small business card can fit in a pocket, purse, or a unique business card holder.
The way to advertise your goods and services has always been a costly undertaking. You can print business cards in any printing house at reasonable prices.
With the right choice of materials for the card, the recipient can store it for several months to several years.

The most important elements of a business card

As a rule, a representative business card includes the name of the company or the name of the person it is intended to represent. Some other elements are difficult to exclude from the business subject. We are talking about the following:

Communicating with an impersonal organization is quite a difficult task. But it is much more comfortable to contact a specific person;
Name of the company. A business card should carry such data since this is the information that should be conveyed to the audience in the first place;
Phone number (or several). It is not necessary to specify all those to which a person has access, it is enough to mention only the one that will not be difficult to contact. Getting a vanity number and including it will greatly benefit your business. At the same time, you need to remember that you should specify the code of both the country and the city. It will not be superfluous to refer to the accepted punctuation marks to separate the numbers, this will simplify their perception;
Physical or email address. This data is typical for any business card. It is possible to avoid specifying a physical address if the company specializes in services or goods in the virtual space, but the advantage should be given to the option in which the address of the main office is still specified.;
The address of the electronic mailbox. Business today is unthinkable without the Internet. Even if the company’s activities do not tighten the World Wide Web in any way, the indication of this element still can not be avoided.

Business card design. 4 main principles

1. Alignment

The alignment of text and graphic elements in the design of business cards provides a visual connection. Demonstrates unity and interconnectedness in the information provided.

Using alignment on the left, right edge, and center of the business card can create different visual images.

2. Contrast

Using this principle can make the design of a business card unique and distinguish it from many. The main idea of contrast is not to place similar elements next to each other. Contrast creates visual interest. This is the most effective way to make the best business card design! Contrast is achieved when the visual elements of the business card differ.

Do not forget about the free space – a space between text and images. The balance of free space is important when creating a well-designed business card. It helps to create a clean, professional look for it.

3. Proximity

Business card elements that are related in meaning (phone, email, and web address) should be grouped nearby. The approximation of similar elements creates a single information element that focuses on attention.

4. Repetition

The use of repetition in colors, fonts, graphics, and other elements can enhance the design and cause greater visual interest in the design of a business card. Repetition can show coherence and unity in the design of a business card.

Business card color palette

All marketers will tell you about the essential role played by the correct selection of colors for advertising printing. That is why when creating a business card, first of all, you should focus on the selection of shades. Based on the recommendations of psychologists, it is possible to distinguish the next basic colors:

This shade can encourage a person to do a certain action. That is why it is often used in the design of logos of shops and catering establishments. However, for a business card, this color is quite dangerous. If you overdo it, you will get a rather annoying advertising printing.
Green is a symbol of health, which is why it is often used in medical institutions. Also, this shade is relevant for business cards of companies that focus customers’ attention on the environmental friendliness of their products.
Blue color. It is used for business cards of companies engaged in technology development and related to information activities.

You need to select one or another option based on what goals you want to achieve from a business card (motivation, relaxation, inspiration, etc.). Of course, do not forget that all colors have to be harmoniously combined as much as possible. Otherwise, you will get a too-catchy product that simply hurts the eye.

Experts recommend using a color palette that reflects the style of your company. Inappropriate shades, although pleasant to the human eye, can create the wrong impression about the brand and, accordingly, alienate potential customers.

The size of a business card is an important aspect of the design

At the very initial stage of the design of a business card, it is very important to consider the video size. Currently, two standards are the most popular:

The American standard is because a completely different measurement system is used in the USA. That is why printing houses tend to the format of business cards, which is 50×89 mm (2×3.5 inches).
The European standard of a business card is a format of 55×85 mm. It should be noted that in all European countries, bank cards, driver’s licenses, and passport have the same size. Thus, all these products are very convenient to store in a purse or special business cards.

Materials for business cards

Before ordering the printing of a business card, it is important to familiarize yourself with the materials that each printing house uses. After all, the durability and wear resistance of printed products will depend on the paper. Below we offer you some recommendations regarding the selection of the basis for your business card:

Choose the thickest paper possible. This technique will demonstrate your serious attitude to the brand and its potential customers.
Pay attention to the surface of the paper. The glossy version looks quite impressive and will attract people’s attention. However, if there is a need to make additional notes on the business card with a pen or pencil, it is better to choose matte paper.
Many modern printing houses today offer more non-standard materials for the design of business cards. So, for example, you can use not only cardboard but also plastic, slate paper, or even wood. The main thing is to provide the product with maximum portability.

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The location of the elements

Psychologists have proven that the human eye begins studying printed information from the upper right corner and gradually descends. Lingers in the center to consider something attractive. Based on this, the upper right corner of the business card is ideal for the location of the logo. And the middle of the card is for slightly enlarged or otherwise highlighted information about a person. The lower part of the business card is suitable for placing contact information – phone number, address. Thus, adhering to the simplest layout rules, you can create not just an attractive, but also an effective business card.

5 tips on how to create an effective business card

1. Use a simple design

Remember that business cards should include not only user data but also a space, which will help people holding your card in their hands to navigate more easily between information blocks.

Too much text or its dense and chaotic arrangement will prevent your potential partner from highlighting the main thing or leaving a note on the card. Tip: Use both sides of the business card.

2. Tell about your mission

Include in your business card one sentence that best tells about the mission of your organization − a few words that everyone will remember and that will distinguish your organization from others.

Solve two questions for yourself: what should people remember about your organization and how best to convey this information using a business card?

3. The business card must be functional

Most likely, everyone has faced a situation when they want to write 1,000 words where there is an opportunity to write only 100. Unfortunately, two pages of text will not fit in the small space of your business card.

The only way out and the most difficult thing in creating a business card is to edit, edit and edit until only the really necessary information remains.

4. Use a single design in the management of the site and when printing advertising materials

This way, your customers will remember and recognize you better. If you don’t have a website and other marketing materials, but your company has a logo or it is known for some specific feature (it can be a uniform, a building, or even a signature), try integrating this into the design of a business card.

5. Make your business card unique

The design and feel of your business card are the same as the effect a handshake has on the initial impression. If you do not want your business card to leave a feeling like a handshake with wet noodles, then you should forget about bad and cheap printing.

Is a business card still important in 2023?

Despite its small size, a business card is an effective strategic tool for your company. It may win over a business partner at the start of the meeting, and she will remind you of you at the end. After you have invested time in making a business card, you will have continuous advertising for a long time.

A business card is one of the first impressions people have of your company, and you can make it a good one that results in more interaction with your company.

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