Despite digital communication occupying a major role in business, the business card still has its place as a tangible means for exchanging contact information in face-to-face interactions. A well-designed business card should be both informative and engaging, conveying the professionalism and style of your business.
It’s also a small part of a company’s branding endeavors, since it puts essential information into someone’s hands: your number, email, website and social media information. Whether it’s a formal business meeting or a spontaneous conversation on the street, a business card has the potential to begin a long-term business relationship.
Here we’ll discuss some of the benefits a business card provides and how you can determine what impact they’re generating.
A Low-tech Form of Marketing
A business card is a simple form of marketing that provides a great starting point for brand awareness. A card can direct someone to a website, creating a positive perception that can lead to someone picking up the phone or writing an email. From there, a conversation ensues, negotiations for a sale happen and then there’s a final sale. This is what every business wants to see happen, yet knowing exactly where it will originate isn’t possible to predict, so branding should occur in a variety of different ways, whether online or through personal contact.
Tracking the Results
Knowing exactly how many cards you’ve handed out may be tricky to determine, but the people who contact you may introduce themselves by explaining how they first came across your information. You can then get an idea of how often your business cards led to someone expressing interest in your organization. One great example of this is the independent company Laser Printing, which claims 10 of its biggest clients were gained from being impressed by the company’s unique business card.
More than Just Contact Information
In the electronic world of email, websites and social media, tangible forms of communication still have a function, and when starting up your business, finding a printing service that can create some stylish business cards will be a necessary part of both your branding campaign and your ability to provide contact information in face-to-face conversations. The simple act of handing someone a business card can potentially end up with a new sales deal and a long-term business relationship established. If you take advantage of any outreach medium available to increase awareness of your business, it’s possible that you’ll be able to ascertain how many clients were inspired to contact you after receiving your business card. You can’t do everything digitally, so when you get an idea of the activity you’re generating through distributing business cards, you’ll know how well a simple, low-tech means of networking can play a part in your overall marketing strategy.
