Ten Qualities of Excellent Business Cards

B usiness cards are important tools for marketing and personal branding. However, not every business card owner knows what to include in the card to make it more catchy and useful. To have your business card perform its intended purpose more conveniently, the following points are necessary. Have your image on your business card: your business card is about you and what you do. Unfortunately, many people have their business cards designed without their images. When you upload your image on your business card, it makes it easy for recipients to put a face to the contact addresses provided. It is better when the image matches that in your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn profiles. Include your website in your card: even with other contract addresses on the card, lack of appropriate web address on your business card makes it incomplete. Therefore, choose a domain and include in the card, even before you go live. This makes it easier for your recipients to explore your services through the web address you provide. Social networks are necessary: these are important, as almost everyone is on social network sites. If you are looking for a job, ensure you include your LinkedIn address. For business owners, facebook and twitter addresses can help in connecting with potential customers in real time. Throw in some elements of tradition: even with digital social network sites, it is advisable to make it easy for your recipients to communicate to you the traditional way. Therefore, include your mailing address, your direct phone and fax number, as well as your e-mail address. Include your logo: almost every business identify with a specific logo. If you have one, use it in your business card because it speaks to your recipients about your business or company. If you do not have one, invest in the services of a good designer to make one for your business so you can include it in your business card. Include your tagline: taglines are summary statements about businesses or companies. After viewing your business card, the recipients learn more about your business by looking at your tagline, making it an important component of your business card. Use color in your card: plain business cards often look less attractive and get lost in the stack. Capture your recipient’s attention by using color in your business card, especially for the logo section. Coloured lettering also makes the card more attractive. Print both sides: if you print only one side of your card, chances are higher that it can be put with the backside facing up. In that case, it becomes difficult for the recipient to remember the owner of the card. Printing both sides offers the best solution to this problem, as it increases the card's visibility in the hands of recipients.