With the simple act of exchanging a business card, it has become possible to open up a range of tech touch-points and add real value to this straightforward transaction.
In the fourth of our five-part series of blogs on ‘Trad-digital marketing’, we focus on the venerable business card and how technology has turned it into so much more than a basic list of contact details.
For those old enough to remember the days before smart phones, smart watches and even smart business cards (more on this later), the act of exchanging business cards with a potential client was the opening of a conversation. Now, with the evolution of web-based technology and social media as a crucial aspect of any company’s marketing efforts, the humble business card has become an indispensable part of your strategy.
In a famous scene in the classic movie ‘Guys and Dolls,’ Miss Adelaide gifts her perennial fiancé Nathan Detroit with a box of business cards. The cards read simply, ‘Nathan Detroit, General Manager’ and were meant to convey that Nathan could manage anything. These cinematic props were not far from the original calling cards of a previous era. Today, however, your business card is not simply your name and contact number, but a gateway to the business you represent.
In years gone by you may have included your name, title, company, and your contact information in a relatively straightforward, functional layout. However, business cards have since been elevated to a kind of art form, with many printing companies offering intricate design options or mini-brochure style pieces to help grab potential clients’ attention. In fact, many printing companies now employ far fewer people to actually oversee the printing side of business card and marketing material production. It is now common to see more graphic designers recruited to help produce business cards that really stand out from the crowd.
So, when putting together your business card, don’t be afraid to get creative. You can include company logos, taglines, multiple phone numbers, email addresses, social media account info, or anything else you think will enhance your design and attract the attention of prospective clients. You might want to work with a designer who can create a highly stylized version of your logo and present it in an eye-catching way to make your card more memorable. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that it all has to be printed on heavy paper stock – mix it up by using materials like plastic or metal to make your card distinctive, or change up the shape so it reflects an image related to your business, such as the outline of a stretch limousine, for example. You can even get cards that can be printed to show a 3D image of your company logo or other design element when viewed on your smartphone. Experiment with these new design innovations and find something that makes your business card pop.
If you’re feeling bold, you could even try smart-cards, a variation that turns a business card into a digital data hub. These business cards have ultra-compact technology embedded in them so that when they’re placed near a smartphone they transmit data or take the user to a specialized landing page on their mobile device. Or if you need to include a lot of data on your card but you don’t have the space, consider using QR codes, too. This way, clients can scan them in to see additional information without sacrificing the effectiveness of your overall design.
Business cards are not just part of the old way of doing business; they are an indispensable way of marketing your company’s services. The ongoing evolution of technology is taking business cards to another level of ingenuity and creativity, and engraining them as an essential aspect of Trad-digital marketing.
Looking for more guidance on transforming your business cards into a highly-effective marketing tool?
Create-A-Card and DriveProfit are here to help you make a lasting impression.
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