In a world that is going increasingly digital, it can feel like marketing materials such as flyers, brochures, and business cards are becoming increasingly obsolete. But surprisingly, recent studies have shown that business cards continue to be relevant and valuable marketing tools in spite of our increasingly digital world. In fact, despite what you might guess, handing out business cards has been shown to increase sales and generate warm leads.
Of course, it’s not as simple as printing your business name and contact information on a little rectangle of paper. For business cards to be truly effective, you will need to put some effort into the design. Keep in mind these tips for designing effective business cards:
Don’t Get Busy
The inclination is often to pack as many details as possible onto every bit of marketing materials you create. After all, that’s how you tell people what they need to know about your business, right? While we understand the impulse to cover your marketing materials with an inundation of information, resist that urge with your business cards! A business card cluttered with text, even valuable information, is more likely to encourage people to toss your card without reading it.
A whopping 88% of business cards are thrown out in under a week. Handing out business cards as a marketing push is a numbers game, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also do your part to encourage things to work in your favor. If you want your business cards to be part of that 12% with sticking power, think simple and succinct. Think of it like providing the quick snippets people have come to expect from an Internet search — your business cards should give the information people seek, and nothing more. This means include your contact information, website, and a business logo. If you feel like you must incorporate additional “buzzwords” or anything else, consider choosing tonal colors so that the additional text blends into the background and offers minimal distraction.
To keep your business cards simple, stick to these basic concepts:
- Use three colors at most.
- Incorporate straight edges and clean lines — as much as possible with consideration toward how they will combine with your logo and styling.
- Don’t fill the available space with text. Leave some blank areas.
Of course, these rules are made to be broken, just like any other rule. Do what you can to keep your business cards simple and clean, but ultimately, your business cards are an extension of your marketing campaign, so also be sure your designs mesh well with the overall brand story you’re telling.
Do Go Bold
Just because it’s a good idea to keep things simple, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your designs! You are still marketing your business and yourself with these cards, so consider the visual impact. Whether it’s embossing, a non-traditional card shape, cut-outs, or some other fun visual element, there are myriad ways to make a bold statement that will stand out in a sea of plain, white business cards — while keeping it simple, of course. Consider the impact of using one color but playing with glossy and matte textures. Or, if you want cards that stand out visually, try a design that is mostly muted or neutral tones with one bold pop of color for your name or the business logo. Getting creative with bold details can add that element of memorable visual interest without cluttering up the card.
Have A Stand-Out Logo
Your business card isn’t just there to hand off contact information — the main point is to help tell the story of your business. With that in mind, the logo should play a starring role in terms of the content on your business cards. Remember, it’s not all about you, it’s about your business, your values, and your brand as a whole. The best way to make sure your logo stands out is to play with color, proportion, or both. Consider having the logo take up half the space on one side of the card, or even fill up the front with your logo. Balance that with smaller text that includes a slogan, your website, and any pertinent contact details. Whether you have all of those details on one side of the card alongside your logo or you split logo and text, placing emphasis on your logo can help make your card more memorable.
Keep It Legible
This might seem like common-sense advice, but it still bears reiterating: make sure people can read what’s on your card. If the text isn’t legible, you’ll likely find that all of your business cards get tossed in the trash without a second thought. After all, what good is including the contact details if no one can actually read them well enough to contact you? One of the big reasons we keep reiterating the idea of simplicity is because a simpler, more streamlined design will help ensure that the valuable details on your business cards can still be read. When it comes to legibility, be sure to consider the design itself and how it will appear when it’s sized down — and don’t forget to consider how the colors will work if you decide to use a colored cardstock instead of the standard white.
Choose Better Materials
When you picture a typical business card, your mind probably conjures up the image of plain white cardstock with a few lines of text in Times New Roman. A simple but impressively impactful way to make your business cards stand out from the crowd is to use a different material. Waterproof paper from TerraSlate offers a sleek, professional look no matter which weight of stock you choose. Better still, our waterproof paper also helps you avoid one of the other major hurdles that traditional cardstock creates. Our waterproof paper is colorfast and tear-proof so you don’t have to worry about your details wearing away from the friction in a wallet or briefcase.
If you’re looking for creative help, connect with our graphic design team to get to work on creating a simple but attention-grabbing business card design. Or, if you already have a great design, print your own cards and save on the expense. We can print and cut your new business cards for your you can use your at-home laser printer or office laser printer so you can easily create sleek, eye-catching business cards at home or at the office.
So, what are you waiting for? Tell the story of your brand and boost business. Connect with us here at TerraSlate to learn more about our waterproof paper products, adhesives, and other paper products as well as our design and printing services to create your ideal business cards!