Creative Networking and Brand Building with Business Cards
Business cards are a readily available, low cost way of promoting your business and developing and expanding your network of customers and professional colleagues. They introduce your brand to people around the world, or your city, increase the brand recognition of your business. Be creative in developing a plan for creative use of your business cards and you’ll increase traffic to your website, sales, profit and the reach of your business network with a small investment of time and money.
First of all, inventory your current supply of business cards. Are they packed away in a box or gathering dust in a corner? How many do you have? Are you happy with the design? Is all of your contact information on the card – is it correct and up to date? Does the card bear your company logo?
Do whatever you need to do to stock up on a healthy supply of business cards. Be sure that the design is uniform in comparison to your other branding materials to boost brand recognition. Beyond that – here are some other ideas to help you get the most from this often overlooked advertising/branding/sales tool within the business world and your community.
• Add value to your business cards on the next reprint, or print a special batch with a value added offer on the back. Include a discount offer, special coupon, admission to an event, punch card device or another premium benefit. Give it some thought and customize a promotion that fits your business, and be sure to set a deadline for use.
• Use your cards to drive traffic to your website – not merely by listing your URL. Add a line or two of text that gives users a reason to visit your site---the promise of coupons or a special offer or the impending arrival of a new product.
• Differentiate your business by including a creative tagline or single sentence that performs like a tiny ad publicizing a truly unique product, service or attribute of your business designed to generate or attract interest.
• Take the design of your current business card and expand its use to include promotional items such as pens, mugs, coasters, etc. Again, be creative in terms of matching the promotional gifts to your unique business purpose and in your methods of distribution.
• Include them in your mailings. Though many businesses have cut down the amount of paper sent through the postal services, there are still letters to send, bills to pay, promotional kits to deliver and packages to ship. And that’s not even counting your personal mailings. Include a business card in every one of them.
• Give a business card with every customer receipt, place them in bags with merchandise, and put them in library books and books on the shelves in local bookstores – especially those that people interested in your business might pick up and read.
• Distribute business cards to the people you meet daily. Keep a supply on hand and visit other local businesses to find out if they will allow you to display your card in their shop or office.
• Place your cards in designated areas of shopping malls, supermarkets, waiting rooms, toll booths---any place where potential customers gather and spend time.
• Whenever you give a business card to a new acquaintance or colleague – give them an extra to pass on and widen your network even further.
Finally, carry your business cards everywhere you go. Have them printed up for your employees. Be sure everyone distributes them at meetings, conferences, conventions and trade shows. Remember that having a ready supply ensures that you can utilize any creative distribution opportunity that comes up at a moment’s notice – and benefit from the results!
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