Business Cards in a Pinch
A few days ago, W.C. bought my ebook on how to get copywriting clients. I then learned via Twitter that he was going to his first Internet marketing seminar, and that he needed business cards fast. Here’s what he wrote:
Business cards are one of those things you don’t normally think about until you really need them. And when you don’t have them in a networking situation, it’s painful.
What I told W.C. I’ll tell you.
If you need business cards in a pinch, then I recommend Overnight Prints. Your order can be at your front door in 1-2 business days if you want.
This is not an affiliate link. I’ve designed and ordered cards from Overnight Prints before, and I’ve been very happy with them.
In fact, I’ll be headed to a business meeting in Dallas in a couple weeks, so I just ordered some new business cards this morning. And I ordered them from Overnight Prints.
How to Design a Business Card
The principles that apply to all forms of direct response advertising apply to business cards as well. Don’t think of them as a way to convey your contact information; rather, think of them as a way to generate a response.
Here are some ideas for making your business card actually work:
Tip #1. Offer a free gift to drive people to a web site where you can capture names and email addresses.
Tip #2. Include testimonial(s) to build credibility.
Tip #3. If you make a claim, be specific. It’s more believable.
Tip #4. Use both the front AND the back of the card to double your “word space.” (You wouldn’t set aside half of a full-page advertisement for “white space.” Don’t do it with a business card either.)
Tip #5. If you’re a service professional, and you don’t have a retail office space where clients visit, then don’t include your address. It’s a poor use of space.
So what might such a business card look like?
To show you, I’ve included the front and back of the business card I created this morning.
- Ryan’s New Business Card – Front
- Ryan’s New Business Card – Back
As you can see, the first part of my card is an offer to get my free conversion booster check list. The call to action is to go to this blog.
I could have sent them to a specific opt-in (squeeze) page… but in this case I decided sending them to my blog was good enough.
I then include my primary contact information. I omit my address since it’s not necessary to my business.
On the back of the card, I include two testimonials from people who have name recognition.
For the call to action, I send them to read “all 32” of my testimonials on my blog. I use specificity to increase believability. I think the use of the number 32 creates some curiosity, too. I can imagine a person thinking, “Who else gave Ryan a testimonial…?”
Anyway, business cards can be an excellent tool if designed correctly and used in the right environment. Hopefully what I’ve shared here will help you the next time you create some business cards for yourself.
-Ryan M. Healy
