Biz cards that rock.
Your business card is your most important branding tool. If you do nothing else to promote yourself, invest in your biz card. Many times, it’s the first impression you give and the last impression you leave. Your calling card is your surrogate-branding machine. It should scream you. Communicate your offering and how to reach you. It should not look like a page out of a cheesy yellow page directory.
Save the earth. Recycle.
Dan Ward used recycled boxes for his biz cards. Each one is a different edition. Speaks to his brand expertise. So what do you have laying around that can be a biz card?
Coin your brand.
OK, so maybe every schmoe doesn’t get a one.
My pal Jeffrey Gitomer, the most amazing sales guy, minted these great coins as calling cards, a pretty wise investment.
Big is not always better.
My cards for my consulting practice, Brain Tattoo Branding are smaller than the average, printed on both sides and sport rounded edges. I get compliments every time I pass one out, and I also get a good share of new business.
Square is very in.
Oddpodz cards were printed at Kinkos. And lucky for us, they screwed on the deliver time and gave them to us for free. Can’t beat that price!
For more cool ideas, check out the site creativebits.org. They showcase some awesome stuff.
Leave something behind.
I received a business card from a graphic designer once that had perforated discs on the card. Over time, the discs would loosen and fall out of the card. I always remembered that card and thought of her whenever I found a piece of ‘business card confetti’ in my bag or on my desk.
Show ‘em what you’re made of.
While not always the most practical, using unique materials for your business cards can show that you are cut from a different cloth. I’ve got a couple that I’ve still held on to – one plastic one with a ruler on one edge from an engineer, a metal one from a metal components shop and one fabric-covered card from a tailor.
Need business cards in a hurry? Vistaprint offers your first 250 for free. They have an abundance of free design templates ready to use. You can even upload your own design for a small fee. Vistaprint also offers many other products like notepads, return address labels, envelopes and more.
