Many people believed that the online revolution would make traditional business cards obsolete. This dismal prediction has not come to pass.
Even in the information age, dedicated business owners print out around 27 million business cards every single day.
The reason that business cards are still used is that they work. One study found that businesses increase sales by over 2.5%for every 2,000 business cards that they distribute.
Unfortunately, some business owners read statistics about the overall effectiveness of business cards and think that creating any cards will do. They assume that any business card will be better than nothing. Nothing could be further from the truth!
The harsh reality is that poor business cards will not help your brand. One poll showed that 88% of business cards are discarded within a week. Of course, this could partially be due to the fact that business owners are handing business cards out to the wrong people. However, part of the reason that business cards get thrown out is that they don’t look professional enough.
Most people have made it clear that they won’t be impressed by poor quality business cards. Another poll showed that 39% of people don’t want to do business with a company that hands out cheap looking business cards.
You need to be aware of the problems that will arise from using low quality business cards. Here are some issues to look out for.
You might give the impression that your company cuts corners
Perception shouldn’t be everything when it comes to running a business. In a fair world, your company would be judged entirely by the quality of your products and services. Unfortunately, perception really is everything.
A poor-quality business card gives a poor perception of your brand. The biggest issue is that a low-quality business card makes it seem like your company is cheap. Potential customers will expect you to cut corners and deliver subpar products or services.
Your business might show a lack of focus
One of my old friends back in California had a business card to promote a line of vintage knickknacks that he was building. The problem is that he also tried promoting his IT and photography services as well. People receiving his business card would notice that he was trying to promote three different businesses at once.
Your business card needs to be specific and clearly communicate the essence of your business.
You may convey the wrong personality
The style of your business card says a lot about your business mission and philosophy. A business card with dull colors conveys a message of seriousness. This might be perfect for a lawyer. On the other hand, it would be a terrible design for a fashion designer.
You need to think carefully about the core personality traits of your brand. The style of your business cards reflect it.
You don’t take things seriously
Some business cards have very tacky jokes on them. Even if you are a comedian for a living, you don’t want to do this. Your business card needs to have a serious message.
While it is okay to use unusual phrases and metaphors, you need to remember that you are trying to run a business. Try to keep things serious. Being witty is rarely going to help. It is going to go over even worse if you aren’t as humorous as you think.
Use the Right Business Cards
You need to choose your business cards carefully. Avoid common business card mistakes to avoid sending these wrong messages. Make sure that you get the right branding messages across.
