Are business cards a dying tradition? From time to time an article proclaims that printed cards are being replaced by digital versions, that the little rectangles of card are old-fashioned and doomed to die out. This may occasionally be the case in certain demographics but for many of us, business cards are still an important a part of our business strategy.
What’s changing is the way in which we use and perceive our business cards. They’ve change into way over only a mode of passing on contact details. The communicating of phone numbers and email address may be done just as efficiently by digital methods. Where the printed card retains its advantage over digital is within the communicating of your brand.
Nowadays the ability of a business card is all in its design. It will probably be funky, traditional, slick, avant-garde, minimalist, elaborate. It will probably be decorative, contain useful technical information, make you smile, make you think that. Its aim is to distinguish you and what you are promoting, so that you simply are remembered by your latest contact. Even higher in case your card is one to maintain, to tuck onto a pin board, or lean against a pc, simply because its design is so inspiring. That is something that a digital exchange of plain contact information would never achieve.
All this puts a number of emphasis on excellent design. Not is it enough to rearrange your contact information neatly, slap in your logo and print off your cards. Listed below are three tips to designing business cards that give you the results you want in a digital age:
1. It’s all about branding – should you have not already worked on what you are promoting brand, use the chance of designing business cards to start. Work with a designer who’s experienced in brand constructing and give you an idea that basically expresses who you might be, what you are promoting ethos and philosophy.
2. Dare to be different – There are all forms of rules about business cards, what size they ought to be, what font size to make use of, what contact information ought to be included etc. If what you are promoting is a traditional one with conventional clients, probably you do have to go by the book. Nevertheless many individual businesses needn’t conform and might differentiate themselves in all forms of ways. Print your cards on unconventional materials, print them on objects, design cut out shapes or whatever takes your fancy. Remember one thing if you chuck out the rule book, though: your contact information should be easy to read.
3. Mix print and digital – there is not any reason why you possibly can’t have the very best of each worlds. Design a printed business card and include a QR code that enables smartphone users to scan in your contact details instantly. In this fashion, your physical card complements your digital profile and makes it easy in your tech-savvy clients so as to add you into their contact lists.
So while just a few persons are abandoning printed cards, more are using them to construct their business identity. Business cards have gotten more versatile, more creative and just as useful as ever.