Giving out business cards isn't enough. Ideally you want to make
sure people hang on to them, prop them up or pin them up somewhere that
they look at every day, so that your business will always be at the
front of their mind.
Achieving this isn't easy. You can go for innovative and eye-catching design to help you stand out from the crowd and hope that people love it enough to keep it around. Or you can align good design with added value, by putting some useful information on the reverse of the card.
What constitutes useful information varies from business to business. In a specialty niche there might be any number of useful formulas, charts or details, but here is a selection of general information that could work on the back of your business cards.
1. Weights and measures conversions
Useful for anyone who does business between the US and the rest of the world imperial/metric conversions can be very handy to have around. Choose weights and measures that relate to your business. Cooks' weights and measures for a food related business, lengths for a construction or design company and so on.
2. Keyboard shortcuts
A handy list of keyboard shortcuts is something that we can all do with. If you want to see your business card propped up next to all your clients' computers this is an excellent idea. Choose the most useful ten shortcuts that you use in your business and share them on.
3. Time zone charts
For international businesses it's essential to know when a good time is to call other countries. Make a list of major cities around the world and the time difference between them and your home city, or just use the GMT +/- format, whichever will make most sense to your clients.
4. A ruler
It's always useful to have a measuring tool around. Mark one side in inches and the other in centimetres and it doubles as a conversion tool.
5. Emergency services numbers for your area
If you run a predominantly local business, a set of emergency phone numbers for your town is an essential reference guide. Include general ones and any that are particular to your business niche.
6. Energy saving tips
If your business makes a point of having a low carbon footprint include some innovative energy saving tips on your business card.
7. Inspiring quote
If you can find a quote that catches people's attention and inspires them, that is another good way to make sure your business card will be saved and displayed. It's especially important that it looks beautiful and is well designed.
8. Commonly misspelled words
Companies that work with words might like to include a list of commonly misspelled words or grammar errors - its and it's are notorious offenders!
Good design still plays a vital part in the effectiveness of business cards, but including one of the above suggestions on the back of your card could be the tipping factor in it becoming a pin-up for your clients.
Achieving this isn't easy. You can go for innovative and eye-catching design to help you stand out from the crowd and hope that people love it enough to keep it around. Or you can align good design with added value, by putting some useful information on the reverse of the card.
What constitutes useful information varies from business to business. In a specialty niche there might be any number of useful formulas, charts or details, but here is a selection of general information that could work on the back of your business cards.
1. Weights and measures conversions
Useful for anyone who does business between the US and the rest of the world imperial/metric conversions can be very handy to have around. Choose weights and measures that relate to your business. Cooks' weights and measures for a food related business, lengths for a construction or design company and so on.
2. Keyboard shortcuts
A handy list of keyboard shortcuts is something that we can all do with. If you want to see your business card propped up next to all your clients' computers this is an excellent idea. Choose the most useful ten shortcuts that you use in your business and share them on.
3. Time zone charts
For international businesses it's essential to know when a good time is to call other countries. Make a list of major cities around the world and the time difference between them and your home city, or just use the GMT +/- format, whichever will make most sense to your clients.
4. A ruler
It's always useful to have a measuring tool around. Mark one side in inches and the other in centimetres and it doubles as a conversion tool.
5. Emergency services numbers for your area
If you run a predominantly local business, a set of emergency phone numbers for your town is an essential reference guide. Include general ones and any that are particular to your business niche.
6. Energy saving tips
If your business makes a point of having a low carbon footprint include some innovative energy saving tips on your business card.
7. Inspiring quote
If you can find a quote that catches people's attention and inspires them, that is another good way to make sure your business card will be saved and displayed. It's especially important that it looks beautiful and is well designed.
8. Commonly misspelled words
Companies that work with words might like to include a list of commonly misspelled words or grammar errors - its and it's are notorious offenders!
Good design still plays a vital part in the effectiveness of business cards, but including one of the above suggestions on the back of your card could be the tipping factor in it becoming a pin-up for your clients.
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