How To Make the Most of Your Business Card
“Just go out there and do what you’ve got to do.”
– Martina Navratilova
In Issue #180
- Guest Essay: How To Make the Most of Your Business Card by Ilise Benun
- Resource Referral: In Case You Missed It The First Time…
- Attention Dear Readers: Thank You and Send More!
Guest Essay: How To Make the Most of Your Business Card
by Ilise Benun
Your business card is just a tiny piece of paper, but its value is disproportionate to its size. Because space is limited, the weight of each word on your card is exponentially greater than it would be if it were buried in the middle of a brochure or letter. So be sure to give it careful consideration before you spend a lot of money on beautiful four-color cards with your new logo and tagline.
Instead, simply design a temporary card using an online resource, such as www.iprint.com or www.vistaprint.com. Don’t agonize over what goes on the temporary card. As long as it has your contact information, you can pass it out and you will look more professional than if you have none at all.
You may create a card that looks beautiful. But the question to ask yourself is whether it “works” from a marketing point of view. It will, if you follow these business card dos and don’ts:
- Do make it look professional. There are no rules about what a business card should look like; just make sure it looks as professional as the market you intend to attract. Look closely at the cards of colleagues and competitors. In fact, you should have a collection of business cards, and you should always be analyzing the cards that you collect to see what works for you—beyond design—from a marketing point of view.
- Do have more than one card. There’s no rule that says you have to fit everything on a single card. If you have a couple different specialties, why not have a card for each? That will make you look even more perfect to the prospect whose need is reflected even more specifically on your card.
- Do make it interesting, so people will take a close look at it. It can be undersized, oversized or interestingly sized, colorful or printed on an unusual paper stock. All of these aspects will make someone stop and take a look (and maybe even comment) when you hand it to them, and be part of an initial impression they take from their encounter with you. Don’t worry if your card is not the standard size; a few people may complain, but they’ll remember you.
- Do use both sides. When you walk away from an encounter, your business card stays and represents you, so make sure it has all the essential information on it. Don’t hesitate to use the back as well. It can be a place for people to make notes (in which case, adding the word “Notes” encourages people to write a note about you or your meeting with them). Or it can be a place to list the various services you offer, so that when you walk away and the prospects suddenly wonder, “Hmm, I wonder if she writes copy for web sites,” that next level of detail on your card will help them answer the question.
- Don’t clutter up the card. You have a very small space to work with, so clarity is essential. You need to include your all of your basic contact information, but that isn’t so simple anymore, when everyone has:
- Name
- Company name
- Tagline
- Address
- Phone numbers (land and cell)
- Fax number
- E-mail address
- Web address
- …and any other newfangled ways to contact you.
Don’t get creative with placement of this information. Think instead about what makes the most sense to the person looking at the card. For example, put your tagline under or close to your company name, not floating somewhere in the middle of the card, just because it looks cool.
Shameless Plug: I simply love it when my friends hit a new level of success in their business – and Ilise and her business partner, Peleg Top, have done just that. They are rolling up their knowledge and connections into their first national conference for creative freelancers. If you are ready to take your business to the next level, you might want to think about heading to Chicago and checking it out. Here’s the deal:
Marketing Mentor and HOW Magazine are partnering up to present The Creative Freelancer Conference, slated for August 27-29, 2008 in Chicago. It’s the first and only business conference for self-employed creative professionals, serving copywriters of all types, graphic, web and interactive designers, photographers, illustrators and anyone else who fits the bill of “creative solopreneur.” A panel of creative-business experts, led by Ilise Benun and Peleg Top, will share best practices for pricing, marketing, building client relationships, crafting proposals and contracts, maintaining a work/life balance and other skills critical to freelance success.
Creative Freelancer Conference
August 27-29, 2008
Hyatt Regency Chicago
http://www.CreativeFreelancerConference.com
Early Bird Registration ends July 15th.
Resource Referral: In Case You Missed It The First Time
Our readers have given Ed Gandia’s special report a big thumbs up. If you missed checking it out last week, take a minute to do so now. It’s called Stop Wishing and Start Earning: A Low-Risk Plan to Escape 9–5 and Launch a Profitable Copywriting Business.
Bob Bly says, “Ed Gandia’s new e-book is a valuable contribution to the growing body of literature on how to succeed as a freelance writer, with many original ideas and suggestions not found in other guides on this subject. It is well worth your time to buy and read this book, which you will want to keep handy throughout your copywriting career for reference when you need answers to tricky business problems.”
And Steve Slaunwhite had this to say: “In my opinion, Stop Wishing and Start Earning contains the best roadmap for "making the leap" into freelance copywriting ever written. That’s because it does something that no other guide to this business has done. It gives you a specific step-by-step action plan to making the transition from wherever you are now — a full-time employee, a busy mom, a retiree, a recent graduate, a mid-life career changer — to where you want to be: a successful freelance copywriter. I wish I had a book like this in my hands when I started as a copywriter fifteen years ago. I would have been a lot more successful a lot sooner!”
We agree – and think you will too. Check it out for yourself: http://www.webmarketingmagic.com/app/?af=795794
Attention Dear Readers: Thank You and Send More!
Thank you SO MUCH to all the readers who have sent in submissions so far. We are truly humbled and appreciative of the knowledge you are each gaining as you figure out how to apply your copywriting skills to your life and lifestyle.
And if you haven’t sent anything yet, it’s not too late! So please, share your lessons with us just like we have shared ours with you. What we’ve learned over the least two years is that we are not only all students, but we are also all teachers. Tell us what you know. Send your submissions to admin@copyprotege.com. (Sorry, there is no pay available upon publication, but lots of glory, and a link to your website and/or your email address! So start writing!)