My friend Rebbecca Brown is a talented writer, who teaches writing courses at the famed Hunter College in Manhattan. She has an odd-yet-relatable sense of humor and an incredibly unpretentious idea of self that is quite attractive. She is also sensible, which is why, in her first year in the job market, Rebecca traveled to the highest-attended creative writing conference in the US, the AWP, armed with a hefty stack of personalized business cards. These cards WERE her. The content was clever and fun and very much like Rebbecca – so much so that I readily share my anecdote about her “business” card anytime anyone ever mentions business cards. I do so here because it illustrates an important marketing lesson. Business cards DO matter.

Business or “calling” cards, have a long history that dates back over 150 years (and, perhaps, before). They are a prominent part of corporate culture. “Here’s my card,” is not just a cliché – it’s a way of life. Myself, I have a drawer full of the things. They are all over my office and my home, tucked away here and there. The most important ones (including Rebecca’s) get placed in the pocket of one of my trusted Moleskin notebooks. And, yes, I do refer to them again and again to find all kinds of people I need to reach. Some I keep for practical purposes, others because of aesthetic reasons – no matter what the case, they are there and with me and, therefore, so are the people who first handed them to me. And while you may think that a business card is an “added” expense or a luxury, think again. A business card is the next best thing to being right next to a potential client. It allows him or her to take something to remember you by and provides what that person needs to find you again. Furthermore, it’s an expense that pays – perhaps even more so than big-budget marketing like fliers, rack cards, print advertisements, and the like. And, if used correctly, can turn potential clients into free advertisers. No matter if the focus is on an aesthetic element or informational content, a well-developed business card is more important than any other marketing medium you can invest in.

Think of this. Let’s say you are given the option to order 500 business cards at $1.00/card or 1000 at $.75/card. Which do you choose? Your first instinct is to consider price – $500 v/s $750. You recognize the deal you’re getting in the 1000 scenario, but then your logic kicks in and says something like, “hey, logic here, when are WE ever going to meet 1000 people? We don’t need that many cards.” Your logic assumes that you are only handing out one card per person. This is the moment where you should realize that logic hasn’t really been pulling its weight lately and maybe needs to be let go. Of course you don’t hand out one card. If you have someone’s attention and are discussing business and you are connecting on a level beyond, “so what do you do,” you need to leave that person with no less than three of your cards. Why? Because then, when he or she has another conversation with a friend or family member or associate who is also looking for a (insert your business type here), he or she may just feel good enough about you and your business to pass on one of those extra cards to that person. It’s word-of-mouth advertising X 100. Now that person’s friend/family member/associate also has your information AND an unsolicited endorsement from someone they already have a relationship with. It’s a dynamic marketing tool and one that most people don’t take full advantage of.

Remember, your business card is an extension of yourself. It communicates, through its aesthetic elements and its content, who you are, what you do and how you can be reached. In addition, it supplies a potential client with something tangible to remind him or her of your meeting OR reminds someone that a trusted acquaintance endorses your business. So, order more, give out more, get more for your investment.

Oh, what was on Rebbecca’s card? Simply her name, number, email and six check boxes that she marked accordingly, based on her conversations with the other attendees at the conference:

_ thanks, I highly respect your work
_ help … I need a job
_ it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance
_ I am seriously in love with you
_ @&$% off
_ come visit me sometime

memorable, eh?

~Tyrie

Tyrie Smith is the copywriter and editor for Luxecetera. He has worked in journalism, public relations and marketing for 10 years, including a brief stint as a student events coordinator at a small liberal arts college, which, by the by, is where began his obsession with business cards, day-glow t-shirts and free frisbees.

Tags: branding advice, branding articles, branding tips, business cards, Marketing