Create Business Cards That Work to Avoid the Wastebasket
Most business people have a love-hate relationship with business cards. It’s great when they lead to a profitable relationship. But they are more often a “necessary evil” and do little good. As it turns out, that is painting them with a pretty broad brush…a brush that unfortunately lacks very colorful paint! I’ll explain that in a moment.
Recently, we came across some very interesting statistics in an article on the Adobe Blog. They shed quite a bit of light on how business cards are regarded by your prospects. In addition, they point clearly to characteristics that add perceived value to a business card and make it much more likely to be kept rather than tossed.
The Not-So-Good News
Some findings reported in the article are sobering. For example:
• 88% of business cards are thrown away within a week
• 63% of people throw those cards away because they don’t need the service offered at the time
These statistics certainly place great importance on handing out business cards that your prospect will want to keep around until they need your services. Consider another stat:
• Sales increase by 2.5% for every 2,000 business cards handed out
That may not sound like a terrific ROI, but it merits further thought. If statistics say that 88% (roughly 1,760 of those cards) are thrown away within a week, that sales increase must come from the 12% (240) of those cards that were kept by the recipient, on the desk or in a file. That changes the ROI significantly. The secret is making sure as many as possible of your business cards “make the cut.”
Great News: Success Is in the Cards
Fortunately, the Adobe research outlines a pretty clear path to achieving that.
• A colored business card typically lasts 10x longer than a standard white card
A card that uses color liberally has a far better chance of joining the “keeper” pile. And it’s also rather obvious that a card printed on thicker stock conveys a higher “quality” image. A quality image that recipients are quick to apply to the company and person from whom they received it. According to Statistic Brain Research Institute , if you have what some would consider to be a “cheap” looking business card, 39% of your prospects won’t do business with you.
Giving YOUR Cards an Edge
A colored edge, to be exact. Why not choose a thick card stock, and employ an engaging design and graphics that use color on the card’s sides and edges? That will help it stand out in a stack of cards. And it will effectively frame the key messaging and contact information the card carries A substantial, colored card will deliver the extra impact your branding needs. It’s simple human nature: a card that looks exceptional is memorable and will hold more perceived value.
Play the Superior Card
Business cards may not be one of your major expenses. But they can provide a major opportunity. We can help you use these research findings to your advantage. We’ve been helping businesses work more efficiently for 95 years. Our ISO certification formalizes our customer-focused processes, and our three consecutive Best of Print and Digital show that those processes deliver for those customers.
Business cards are not “a necessary evil.” They are tools that, when created properly, help your business make a strong and memorable impact on clients and key prospects. Contact Superior today. Color us very helpful in creating business cards for your company that do just that.
