How to Keep Your Business Cards Out of the Trash
Though the majority of business today is conducted digitally, the business card is still an essential when forming business relationships face-to-face. You go to a trade show and exchange business cards.. what happens when you get back to the office? The truth is that 88% of business cards end up being thrown in the trash within one week. How can you ensure your card makes the cut and isn’t thrown out?
Stand Out With Stock and Finish: The first thing people notice when you hand them your business card is the texture. Make sure they are on high-quality, heavy paper. This enables your cards to hold up and stand out in a stack that will get shuffled around several times. Make images and words pop with UV coatings and request rounded edges or unconventional sizing so they physically stick out in a pile. You also have the ability to make your business cards stand out by utilizing unconventional materials such as wood or metal. These types of business cards are considerably more expensive than regular ones, but may be worth the price.
Give Your Cards Additional Purpose: A business card can do more than just promote your name- it can also serve as a coupon, appointment reminder, map or more. Because your cards serve more than one purpose, this is a strong incentive for the recipient of the card to keep it rather than just tossing it in the garbage immediately. Some of the more memorable designs incorporate function as well as form. Examples include business cards that transform into a phone stand or have USB drives built into them.
Show Them Your Artistic Side: Intricately-designed business cards not only look special and unique, but they also portray the time and thought you put into creating them and how creative your brand is. Clever and playful graphics (if appropriate) give potential clients a quick visual representation of who you are and what you do, as well as making your brand more memorable. If a person appreciates the design of your card, it makes it less likely they’ll throw it away shortly after receiving it.