As common and numerous as business cards are, it is amazing how many of them are not as effective as they could be. Most people only put their name and basic contact information on them, but there is so much more that you can do with your business cards! Let me point out just a few things that you can do to make your business cards stand out above the rest.



1. Use both sides!

You do not completely ignore half of your house, do you? You probably use just about every inch of space available. Why not do the same on your business cards? The back of your business card is like a prime piece of real estate, just waiting to be used.

You can use the back to include extra contact information. Another good thing to do on the back of your business card is to give more info about your business, or about your services. Use that space to promote yourself a little bit more! You could even put a special offer in that space, to really entice your customers!

2. Don't forget your info!

It is amazing how many people neglect to put basic information on their business cards. Don't make the same mistake when you get your business card printing done. You want to give your customers as many ways of getting in touch with you as possible.

Obviously, you are going to include your name and phone number. But you also want to include your business name, if you have one. If you have a fax number, put that on there. Put your mailing address on there, because some people still use snail mail! If you have an email address (which you should) include that, too. Finally, include every website that you have that deals with your business. Many people have several, but only include one on their business card. Why not put them all on there? Give your customers every chance possible to do business with you.

3. Use your card to advertise yourself

No matter how much you spend on advertising, sometimes your business card is the only way that some people will know you, so don't waste it. Put your logo on your cards. Whatever your tag line is, put it on there. When someone finds your card a month down the road, you want to remind them about why they should do business with you, not just how they get in contact with you. Put special offers on your cards. Put customer testimonials on your cards.

4. Hand them out!

Why do so many people print out thousands of business cards, only to use a hundred or so before boxing the rest of them up? It really is mind boggling. You design and print these cards for a reason: to produce more business. But they can't do that if you do not give them to people. And you should give them to a lot of people. Hand them out to everyone – and I do mean everyone – that you meet. You will be surprised how much business that can drum up.

Use these tips to make your business cards more effective. Stop thinking of them as just small pieces of paper, and start thinking of them as miniature advertisements. Put more thought into your next business card printing, and you just might see a very profitable difference!