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[D202]Design Your Business Card Online

by Charles Kassotis, Cha

Are you planning to start your own business? Do you work from your home? Are you employed at a company where you have a specific job title and function? If any of these are true or if you want to offer freelance services to the community, a business card may be one of your first steps in making others aware of your goods and services.

A business card is your calling card, post card, appointment reminder, and contact piece all printed on one small card. That is what makes this multi-purpose item so useful. A resourceful businessperson will want to make the most of this unique advertising strategy, since business cards can sit on someone's desk, find a place in a Rolodex, join others of its kind in a wallet, and be posted on a bulletin board. Dozens or even hundreds of passersby may view your card, depending on where it is placed.

With all of the speedy online printing services available, or using popular software applications, you can have a stack of business cards in your palm within a day or two, or no longer than a week in most cases. Yet this is a promotional tool that should not be rushed. Take your time to map out this marketing strategy to maximize its benefits for your business.

1. Consider the color. You can choose from a fiery neon shade, a soft pastel, a neutral tone, or even a design with a decorative border. Keep in mind the type of readers who will receive the card. Conservative staffers in large corporations may prefer a subtle card with a low-key, professional image. But a creative advertising display could grab the attention of marketers and sales managers. Attractive, color-sensitive images may draw the attention of everyday customers or those who shop from home and enjoy the attractive appearance of your thoughtfully designed piece. You can use color on one side or two.

2. Lay out the print. Practice with a sheet of paper or on your computer screen to get the look and feel you want in a card. Experiment with different fonts and type sizes for proportionate spacing and headings as well as neatly designed spaces. If you don't have one already, create a logo for your company that will serve as an instant identification item when people come across advertisements for your business.

3. Arrange the information. You may want your name and title to be the biggest parts of the card, with contact information and other service options printed in smaller type. On the back of the card, you might decide to place additional details about your product or services, although you won't want to overwhelm the reader with too much information. Keep the overall effect simple and readable.

Your business card announces your presence in the world of commerce, so make it a welcome piece that will incite readers? interest and enthusiasm in what you have to offer.

If you're like most professionals, you have a business card. But, what does your business card *do* for you?

“Do”?

Yes, that's right; what does your business card *do* for you? Does it help to actively create more business for you or does it sit—like most business cards—in a big stack of other business cards that nobody ever looks at?

If you want to maximize your marketing strategy into all areas of your business collateral, it's time to make your business card work for you. The time when your business card was just a simple way to give your name and number has long since passed. Far from having to be just a way to communicate your name and contact number, a business card provides an excellent opportunity for you to make yourself memorable.

The key to any successful marketing campaign is being memorable. Advertisers spend millions of dollars figuring out exactly what needs to be done to create advertisements that stick in the heads and hearts of their consumers. When it comes to creating a unique and distinctive business card, you have the exact same goal. In today's highly competitive marketplace, you need to stand out from the rest to define yourself as the best.

Here are just a few ways you can make your business card step up and be more than just a cardboard rectangle:

* Turn it into a mini-billboard advertising your services.

* Highlight your USPs on the back of your card.

* Offer a special, discount, special promotion.

* Create a unique shape or design that relates to your field so your card becomes a topic of conversation by those who have it. But, be careful not to make the shape or size so “unique” that it won't fit in the typical places people store their business cards. If you go too big or too unusual, you might find that your card is thrown out.

* Hand your business card to everyone you meet; store clerks, gas station attendants, waiter and waitresses, secretaries…everybody!

* Place your business card in every piece of mail to your patients and local vendors.

* Spend a little more and turn your business card into a magnet. In this way, it can be carried in your wallet, but also stuck on that refrigerator for years of free advertising.

* Whether you're starting a new office or are looking to revamp your image, a new logo will help you portray the true identity of your business through a professionally-designed logo.

* Make your card serve double-duty—use it as an appointment card, too.

* Be sure to include all the ‘usual suspects' on your card, including name, profession, and phone and fax numbers. Additionally, be sure to include your e-mail and web address for that extra added impact.

As you can quickly see, your business card doesn't have to sit idly inside somebody's wallet never to be looked at again. It can work for you in powerful ways—promoting you, your business, and your services. Spend a few minutes designing your next business card and it can have big payoffs as your smallest, but most effective advertising billboard!

Article Source : Pg. 14

About Author

Both Charles Kassotis & Dr. Christopher Cordima are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Charles Kassotis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Appliances, Gifts for loved ones and Pets. Look for more business card help at the Business Card Directory: ?>. Charles Kassotis's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.

Dr. Christopher Cordima has sinced written about articles on various topics from Business Cards. . Dr. Christopher Cordima's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.