Business cards are a well-known staple of marketing. They’ve without a doubt stood the test of time despite the ‘younger models’ such as email addresses and websites climbing their way to prominence. This old reliable always has your businesses’ back - so, what makes them so resilient? What do they bring to the table that the digital alternatives don’t? Let's get down to business!
Personal Touch
Ending a conversation with a handshake and a business card exchange is universally recognised. Swapping email addresses is no replacement for the level of interactivity found within handing someone a physical thing. It almost feels like you’ve been handed a gift upon receiving a business card, especially in the case that they’re particularly luxurious - an act of appreciation due to your interest in their business.
“They’ve got a card, they must be professional.”
And it’s usually true! Having business cards to hand and giving them out at the end of a conversation sends all the right messages to potential customers: you’ve got an established brand, are proficient at planning ahead and, most importantly, have confidence in the business you’re selling.
An email address, however, does next to nothing when it comes to being exemplary of your company’s standards – or any of the above, really. You can make up for this via the content of your emails, sure, but a string of text amongst a flood of other emails in a customers’ inbox must really be something special before it’s even opened. Not to mention the email you’re already set up with is likely as simple as ‘yourname@business.co.uk’, which hardly catches the eye!
This is a battle a well design business card wins, without a doubt. Make a first impression that sticks.
Direct Marketing
Handing over a business card leads your potential clients straight to the source. Whilst email lists have the potential to reach a huge amount of people, the number that are likely to engage with an email is far smaller. Going around handing out cards takes longer but the payoff is often much greater. Think of it as quality over quantity, except this is about engagement over being ignored!
It makes sense when you consider that the person you’re handing a card out to has already shown interest in your company. Even if your email recipient is someone who’s shown similar intrigue, it’s like we’ve said, they’re easily overshadowed.
Passive Networking
Having a physical product that’s free to be passed around an office or between friends or family members allows for additional reach, without having to do it yourself. This is especially where the quality and/or design of the card comes into play. Even if your business is something that doesn’t appeal to the people your card is shown to, the image of your card is likely to stick around in their mind - which just may lead to a Google search, who knows - so at least give them the opportunity!
On the other hand, it’s very unlikely that a nice-looking email gets shown around the office, unless it’s a particularly good discount offer. When’s the last time a workmate or family member shared an email with you outside of this criteria? My guess is never.
Goal-Setting
Again, an advantage to business cards being a physical tool is that they serve as an accurate representation of your reach. You can count the emails you’ve sent, but those don’t necessarily translate to a conversation or so much as a second glance, so it’s impossible to guess the number of people you’ve caught the attention of; with business cards, however, you can set yourself a target to hand a certain number out, which is a far more accurate telling of your output.
Everyone involved in business should have a business card. What's the alternative, having your potential customer write your details on a napkin? Get out of here!
So, if you haven’t already got a business card, or you want a redesign on your current card, don’t hesitate! They're plenty affordable and effective to boot.
Take a look at our fabulous range here!