How many times have you come across a great opportunity at an event, dinner, or even just out and about, and wished you had a business card on you? It works the other way as well – how many times have you met someone interesting, but forgotten their name by the time you get home?
For some reason I’ve never before thought of having business cards printed for my blog (it used to be more of a hobby), and as a freelancer I’ve never had a company business card either. But not only does a business card get you more opportunities (more on this later), it will make you look more professional and people will take you more seriously too.
It’s often been said that a business card is a road map to opportunity. It could lead you to a great new job, project and even new contacts if your business card gets passed on.
1. Be prepared
Random encounters with different people happen all the time. And when they do, you’ll want to be prepared to take advantage of these meetings and the opportunities – especially if you’re a freelancer, self-employed, unemployed or aspiring blogger.
2. Leave a lasting impression
I’ve learned that even though we are now in a digital age (‘what’s your Insta handle?’, ‘what’s your Facebook?’), business cards are absolutely crucial – not just for sharing contact details, but they’re your brand identity, and first impression. And you only get one chance to make a first impression.
3. Look professional
Spelling out your whole e-mail address into someone’s phone, or typing theirs into yours (and then there’s the issue of low battery and phones dying), or fumbling for a pen and then scribbling a phone number down on a scrap piece of paper or cocktail napkin just looks unprepared and unprofessional. Having a business card on you shows that you take your work seriously. Despite being small, it sends out a big message and is indicative that you took the time to actually put your information in a card. This immediately separates you from 99% of the other freelancers, self-employed, unemployed or aspiring bloggers. It shows a brand that you’re serious about what you do.
4. State your work
I find that a good business card not only contains one’s name and contact details, but also mentions what that person’s skills are – for example freelance copywriting, social media management, press release writing, home styling, etc. That way you’re letting someone know what you’re capable of, and what you could do for them.
5. Be referable
And then there’s the physical element too; a business card makes you referable. Someone with your business card might hand it over to someone else they meet, as a recommendation (“I met this great designer the other day, here’s their card”, etc).
6. Have identity
And finally, a business card is also your brand personality. A memorable business card does a lot more than just pass on an email address or phone number – it leaves a lasting impression of your brand.
Picking the right design
In order to stand out from the crowd, you could of course opt for metal, wood or translucent business cards, and I’ve even seen matchbox sized portable video business cards, but they all come with a price tag. Then I came across Moo’s colourful and eye-catching designs; from their Luxe range which come with a bright coloured edge to gold foil templates that literally sparkle and shine.
You may have seen I’ve been looking for a new job lately, so what better time than to finally have some business cards printed? I’ve printed four different business card designs that show what I can do (from brand collaborations, copywriting and interior styling to freelance journalism), and had some thick thank you cards printed too. This way, next time I’m asked for my card I’ll be prepared, and will finally have something that people can remember me by! I’ll also be able to professionally thank people once I’ve finished working on a project.
Here are the five designs I picked. Which is your favourite?
1. The Luxe design:
2. The CrossTown design:
3. The Jackie Onassis design:
4. The Bertram Hotel design:
5. The Thank You postcard design:
