By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, SD/PEN member, www.writerruth.com
Now that businesses are going back to the office and a semblance of pre-pandemic work life seems to be returning, it’s a good time to assess the effectiveness of business cards. It’s an important tool for networking, even in the ever-increasingly digital world, and for both in-house and freelance colleagues.
Business cards that work for you are especially important as in-person events start to come back to life, and real cards are still popular, from what I’m seeing. Someone who enters your contact info in their phone by scanning your card might still keep the actual card and use it first if it has flair and the information they need. I’m meeting new people at such events and seeing a lot of business cards, but many of them don’t do their owners justice.
Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind if you’re getting ready to order new cards.
• Use larger type for your name, company/business name, email, website URL and phone number. I’ve been seeing a lot of business cards lately with type so small that you almost need a magnifying glass to read emails or phone numbers. Making recipients squint to read that essential information defeats the purpose of handing out your card and increases the likelihood of errors when someone tries to use your email address or phone number.
• Make space for larger type by dropping street addresses and focusing on website URLs, emails, and office and cellphone numbers. Not only does that reduce the volume of information and clutter, it creates a more dramatic design impact. Anyone wanting to visit your office (or send you a fax) can call or email for that information or for a brick-and-mortar business find it at your website.
• Include a QR code; it can go on the back of your card so it doesn’t take away from valuable space on the front of the card. It makes you look plugged in and up to date and makes it easy for recipients to find and file your information as well as to learn more about you by creating a link to your website or LinkedIn profile, whichever is more appropriate and useful. You could even put a QR code for each on the back of your card.
• Ditch the glossy paper stock; it’s hard to write on coated paper for anyone wanting to take notes about where and when they met you or to add other information.
• Put a handful of business cards in every briefcase, jacket/pants/skirt pocket, handbag, cellphone case, etc. You never know when they’ll come in handy, and you don’t want to have to scribble your contact information on a napkin or the back of someone else’s card.
• Scan your card and add a low-resolution image of it to your email signature (sigline) unless you’re job hunting, in which case don’t include anything related to your current employer.
• If you’re looking for a new in-house job, create a separate personal card to hand out to prospective employers or referral sources. Employers will want to know about your current and past jobs, of course, but you don’t want to disrespect your current employer. A personal version can still include your job title, with an email, and a home or cellphone number that’s different from your work information.
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter (www.writerruth.com) is an award-winning provider of editorial and publishing services for publications, independent authors, publishers, associations, nonprofits and companies worldwide, and the editor-in-chief and owner of An American Editor. She created the annual Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer® conference for colleagues (www.communication-central.com), now co-hosted with the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (www.naiwe.com) and sponsored by An American Editor. She also owns A Flair for Writing (www.aflairforwriting.com), which helps independent authors produce and publish their books. She can be reached at Ruth@writerruth.com or Ruth.Thaler-Carter@AnAmericanEditor.com.
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