5 Essential Elements of An Effective Business Card - Print Peppermint

5 Essential Elements of An Effective Business Card

Just as with any other professional document like a resume or cover letter, not all business cards are created equal. There are definite Dos and Don’ts when it comes to designing your business card, so make sure that you’ve included each of these critical elements before placing your order.

Your Name and Contact Information

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This is really a no-brainer, but if you’re thinking of trying something edgy that doesn’t include information about how to get ahold of you—don’t do it. The whole point of a business card is to forge connections that can blossom into professional relationships.

Your name and contact information don’t have to be the most prominent visual aspect of your business card, but they definitely shouldn’t be difficult to find or difficult to read. Include as many methods of contact as possible, too, as this casts the widest net possible.

A Logo or Other Branded Image

You’ve probably spent energy and resources on having a logo developed for your brand, and this is the perfect opportunity to show it off. Make your logo as prominent or as minimal as you’d like, but you absolutely must include it somewhere on your card.

The importance of a logo is larger than you might realize. Even if a potential client doesn’t consciously commit your logo to memory, their subconscious will recognize it the next time they see it. This creates the kind of top of mind awareness that business cards were invented to generate.

A Brief Explanation of What You Do

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Let’s be clear: you don’t want to fill your business card with a paragraph outlining your job duties or service offerings. You do, however, want to outline your job title or craft a few words that explain what exactly you have to offer.

For example, if your company name is mentioned somewhere on the business card, your job title will suffice as it’s clear that you perform that role at the above-mentioned company. On the other hand, if you’re a self-employed artist, for example, you might want to write that below your name.

The Address to Your Storefront or Website

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A business card is merely a snapshot of your professional world. You can’t possibly house an entire portfolio or showroom on one business card, so be sure that you provide insight into where your new connections can see more of your work somewhere on the card.

Naturally, if you’re including a website url, you want to make sure that it’s optimized to be as simple as possible. After all, people can’t click on the link provided on your card, so it needs to be relatively simple to type into a browser.

Call to Action

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Yes, even a business card should have a call to action. This can be as simple as a section saying “call or text anytime” to something more overt. In any case, you want to make it clear that you’re eager to pursue a working relationship.

However, make sure that your business card doesn’t read like a sales pitch (even if you are, in fact, a salesman). That’s not the function of cards, and it’s bound to send potential clients and customers in a different direction.

There’s no single right way to create a business card, but if you leave out any of these elements, you’re missing out on the true potential of your cards. Think about how you want to incorporate each of these five elements, and let Print Peppermint bring your vision to life.

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