Card Smart

By Allen B. Kronick Pocket PR The business card is the single most cost effective marketing tool available to the owner of a small business. Most small business owners do not have corporate-size advertising budgets, and they need to receive the best return from every promotional dollar spent. It's a matter of survival. For these business owners, the focused use of business cards can be a smart marketing tactic. The card identifies your business, acts as a mini-brochure, a Yellow Pages ad, direct mail flyer and more - all on a three-by-two-inch piece of card stock. Here is how to be card smart. Make it Work for You The front of a business card should show basic information: Your company name with a "tag line" stating the nature of your business. Include your name and contact information such as phone number, business location, e-mail address and Web site. The front of the card should be easy to read, with appropriate use of white space, allowing a reader at a glance see who you are, what you do and how to contact you. Use the back of the card too. For example, if you are a home remodeler, tell people that you also do decks, garages, roofs, windows and even make houses handicap-compliant. Make it a Keeper Give people a reason to keep your card. Provide a multi-year calendar, calorie chart, important holidays or other useful information that people may want to know and keep in their wallets or handbags. Dentists use their business cards to provide patients with the dates of their next appointments. Coffee shops and ice cream parlors use the card to offer incentives for free food on future sales. Jewelry stores remind customers which gifts are associated with specific occasions (i.e. birthstones, special anniversaries, etc). Others provide a map with the location of their business. Card Etiquette There's a certain etiquette or protocol for giving out cards. Always do it in a personal way. Mention something particular as you hand it to someone. Some cultures give it with two hands. Make people remember you-- think about how you can make people attach a face to the card so that it will have more meaning. Don't give out a card that's wrinkled, worn or smudged. Remember it is your ambassador and gives people a perception of who you are. Better to keep your ambassadors in a card holder so they are readily available yet protected. The Little Card that Can The business card can help you build relationships. Businesses that sell over the Internet can use their card to direct customers to their Web site. The back of the card can show a sample home page, navigation tips, offer a discount for online orders or provide directions to important information (safety tips, product information and additional savings) available only on their Web site. Some businesses attach the card on everything they send or give to their customers including, packages, bags, stationary, mailings, etc. They hope to create brand identification so that their customers will remember them. Remember, business cards build relationships. Work them hard and tirelessly. Be creative and have some fun using them. They are the best business deal in town.