Published:

10/10/2011 05:35pm

Do You Still Need Business Cards?

Do you still need to have printed business cards? It's a question worth asking, now that we all have smartphones that all work perfectly all the time, and those nifty digital chips embedded in the base of our skulls that allow for instantaneous thought transmission and flawless mutual understanding ... wait, you mean all-digital communication hasn't been perfected yet?

Ever looked at the dwindling stack of your printed business cards and wondered if it's worth ordering more? Or fumbled with the "Bump" app on your iPhone*, trying to impress a new contact? Then read on.

Do You Still Need Business Cards?

Yes, unless:

You know for sure that everyone you meet, and want to stay in touch with, has the latest technology for exchanging information digitally, and knows how to use it. Not everybody has a smartphone. Not everybody knows how to use their smartphones. Not everybody has the correct version of the app you want to use for getting and giving contact information.

You can risk looking forgetful or fly-by-night. Humans at our current stage of evolution still seem to be paper-oriented creatures. (Unless you're networking with a time-traveler from the future, or Vox from the planet Xibatron.) If someone asks you for a business card and you have to reply, "I don't have one", they can get the impression that you walked out of the office without them by mistake. Which can make you seem flighty. Or they may think you haven't been in business long enough to print cards. Or that you jump into and out of business ventures frequently. Either way, not having a business card can lessen your credibility.

You don't mind getting submerged in the flood of information that's coming at your prospects. When you look through your stack of snail mail, what are you likely to pull out and read first? How about a handwritten envelope? The same principle makes a printed business card noticeable in the tidal wave of e-info that your prospects cope with daily.

Let's admit it: Printed business cards do kill trees. So, let's make sure those green wonders don't die in vain. Here are suggestions for making your printed business cards an effective marketing tool:

Pick pleasing paper. Choose a paper stock that's inviting to touch. Maybe a little thicker than the average card. Not too much texture on the surface, but maybe not perfectly smooth either. And make sure the color of your paper stock will not change the colors of what's printed on it, whether that's a full-color photo, or your company's logo. No mustard-yellow paper for your bright red logo, for instance. (I speak from bitter experience.)

Use both sides. This helps because we all have so many pieces of contact information now. Using both sides gives you more room to spell out custom URLs and social media links.

Change the size. Since your card probably doesn't have to fit in a Rolodex anymore, can it be a different size? How about a larger card that folds down to the traditional 2" x 3.5" size?

Change the shape. Rectangles aren't required. Can your print vendor change the shape, even slightly, without increasing the cost by much? Ask about rounding the corners (also called radius corners), or using an existing die from a previous project.

Print fewer cards at a time. Contact info and job titles change fast. Print in smaller quantities at a time to stay flexible. If your card has to include a fancy, expensive touch (like a custom die-cut, embossing or foil-stamping), see if you can print "shells" with areas left blank, so the shells can be put back on the press and overprinted with that new info in smaller batches when the time comes.
Printing fewer also gives you more flexibility to try including more or different information on your card. For instance, you could try adding a QR code to your card, print 50-100, and see how people respond.

Have more than one card. Who says you can't have two (or more) different versions of your cards? Try a version with more contact info, or different types of contact info. Maybe a version that emphasizes one of your company'