Creative Ways to Use Your Business Card

You know how important is to carry your business cards with you at all times, but are you using them in a creative way? A way that can boost your brand and recognition?

Don’t just hand them out hoping the client will remember you. They won’t – especially if the competition is fierce and the possible client is shopping around. Make them remember you after the meeting is over. Make them take that business card out and explore it. Put a smile on their face, if possible. Then you become memorable.

Here’s how you can do this:

• Give out two cards at a time – one for your prospect or client, and one for her/him to give away
• Give business card holders as a thank you gift and place your business card in as the first one; or a rolodex and make yours stand out with colors or flair
• During the Holidays give away candy canes in a bag or Valentine’s Day cards with your business cards stapled to them
•  Put them in the product’s shipping before delivery; if you use bags, staple your card to the outside of the bag
• Place them in library books as if you used them as bookmarks. Visit bookstores place them in books related to your business
• Make bookmarks as business cards and give them away. You never know when someone might use them in a school, library, on the bus, or at the park
• Write a compliment about the person you are meeting with; he/she will remember you in the nicest way possible.
• Tack them to bulletin boards at coffee shops, supermarkets, restaurants, retail stores, etc.

Use both sides of the business card. Think of the front of the card as a billboard that people are driving by and only put the most important information on the front.

Here are some ideas to put on the back of your card:

• Map/directions to your office
•  Write a reminder about their next appointment
• Your 30 second introduction
• Print a team’s sports schedule on the back; you can bet sports fans will keep them handy and keep your name in front of them
• Print a special discount offer or coupon on the back
• If you do seminars, print key elements of your presentation on the back. Your attendees will refer to them later and think of you
• Handwrite on the back your “unlisted” number. This adds value to your card, making people keep it longer because they don’t want to lose the special number
• An URL where they can get a free report from your website
• A calendar, a receipe, your favorite book related to their business
• Put pictures of your products

 Claudiu Geanta is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Design by Satori Inc. & Satori CG Inc.. He helps businesses promote their presence on and off line. He is also an accomplished web designer, book writer and photographer. You can follow him on Twitter.
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