MARKETING WEAPONS – BUSINESS CARDS

I will start the series of infinity marketing resources that I claimed in the Marketing resources. As the first marketing resource or weapon that will be presented are business cards. Every business MUST to use business cards as a marketing weapon.

Business cards are marketing weapon that have all information’s about business when some people have need of your products or services. When we talk about expenses, this is the most optimal marketing weapon for the small business owners. But, you must remember that business card cannot obtain all about your business, or your products or your services. There will be information’s or messages that will remain not obtained in the business cards as a marketing weapon. But, something that is most important is that business cards must to give one professional image of your business. Image that will be memorized by business card holder and that may to encourage taking actions from potential buyers.

Types

Type and the quality of the business cards will depend on the type of the business. Businesses that sell consultant services probably will go with more quality business card and printed in color. This card will be different from business card of the one car repair services that may to be printed in black and white color with the picture that will associate to car repairing.

Business cards today may to be made in different ways and with different style and on different medium. Here are some examples and different types of business cards that you may to include in your marketing strategy:

• Paper business cards are business cards that were made from paper. These business cards are cheaper from other types of business cards, but they not bring so much impression to the prospects. Disadvantage of these paper business cards is that they may quickly to damage and then discarded in garbage.
• Cardboard business cards have dimensions that may to ensure their placement in the pocket. If there is no need to make impression with your card you may to use black and white printing technique. Color business card give positive impression and professional image and because of that I suggest to use it. Color business cards is little expensive from black and white or one color card, but they may to bring fast return of the investment. At the color business cards you may to place your picture that will provide sense of well known person.
• Business cards from unusual materials are the business cards that are made from other materials as a wood, metal, stone… These business cards usually are used as ornament at which is placed basic business information’s. This is most expensive business cards because their production cost is very big. But this business cards in some special occasions as an anniversary or signing big contracts is very effective marketing weapon.
• Multipurpose business cards are business cards that have more than one purpose. This cards may tom serve as an informative card for your business, and on other side to be as a discount coupons or some another notable information that may be useful for the card holder (for example calendar or town map on the back). Anyone from the previous mentioned business cards may to be multipurpose business cards. With this type of cards you can expect that the card holder will use it because they have additional notable information.
• Plastic business cards are that cards that is made from paper or cardboard, but after printing they are laminated with laminating machines. These cards make good impression; their quality is good and they are resistant to damage. They are little expensive from paper or cardboard business cards because they have one more process of finishing – laminating.
• Electronic business cards presents mini CD where is placed business information’s. These cards must to play on computer or another CD reader. Now this card is no so expensive. But, they cannot be used in every moment because every card holder will not have CD reader near them. This card usually is multipurpose business cards because they may to contain some touristic guidelines for the country or town where the business operates.
• Unconventional business cards are business cards that really use unconventional medium as a chocolate, sugar, toffee… This is really very interesting business cards but the durability of them is very small, until the media is not eaten.

What to contain?

Frequently asked questions about business cards is about what they must to contain. Here are some recommendations:

• At the front page of the business card you must to place:
  • Your business logo
  • Your slogan
  • Your name, surname and workplace
  • Business address, telephone number, mobile phone, fax, e-mail and your business webpage
• At the back page of the business card you must to place:
  • Some advantage that your business offer
  • Products or services that your business offer

In this way the front page is page that give information’s for your business, while back page will give information’s about some products or services. Now your business card will be as a brochure of the back page.

You must to remember that your business card present first contact of the prospects with your business. And, one more, business cards must to be disseminated to the people, not to left on the shelf to gather dust. How much more you disseminate to the prospects, you will have more people that will enter in your sales funnel.