Novel Ways To Make Your Biz Cards Work For You

People seem to covet their own business cards and start to panic if they feel they have given out too many. Although the cards may have been costly to produce, they are doing you no favours if they are not in the right hands.
Think of them as part of your marketing budget – if you place a paid advert in a newspaper or magazine you would calculate the return on your investment once the advert has finished, so do the same thing with your biz cards and think of new ways to distribute them to get a good financial return, by way of new contacts and potential clients.

Get your business name out there
Your business cards are an ideal way to market your ‘brand’ and reinforce your image in the minds of consumers and future clients. For example, you could use photos of different products on your biz cards to advertise your inventory. This would work well for businesses selling jewellery, cakes or gifts, or for photographers wanting to showcase their creative work.
Alternatively, having your cards professionally designed will make your business stand out in the minds of recipients. Novel ways to distribute your cards could include,
Putting a business card in the envelope when paying a bill – it might sound a bit random, but you never know who will open the letter at the other end. They might not need your services themselves, but could know someone who does. This is the whole purpose of networking – by reaching out to an infinite number of people, the law of averages suggest that at some point you will reach the ones that need your help.

• Giving out 2 biz cards at a time, with the second one intended for referral purposes. If you ask them nicely, most people will pass your card on to someone they know, who might require your product or service.
• Considering volunteering to help organise an industry or networking event. By placing yourself in a position to contact delegates or potential customers in an official capacity, you stand more of a chance of being the ‘go to’ person for your services.

By thinking of unusual ways to get your name known, either locally or nationally, your business cards will provide a bigger return on investment than you could imagine. They are an important part of your overall marketing strategy, so don’t leave them in the box – pass them on as soon as possible.
David Hamer is an online author who has had many articles published on this topic.