When I first started handing out my business cards, I found that people would look at them, smile and say, “So, what do you do?”

I recognized that as being a huge problem! Why? Because if after you’ve given your business card to someone and they still don’t get what you do, that means you need to bring clarity to your brand and message.

Much like your elevator pitch, your business card should let people know who you are, what you do, who you help, how you help them and finally the best way or ways to contact you (and connect with you online).

Following is what I’ve included on my business cards to help people immediately understand what I do and how I can help them solve their problem:

STEP 1 –

Who I Am:

1. A photo of myself, so they remember my face. (See my photo on the back of my card below.)
2. First and last name. (You’d be surprised how many people don’t include their name on their business cards.)
3. Business name. (Include a business name unless you are strictly a personal brand.)
4. Title … in my case, Social Media Trainer & Consultant. (In today’s world, a title like Founder or President doesn’t mean much when branding and trying to get found online, since no one really searches for those titles when looking for solutions to their problems. You should instead choose a title that tells people what you do, and one that people will search for, such as graphic designer, business development consultant, financial advisor, fashion designer, food blogger, etc.)

STEP 2 –

What I Do:

1. I included a photo of me teaching a group social media class. (90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, therefore a photo of you doing what you do can go a long way in getting people to understand what you do. A photo of you doing something that is completely irrelevant to what you do can make their imagination go in a whole different direction. If you choose to use a photo of what you do, be sure the photo helps to convey the message of what you do.)
2. Tagline … for me, it’s “Bringing Marketing and Training Solutions To You … Wherever you are!” (If you have a tagline be sure to include it on your business cards.)

STEP 3 –

Who You Help:

1. I included a short description of who I help and the description includes my elevator pitch points.

STEP 4 –

How You Help Them:

1. I listed some of my workshops and seminars to show people what they can learn from me.
2. I also listed some of my marketing services so they would know that I don’t just offer training as a service.

And finally …

STEP 5 –

Best Ways To Contact You: (See my contact information on the front of my card above.)

1. Phone number. (Be consistent with how you write your phone number both online and off. For example: (202) 000-0000 or 202-000-0000. Choose one format and stick with it.)
2. Email address. (You may notice that my email address is not on my card. A phone call is my preference because I get so many emails I can’t keep up. If you are not good with email, please don’t tell people to email you. Only use the best way to reach you on your card.)
3. Website address. (It is no longer necessary to use www. This just takes up space on your business cards usually meaning you’ll have to make your font smaller — and you don’t want people to have to squint when they read your card, Right? Use, for example, yourwebsite.com only.)
4. Social media icons followed by your social media handles. (Always use the social media icon and social media handle together. Use the icon as a visual and the handle so they’ll know how to find your social media accounts. An icon without the handle on a business card is useless as most people will not take the time to search for your accounts while on the social media platforms. As with everything you do in marketing, you need to tell people where you are. Don’t make them guess.)

It doesn’t matter what order you put this information in on your business cards but make sure you put the most important information on the front.  That means your name, company name, phone number (or email address if that is your preference), and website address.

Since I took the time to re-brand and lay out my business card like this, people don’t look at me cross-eyed like ‘So, what do you again?’

Now go create an AMAZING business card of your own. You don’t have to design the card yourself (and you shouldn’t if it’s not your thang).

BONUS

I got someone on Fiverr to design my business cards. When the Fiverr designer was done, I uploaded and ordered my cards on Vistaprint.

For those of you who do not know, Fiverr is the world’s largest marketplace for graphic design services for $5 and up. Vistaprint creates digital marketing products for small businesses. They’ve been around since 1999.

Whether you use Fiverr or your own graphic designer, be sure you use someone who designs cards specifically for Vistaprint, so all you have to do is upload your cards without having to crop them or anything. Your job should be to upload them and order them only.

If you prefer to watch a video tutorial on how to create business cards, click here >>


Some companies that I mention on this site are my marketing and training partners. I am an affiliate of others. A few of the links above may be affiliate links for which I may be paid a commission if you use them. I only recommend products and/or services from companies I trust, tools I’ve used, or services/products that are highly recommended — and I feel may be of value to you and beneficial to your marketing efforts.

Author: Romona Foster

Romona Foster is the Social Media Trainer and Consultant at Social Media How To’s with Romona. Romona teaches small businesses and nonprofits how to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Google My Business — and the best practices of Email Marketing, Online Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, and Personal Branding. She is a featured contributor with Business2Community and is a Constant Contact Community blogger.