For years, businesses of all shapes and sizes have utilized business cards as a method of communication between themselves as a company and their customers and clients, both current and prospective. Whilst the benefits of using a business card in this way are obvious, as it offers a more professional way of providing people with contact details rather than simply writing them down on a piece of paper, is it possible for large corporations in particular to benefit from them in the way that a lot of small businesses do?
One of the ways that many small businesses and sole traders utilize business cards is not to simply provide people with their contact details, but for them to act as a way to increase brand awareness and make their company name more effective. It may not seem obvious at first, but large companies, such as national corporations, can benefit just as much as a small business if the cards are developed in a slightly different way.
A perfect example of how business cards can be created differently can be seen in the way that several carpentry companies are now utilizing them. Whilst the traditional method of a business card is to provide contact details on a piece of card or thick paper, if several cards are held, it is very easy for one or two to be overlooked. Due to this reason, several carpentry companies are developing and producing their business cards from a thin layer of wood, etching their details directly into the material. Although they are more time consuming to produce and not as cost-effective as their paper based counterparts, the effect that they can have is magnificent, as they are often the first card that will be seen and felt in a large selection of cards from several different companies.
Similarly, it can benefit a company greatly if they were to look at the shape of the business card and amend this slightly. A business card is traditionally around two inches by three and a half inches and although it is recommended to adhere to these to an extent, if some adjustments are made, the card can take on a whole new dimension.
For example, imagine if a customer was looking at all of their business cards that they had accrued during the day at a conference. Stacking them all together, their eyes and fingers would generally be drawn to the card that does not fit in with the rest of the designs of the cards, which could be because it has a section of the logo from the company that has purposely been extended out of the card.
The primary point to remember for large businesses who want to look at the other possibilities of business cards is not to detract from the basic principles of the card, whilst ensuring that they are different and intriguing enough to be distinctive. It can be tempting to create a business card that features entirely cryptic text, for example, but whilst this may be enjoyed by several customers, it can take too long to solve for others which, particularly when it comes to sealing a large deal, can be a considerable negative aspect and result in business being lost rather than gained.
