8 Tips for Creating an Effective Business Card

Business cards are a business staple.

These affordable and portable cards allow you to share information with prospective clients and business owners to make a good impression and expand your customer base. According to Statistic Brain Research Institute, 72% of people judge a company based on the quality of its business card. Make your business card a great one with the help of these eight tips. 

1. Make your business card legible

It can be easy to get so caught up in the design you forget the most critical part: legibility. 

If a business card can’t be read, it is useless. This means staying far away from color combinations that may be hard to read. For example, white on yellow is usually a big no-no. 

Furthermore, avoid fancy or funky fonts. They may look cool, but it’s not worth frustrating your clients. Opt for standard-sized fonts and account for those with failing eyesight. 

If you feel the need to reduce your font to fit everything in, you’re trying to include too much information. 

2. Less is more on your business card

You may be tempted to include as much information as possible on your cards, but don’t.

Only include the essential information to avoid information overload, leaving room for the essentials. 

• Name


• Company name


• Position


• Telephone number


• Email address


• Social media

By including only the most important information, you’ll be able to have adequate white space. 

3. Leave room for business card blank space

White, blank space allows the recipient to jot down notes on the card.

Don’t risk angering prospective clients by not providing them with adequate blank space to do so. It’ll also enable you to write down specific information for clients, making the experience more tailored. 

Plenty of blank space also has a design element to it. The white space causes the information already on the card to stand out. 

Because of the utilization of blank space, it is discouraged to go for the black, glossy cards because standard black and blue ink won’t show up very well on black and a glossy finish is hard to write on. 

Avoiding black, glossy cards isn’t the only guideline to follow. 

4. Logistical guidelines for business cards

Business cards are diverse, but a few guidelines hold for all. 

For the best print resolution, aim for around 300 dots per inch (dpi). This ensures your business card comes out clear and easy to read. 

Keep the text at least 5 mm from the edge. Even the most professional printers aren’t going to reach the very edge of the card. This is why it’s important to have a bleed area. This way, nothing gets accidentally cut off. If you really want a design to extend to the outer edges of the card, opt for designs that naturally extend beyond the card. Then you can cut the white space off. 

Avoid using a straight border around the entire card. Straight borders show misalignment if the card isn’t perfectly cut. 

Standard sizes are standard for a reason. You may be tempted to change the size of your business card in order to stand out. However, if it doesn’t easily fit into a pocket, wallet, and organizer, then you’re probably doing yourself more harm than good. 

The card has two sides. Most people prefer to have the design on one side and information on the other. 

With two sides and lots of information, it can be easy to accidentally miss something. 

5. Proofread. Proofread. Proofread. 

Proofread extensively before having your business cards printed. 

Our brains are excellent at automatically correcting words on the fly. Perhaps you remember the internet phenomenon where words were purposely misspelled: the first and last letters were kept the same, but the middle letters were jumbled. 

For example: It deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Initially mistakenly attributed to research at Cambridge University, the study was eventually traced back to Dr. Graham Ralinson. This phenomenon shows the power of the human brain at automatically fixing mistakes and why it can be so hard to catch simple typos. 

In order to avoid this, let your business card design sit for a couple of days before coming back to it. Ask others to look it over. The more eyes, the better. 

You don’t want your mistake to be what the recipients of your business card remember. However, you do want them to remember your business card. 

6. Get creative with your business card 

Including a second use for your business card can make it memorable. 

For example, making a business card that can turn into a phone holder, acts as a seed packet, can open bottles, or can turn into an origami figure will ensure customers will be more likely to keep your card and remember you. 

It may also make the recipient more likely to follow your call to action.

7. Include a call to action on your business card

If space allows, consider including a call to action on your business card. 

This could be in the form of a discount, direction to a website, or tips. Including a call to action can make your business card a more effective marketing tool. It provides something tangible for the recipient to do. 

8. Hire a professional printer 

Your business card reflects your business. Make it a positive reflection by hiring a professional printer. 

We’re here to offer you advice, designs, and quality business cards to join the 10 billion business cards printed in the U.S. every year. 

7 Top Design Decisions Direct Marketing and Web Designers Share

You might think that web design is entirely different from direct mail marketing.

But there are many things web and offline print marketing designers can learn from one another.

7 Top Design Decisions Direct Marketing and Web Designers Share

1. Create a compelling message.

According to David Ogilvy, five times more people read the headline than the body copy. It’s essential to use a powerful, bold headline telling your story and describing your offer or service.

2. Be clear and concise.

Avoid jargon in the body text or on the webpage. Remember that being transparent and avoiding jargon doesn’t necessarily mean talking down to your audience. 

Be sure that the product or service is appropriate and compelling to your target audience.

3. Utilize data.

In the world of marketing, and mainly B2B marketing, the correct use of data can be transformative.

Understand who is in your audience – what are the demographics of the new homeowners? This information may influence your design.

4. Branding, branding, branding.

A brand is more than just a logo on your direct mail piece or website.

It involves your online experience, your retail or workplace environment, the tone of your copy, and everything that relates to the “personality” of your business.

Use your logo consistently on every online and offline component you create.

5. Focus on fonts

Typography plays a crucial role in the success of a new design.

Use a strong sans-serif font like the Helvetica or Frutiger families for your headlines and a softer serif font like Times, Goudy, or Palatino for your body text.

It’s best not to mix two sans serif typefaces, or two serif faces on one piece. Go for the contrast between sans serif and serif.

6. Make a unique masthead.

The designs that work or catch your eye will have a point of difference by instantly communicating their tone and mood from their masthead, cover line typography, and image choices.

7. Follow a style guide

Comprehensive style guides define the company image from a visual and editorial perspective to ensure a unified brand. Style guides define the company image from a visual and editorial perspective to ensure a unified brand.

Make sure you have a style guide to keep things consistent.

Great design, especially for direct mail marketing pieces, can put you ahead of your competition and in front of new customers.  

We’re here to help you get there. Check us out today!

Tips for More Cost-Effective Direct Mail

You know direct mail works and has worked for decades. But now the question is: How can you save money on mailing your next project?

Here are some tips to make it more cost-effective to mail.

First, make sure you don’t have duplicate or wrong addresses. Scrub lists on import for invalid addresses, zip codes, and state codes. Next, run every mailing through the CASS™ program and NCOALink database from the United States Postal Service.

Mail advertising boasts a much higher response rate than social media, email marketing, and other digital channels. It’s also more memorable and, in some cases, beautiful enough to make people keep it for decades. Think of an old holiday postcard that was saved.

Direct mail might seem expensive, but it’s worth it.

Here are some things to consider when creating a direct mail piece. You can do some of these things in-house, while others will need professionals to care for them.

• Design services


• Copywriting cost


• Size and volume of a mail piece


• Mailing list volume


• List selection (purchased from third parties or custom-built)


• Printing quality (paper, ink, equipment, etc.)


• Personalization


• Chosen mail postage rate (standard and first-class mailing costs significantly differ.)


• Before you buy or rent a list, consider using free lists. Then, if you have a digital platform, use the lists from this to start your direct mail campaign.

Finally, try tracking your success by using specific URLs or coupons.

5 Ways to Make Your Direct Mail Lists Deliver

1. Determine demographics.

Lists determined by geography and demographics are typically less expensive than those that break it down to interests and hobbies.

2. Plan ahead.

Give yourself time to edit. For example, mistakes might mean you have to send out two copies to customers instead of just one. This, of course, raises your cost to mail.

3. Clear messaging.

Reduce brand confusion by keeping your marketing message clear and consistent. For example, suppose you have two different looks and statements online and offline. In that case, people get frustrated, and you could lose business, which wastes money.

4. Choose your paper wisely.

By using thinner paper and smaller sizes, you can save money. But make sure you aren’t sacrificing your standard. For example, if people have a particular image of your company, keep it consistent.

Maybe you need a thicker postcard or larger envelope to make a statement about the quality.  

5. Allow people to unsubscribe.

Even though you want people to receive your mail, cutting out those who don’t want your marketing will save you time and money.

There are several ways to save money on direct mail. Reach out today to learn more!

Why Direct Mail is Irreplaceable

Direct mail is not a new marketing topic, but it shouldn’t be forgotten. It is tried and true and will be here for the long haul.

Recent studies show that direct mail’s average response rate of 9% is higher than the 1% average rate for email.

9 Reasons Direct Mail is Irreplaceable

1. Direct mail is long-term.

It’s something you touch and feel and need to think about before moving on to the next step of your day.

2. Direct mail is easy to understand.

There is limited space if you use postcards, brochures, or even letters, making your appeal quicker and easier to understand than online websites filled with endless copy.

3.  Direct mail entices customers.

Using a quick, direct mail campaign lets you send teasers to get your customers excited and curious about what you are up to.

4. Direct mail is customizable.

You can use unusual die cuts, folds, tear sheets, or other fun printing options to make your customers interact with your marketing.

5. Direct mail is more official.

Direct mail is a more permanent and trusted form of communication. People know that anyone can go online and get noticed, but serious businesses send out printed communication.

According to Marketing Sherpa, 76% of people trust ads they receive in the mail.

6. Direct mail is memorable and sentimental.

We all remember getting letters in the mail…right? Well, sending mail to your customers brings back that sentimental feeling.

Add a handwritten note or signature, making it even more personal.

7. Direct mail is inclusive.

Direct mail is more inclusive for older adults who don’t go online.

If you want to appeal to people who don’t even use websites or Google, direct mail is the best way to reach this target market.

8. Direct mail pairs with other media.

You can pair social media and digital content marketing with direct mail for a seamless customer journey.

Cross-promotion works wonders.

By incorporating your message online with the printed word, you will reach a broader audience and answer more of their questions.

9. Direct mail is dependable.

People like to check their mailboxes. On average, people get 122 emails per day. Compare that to the fact that 4 out of 10 people like checking their actual mailbox for items in the mail.

Oversized envelopes have the highest response rate (5%), followed by postcards (4.25%), dimensional mail, or anything more than 0.75 inches thick (4%), and catalogs (3.9%).

With this in mind, be creative and have fun with your direct mail so your customers will enjoy getting mail from you.

If you need further ideas on creating great direct mail pieces, we are here to help. 

7 Reasons to Use Print

You might think of Twitter, Facebook, and email when you think of marketing.

But did you know print is still a popular marketing strategy? That’s right. It’s tried and true, and it’s so much more personal than clicking a variety of non-personal ads.

The Global Commercial Printing Market projects the commercial printing market to grow over the next five years, which means people will use this valuable marketing method even more.

The organization predicts that 72% of corporations will use direct mail campaigns.

Such marketing efforts are relatively inexpensive and are a proven strategy for companies to keep their image and services in the public eye.

As a result, direct marketing is expected to continue its upward trend.

7 Reasons to Use Print as Opposed to Just Online.

1. It’s the most trustworthy.

Approximately 56% of customers find print marketing the most trustworthy type. In addition, direct mail response rates are 37% higher than email.

2. Be environmentally friendly.

There are environmentally-friendly ways to print, reducing the guilt with the printed word. For example, try using environment-friendly vegetable inks because they are made from vegetable oils.

And as far as trees go, only 17% of cut forest trees are used by the paper industry, which means the trees are fine. 

There are 20% more trees now in the United States than 40 years ago.

3. Think non-traditional printing.

There are basketball floors, signs, flyers, banners, and other types of print that help your business succeed in ways that online can’t match. 

4. Think outside-the-box printing. 

Right now, there are many ways to promote your business, and one of those is with a subscription box offering goodies to your clients on a monthly subscription-based business. 

5. Get your printing quicker. 

The options are endless. Printers can use many ways to print your marketing materials that will take much less time than before.

6. People love to be tactile. 

Having something to hold in your hands helps promote businesses. Try using oversize postcards and updated brochures more in your approach to advertising. Cross-promote with other companies, so you are supporting each other.

7. There is easy personalization. 

There are many ways to personalize your marketing using lists and data that offer information on specific people, where they live, what they do for a living, and the likelihood of buying from a printed piece.

Approximately 70% of Americans say mail is more personal than the internet. When you send out direct mail, you will get a better response than online marketing options.

People appreciate the extra care that goes along with a printed piece.

No matter why you choose to do printed marketing pieces, you know they are practical and have been proven to get results.

 

The 7 Stage Employee Life Cycle

Understanding the employee life cycle will help you support your employees throughout their entire time with your company. It will also better help you to mitigate turnover risk, which can be costly.

The average U.S. employer spends about $4,000 and 24 days to hire a new worker. Other estimates have the cost of hiring as high as $6,110. However you calculate it, hiring a new employee is not cheap.

Below are the seven stages of the employee life cycle.

Attraction: the 1st stage of the employee life cycle

The employee life cycle begins the very first time your company is exposed to the potential employee. 

Do your best to make sure your first impression is a good one. Build a positive company culture and a brand that will appeal to future employees.

Recruitment: the 2nd stage of the employee life cycle

Recruitment encompasses the period from applicant to employee. 

Although salary, job title, and job fit are all important, they’re not everything. Future employees are also looking for your company’s equality and diversity policies, mental health stance, maternity leave, overtime, sick pay, unpaid leave, and work-life balance. Positive testimonies from current and past staff are also important. 

Remember, the job interview is both a space for you to see if the prospective employee is a good fit for your company as well as for the prospective employee to see if your company is a good fit for them. 

Onboarding: the 3rd stage of the employee life cycle

The employee has been hired, now it’s time to get them acclimated to your work environment. 

When employees start a new job, they’re most likely feeling optimistic and full of potential. Build off of this by making them feel welcomed and safe in the new work environment. 

Development: the 4th stage of the employee life cycle

If your employees are learning and improving, so too will your business. 

Support development by organizing workshops, conferences, and seminars. Encourage constructive criticism throughout the workplace. If your company is able, financially support learning programs for your employees. 

Retention: the 5th stage of the employee life cycle

Successful employee retention will save your company many workers and dollars. 

Never take any of your employees for granted. Let them know they’re appreciated by thanking them often. Reward employees for their hard work through recognition programs and promotions. Check in with your employees to see if they’re happy and content. If not, find out why. What can your business do?

Separation: the 6th stage of the employee life cycle

Employees can’t stay at your company forever, no matter how hard you try. 

Employees might leave for a variety of reasons: better career opportunities, retirement, a change of pace, etc. Whatever the reason, it’s crucial that you try your best to remain on good terms. 

They’ll be able to testify for or against your company down the road. Positive word-of-mouth reviews are important to the success of your company. Try throwing them a goodbye party to thank them for all they’ve done for your company. 

Before they leave, make sure you ask them for their honest opinions. This will help you improve your workplace. 

Check in with your remaining employees. You didn’t just lose an employee, they lost a friend. 

Alumni: the 7th stage of the employee life cycle

Although no longer officially part of your workplace, past employees can still be part of your company’s culture. Invite them to company events if possible, ask them for future referrals, and request their help from time to time. 

We understand the workplace community can sometimes feel like a second family. Support your employees every step of the way with the print pieces that make communication a breeze. Support is important, and we’re here to support you in your business goals. Anything print-related, we’ve got your back.