Quick Tips:
Enclose a business card promoting your website with each piece of outgoing mail.
Ask customers who frequently do business with you for a testimonial.
Promote your website URL offline on everything from bumper stickers to your answering machine message.
Want to reach the highest percentage of your target market?
Advertise in specialty publications including newspaper supplements devoted to a specific topic.
Marketing is crucial, but it doesn't always have to be serious.
Some of the most effective advertising campaigns rely on humor. Don't be afraid to make your customers laugh!
Business Card Design Ideas
Use a deep shade for some of the text. Then, use lighter tints of the same color for other text, your logo and anything else on your card.
A die cut design can really set your business card apart from the others.
To save money on die cuts, use one that the printer already has. Circles, stars, animals, hearts, and a person's profile are a few examples of commonly-used dies.
You can also have a die cut design custom made. It's a one-time fee to have the die itself cut.
You can even create a design with the same originality as a custom die cut, but without the extra cost. Many objects have dimensions that can easily be designed on a standard size business card.
Computers, televisions, doors, windows, trucks, suitcases, washer and dryers are some of your options.
More ideas to get the look of die cut without spending an extra cent:
- cell phones
- calculators
- refrigerators
- flags
- ticket stubs
- CD cases
Use a photo as a background design. A light tint can be applied so that the text on your business card can still be easily read. A color photo can be converted to black and white, so you still have the option of black ink only.
Print the back of your business card
You can fit only so much information on one side of a business card without giving it a crowded look. Use the back for anything from product information to community events your business is sponsoring.
Design a map of the area where your business is located so that new customers can find you.
Include a few facts, or even trivia, that might interest your customers. Gear it to the nature of your business. An electronics company, for example, could include tips on the care and cleaning of electronic equipment.
Create a coupon on the back of your card. Even a small amount gives people an incentive to keep your card.
Business cards are one of your cheapest and most versatile marketing tools.
Use them to promote specific products or services.
Give your card a specific value. Make your "business card" a gift certificate that customers can use with purchases of a certain amount.
(Example: A $5 gift certificate that can be used with purchases of $25 or more.)
Have one business card that focuses on promoting your website. Include an incentive such as a coupon code that can be entered at the website. This strategy encourages people to visit your site, and gives them a reason to keep your card.
Here's how you can get a business card with a different color ink for the same price as black:
Choose an ink color that the printer you've selected will be using for other jobs. Red and "reflex blue" are two very commonly used ink colors in addition to black.
Many printers will only charge what they normally do when black ink is used.
The reason for the extra charge for some colors has to do with the printing process rather than the specific color of ink.
Before a printing job can begin, ink has to be applied to the roller of a printer.
Then, before another color of ink can be used, the rollers have to be cleaned.
So, in many cases, you won't be charged extra if you choose an ink color that will already be used for other jobs.
Some websites display the ink colors they regularly use for which there's no extra charge.
If you can be flexible with the day your job is printed, you can often have your choice of even more colors.
Nancy Richardson
MARKETING STRATEGIES
Differentiate Yourself
Information Marketing
Building Customer Loyalty
Getting Customer Feedback
Testimonials
How to Define a Niche
Discovering Niches
Finding New Customers
Indirect Benefits
The Consumer's Perspective
Promotional Marketing
Pricing Products and Services
Viral Marketing Magic
Marketing Mix
MARKETING IDEAS and TOOLS
Business Card Design Ideas
Brochure Design Ideas
Die Cut Business Cards
Scented Business Cards
Cheap Business Card Ideas
Unique Business Cards
Unique Brochure Ideas
Cheap Advertising Ideas
Business Card Layout
Promoting Home-Based Business
Competitive Advantage
Email Marketing Tips
3 Ways To Spend Less
Selling With Color
Promotional Magnets
STARTUP IDEAS and STRATEGIES
Home-Based Startup Ideas
Business Idea Brainstorming
Virtual Assistant
Internet Researcher
Event Planner
Wedding Consultant
Telecommuting Strategies
Freelance Job Strategies
WEBSITE MARKETING
Build Traffic to Your Website
Domain Name Ideas
5 Ways to Increase Traffic
Scavenger Hunts
Talking Avatars
Promote Your Web Page
Autoresponders
Internal Links
Link Exchange Tips
Viral Marketing and Email
Attract Your Target Market
Market Your Website Offline
KEYWORD TIPS
Keyword Competition
Keywords and Meta Tags
Prime Spots for Keywords
Keyword Phrases
AFFILIATE MARKETING
How To Get Started
Residual Income
Affiliate Agreements
ONLINE BASICS
Choosing Domain Names
Domain Name Extensions
Website Design Strategies
Learning HTML
Understanding HTML Colors
Are Your Colors Web-Safe?
How to Accept Payments
Bandwidth: Doing The Math
Find The Right Web Host
Publish Your Website
MARKETING YOURSELF
Resume Tips
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