What to Include on Your Business Cards

The burgeoning numbers of contact options and the growing usage of business cards as a marketing medium mean that there are more choices than ever when deciding what to put on your card.

Here's an effective technique for deciding which graphic and text elements should be included when printing your next set of cards.

Odds are that most (if not all) of the following are bits of information you might legitimately include on a business card promoting your business or service:

• Your name
• Your title
• Credentials, certifications, degrees
• Your company name
• Your address
• Your phone number
• Your website
• Your email address
• Other contact numbers - cell phone, fax, etc.
• Your slogan or motto
• A photo
• A logo

That's certainly way too much to fit on a standard-sized business card! So how do you pare down the list?

The answer lies in answering the following two questions:

1) Who will receive your business card? and...
2) What information will the recipient need?

Business cards are used to provide contact information, true, but the identify of the person getting the card and their relationship to you and your business plays a huge role in deciding what information they will find most useful.

For example, will your business card be given to prospects who don't know who you are or what you do? Will your business card be given to existing customers, or to business colleagues, or to vendors? Or will your business card be posted on bulletin boards or tucked in envelopes, without any personal contact at all?

Once you've determined who is likely to use your business card, you'll have a much clearer picture of what specific information the recipient will need.

For example, a business card that is given to a prospect in a highly competitive market would be more effective with the inclusion of benefit-focused text. Adding your credentials, your guarantee, your slogan or your unique selling proposition will help your potential customer remember you in a favorable light.

Alternately, if your card will be given to an existing customer, it might be more useful to include expanded contact information, store hours or customer service numbers.

So, with those two questions answered - who will get your card, and what information he or she would find more useful - take another look at the list of common business card design elements.

Simply include the essential information for your particular recipient and leave off everything else! Will he or she be coming by the office? Leave off the address! Will he or she ever see you in person? Then you probably don't need your picture. Does the business card recipient have an in-depth understanding of your business or industry? Then leave off the confusing lingo and acronyms. Distributing tightly-focused, uncluttered and legible business cards will improve their effectiveness.