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30 Effective Business Card Marketing Tips

When it comes to marketing, sometimes all it takes is a little creative thinking to get a much larger return on your investment. There are many incredible ways to use your business cards besides just keeping them in your wallet and below is a great list of effective business card marketing tips. You will be amazed at how far a few thousand business cards can go when they are placed in the right location and given to the right people.

Many of the business card promotion tips below can be adjusted to fit any product or service. All you have to do is know your target audience, know your own business and think creatively! We hope this list will inspire you to make the most of your business cards.

Business Card Marketing Tips
1. Ask or pay local restaurants to let you place business cards near the checkout counter
2. Find other local businesses related to your product or service and leave cards at the counter
3. Stick some of your business cards on college campus bulletin boards
4. Create a viral video or photo that include your business card or create viral business card design
5. Pay college students to hand out business cards on different local campuses
6. Search for other public bulletin boards to leave your business cards on
7. Place business cards in doors of local homes
8. Partner with hotels to leave your cards in the hotel rooms of new residents
9. Mail your business cards along with other direct mail pieces to a targeted mailing list
10. Hire people to hand out business cards in high traffic areas such as in a city
11. Give your cards out to family and friends so they can give them away when needed
12. Network with other local business owners and exchange business cards
13. Offer people a finders fee and give them business cards to pass out
14. Hold a lottery with the lottery numbers printed on your business cards
15. Print business cards as mini holiday greeting cards
16. Mail business cards with promo codes that customers need to bring in to get a discount
17. Create a street team and give members business cards and other promotion items to hand out
18. Leave your business cards in public transportation such as on bus or train seats
19. Don’t forget to leave cards at the bus stops and train stations before you hop on
20. Get taxi drivers and companies to place a small holder with your business cards on the divider window of their cabs or on the seats
21. Staple a business card to any invoice or estimates you send out
22. Many neighborhoods have welcome wagons to greet new residents – see if you can include business cards for your service
23. Apartment buildings often give new renters welcome sheets with a list of recommended services – get on that list and print out cards for them to give away
24. Upload your business card design to online design galleries such as cardobserver.com
25. Post your business card design on classifieds such as craigslist.org
26. Make sure everyone who works for you has standard or personalized business cards – personal cards can boost employee morale
27. Give away business cards with every product you ship
28. Attend community events, network there and hand out business cards
29. Contact shopping centers and work out a deal so you can leave business cards on car windshields
30. Partner with real estate agents and agencies to get your business cards to new home buyers

This post was written by:
Gino

How to Add Value to Your Fold Over Business Cards

With a fold over business card, you still need to decide on basic information to put on your business cards. However, with a folded business card you have twice the space as a regular card, which gives you the opportunity to add more value. More value means your customers are more likely to keep the card for future reference. Here are some value-add ideas for your folding business card.

* Punch Card
This is great for frequent users. You know the routine – buy 7 coffees and get the next one free. Add a series of punch markers and make sure that when you design your cards you place the markers in a position where punching them out won’t affect any important information on the other side of the card.

* Schedule
Include a schedule of events or upcoming sales and promotions. You can easily tie this into a coupon which can be part of your card, as well.

* Survey
This is a nifty way to get some customer data. They fill out the short survey, which is printed on the card and then turn it in for a special discount.

* Advertisement
With four sides to choose from, on a fold over business card, you have room for a nice ad, including an eye-popping graphic.

* List
You can use the inside of the card to list your products or services, for instance, special spa packages.

* Map
A location map is a nice touch.

* Note Space
How many times have you wished there was room on the business card someone just handed you to jot down a few notes? You can make the back of your card a decorative empty space for just that purpose. Don’t be afraid to title it, “Notes.”

* Two-part Folded Message
Put your teaser, part of a quote, or something a little mysterious, on the front of your card. When the customer opens the card they get the punch line or something to ponder.

* Use the Folds
Do you have a product or service that allows you to use the fold of the card to your advantage? For example, if you are an author, make the card into a “book.” Use the front as the cover of your book and when the customer opens it up, they see a table of contents which displays your company information.

Folded business cards are a great solution when you need more room, or want to stand out and do something just a little different to market yourself and your business.

This post was written by:
Karen Daniels

100lb Bookweight Paper (Glossy Paper) vs. 14 pt. Cardstock (Thick Stock)

100 lb Bookweight Paper vs. 14 pt. Cardstock – What’s the difference, really?

We live in a high speed multi-tasking, multi-choice society. While the array of choices you are faced with on a trip to the local coffee shop can be daunting – whip – no whip – heavy foam – light foam – or no foam on that coffee – printing and paper choices can be just as confusing. There are countless kinds of paper. Pts? Lbs? Bookweight? 100#? Cardstock? Arrgh! Let’s unravel some of the mystery and take a closer look at our two types of popular paper options – 100 lb bookweight and 14 pt. cardstock.

What is 14 pt. Cardstock?

Cardstock is a thick paper, also known as “cover stock,” and 14 pt is a measurement of thickness. One unit of thickness equals 1/1000 of an inch, so 14 pt. is actually .014 inches thick. While that might not seem like a lot, equate this level of thickness to a heavy-duty business card or postcard. The higher the points, the thicker the paper – so 14 pt. is noticeably thicker than 10 pt. and slightly thicker than 12pt., with each layer of thickness adding sturdiness and rigidity to the paper.
When should you use 14 pt. Cardstock?

Since 14 pt. cardstock is thick and sturdy, consider using it for projects such as high quality business cards and postcards, anything where it’s important that the paper doesn’t droop. The 14pt cardstock also tends to look more expensive. Consider whether you want the piece to be able to stand up on its own, like a table tent or a rack card. Also, if you plan on using the piece as a CD cover, a folder, or you intend to mail it without envelopes, then you’ll need the paper to be stronger and more durable like the 14 pt.

What is 100 lb Bookweight Paper?

Bookweight paper is the same as 100 lb and 100#. 100 lb book weight paper is measured in weight. The “100 lb” refers to the weight of 500 printer sheets of this paper and is considered a medium “text weight.” Our bookweight paper has a high gloss coating which allows it to perform well on the press for color and detail; however, it is floppier than the cardstock and does not stand up well on its own.
When should you use Bookweight Paper?

Glossy bookweight paper is thinner than cardstock, which makes it more flexible and ideal for projects that need folding, stacking or transporting (like if you need to take flyers to a tradeshows or you hand out to-go menus). Bookweight is great for booklets, brochures, loose flyers, menus, posters and sell sheets.

This information should at least help you make an educated decision between Bookweight paper and 14 pt. Cardstock for your next print project. As for the best cup of coffee choice, you’re on your own.

This post was written by:
Karen Daniels