Seriously!

Just how important is your business card? Do you think clients judge you by your card? And if they do, how much of their opinion about your qualifications are directly related to your business card?

I've seen some pretty crummy cards that were nothing more than black print on colored card stock. And these people do great work and stay busy. I don't think their crummy card hurts them at all.

Recently I had about $20,000 worth of home improvements done by a contractor. His card had a busy, distracting background and it was packed with type. It was full color, on a magnet no less. I didn't hire the guy because I was impressed with his fancy, expensive card. I hired him because he demonstrated his ability to do what I needed done.

Now even if you were to have the ideal design, what about card stock? Will simple "cheap" card stock turn off your clients? What about the expensive parchment stock and all the others?

Does the business card really say all that much about you and your ability? Or is it just one of those things we think matters?

By the way, I'm including a copy of my biz card. Nothing fancy for sure. Just simple card stock. It's really just a step up from hand-written contact info on a scrap piece of paper.

Perhaps those who may respond could post a copy of their card. It never hurts to see what others are doing and what's working for them.

Jeff

Marketing has immense power in business, especially the video industry. The greatest principle in marketing is consistency. A great business card by itself will do nothing, but if the message, style, content, and quality is consistent with everything else the client sees, it will have a huge impact.

As far as business cards themselves, I have 16-pt (the heaviest, sturdiest card stock), 4/4 (color on both sides), UV coating on the back and spot-UV on the front (so that only the logo is glossy and stands out.

I think 4over.com is the best printer. They're prices are half of the competition and the quality is outstanding; their CMYK is photo-quality (300 PPI to my eye). A 16-pt 4/4 UV 1000-card run is $24.00. 14-pt 4/4 UV 100-card run is just $9.50. Shipping included (AKA free).

In my opinion, the quality of the card reflects the quality of the business. the words/logos are less important. A simple design on a nice cardstock with a nice print job can be very impressive.

I think it's important enough to get right. A well designed business card does leave a nice impression. Personally I use a simple design on glossy heavy card stock and rounded corners.

But maybe for the midwest market it's better to make it plainer and more down to earth? Did a few jobs in the midwest and one thing I noticed midwesterners appreciate practicality, and are not overly impressed with "flash". So maybe a simpler approach would work better there?

I believe that a contractor and a video guy/gal are very different scenarios. The person looking for a good video, graphics design, etc. wants something visually appealing. When I hire a contractor, such creative/aesthetic objectives are not at the top of my list.

Thus, I do believe that our business cards can have an impact - they may be the very first impression a potential client gets from us.

- Martin

Business is based on networking. Cards are the reminders of network contacts and the purveyors of your contact info! They are quite important...more that you have some than that they are flashy, but flashy doesn't hurt...especially since what we do is visual.

To be honest, I used to think a card made a difference, but most of the top Hollywood and NYC guys have very simple, very plain cards. You work should speak for itself. If the card leads people to your site, great. But simply trying to stand out from the pack using a card is... perhaps missing the point. My favorites are the simple ones with room to write myself a note concerning where I met the person! Much more likely to call them if I can put it in context.

Just to clarify, I agree that simple is good. But even a few pieces of information can be arranged on a card in visually appealing ways.To be honest, I used to think a card made a difference, but...
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My favorites are the simple ones with room to write myself a note concerning where I met the person! Much more likely to call them if I can put it in context.Sounds like card design DOES make a difference for you after all! :-)

- Martin