Save Money Marketing Your Business with Business Cards

If you are just getting started in business, and money is tight (or even if it's not tight, and you just want to stir up a unique advertising campaign) then marketing with low-cost, high impact business cards is a great idea!

For the greatest impact, I recommend getting a graphic designer to create and print your cards for you. Beware if a company wants more than $150 for the design and the cards! As a designer myself, I only charge $75 for design, print and shipping of 1000 full color cards. I personally design full color cards as full color is shown to be three times more effective than plain black and white cards. Including your call to action (buy my widget, visit my store, visit my website, etc) and a color photo of you or your product will ensure a better response rate.

Also, take full advantage of your marketing dollars by printing information on the back of the cards. This is where you can put information that your customer would want to keep. (If you are a realtor, include mortgage ammortization rates...if you are a restaurant, include a favorite recipe.)

Now that you know the basics behind the design, its time to discuss how business cards can save you money. If you spend just $75 for 1000, that's only 7 cents to deliver your message to each person. And the advantage of a card versus a radio or newspaper ad, is that this card is actually getting in your customer's hands...not being missed on air, or ending up under the bird cage.

I would not just put up a bunch of cards on the billboard of your local grocery store. Think instead of places customers you want specialty shop. If you created a special book light, hook up with your local bookstore and design a card that acts as a bookmark. Have these available for pick up at the bookstore! Match your product with relevant locations where you can leave your cards for pick up.

Attend business networking events: local chambers, civic groups, clubs and more are all good places where people want to learn who you are and tell you who they are. When you give your card to a new contact, give the contact three cards. Tell them it's so they can keep one and give the others to people they know who might need your services. I never just give away one card at a time. They are so affordable, you are only hurting yourself if you don't act freely with them.

One last idea here (but there are countless ideas for giving away business cards...so keep searching inward and outward!) is that you can take your cards everywhere. They are small and easy to carry. Everyone you talk to, be sure to leave them with a card or two or three, and tell them if they can't use the card, to hand it to a friend who can.