(Updated for 2022)
Unique Business Card Design Ideas
In today's digital-first economy, paying attention to your business card design may seem unnecessary, but your card may be the most powerful tool in your sales arsenal. You just have to use them correctly. According to Adobe Blog, over 88% of business cards are thrown directly in the trash can in less than a week. It's not that business cards don't work. It's that 88% of them don't work. Why? Because they're bland. The trick to scoring leads with business cards isn't to hand more of them out. The trick is to hand out innovative cards that people will want to hold on to.
Trash those bland, dollar store business card design ideas and buckle your seatbelts. We're about to tell you how you can make business cards a key differentiator in 2023.
WHY YOU NEED A UNIQUE BUSINESS CARD
Did you know that 72% of people will judge your company by how your business card looks? That 39% of people will refuse to do business with you if they think your card is cheap or uninteresting? We exist in a business card tsunami. Since even the blandest cards can score leads if you hand enough of them out, some brands are using the spray-and-pray method of business card distribution.
However, quality is more important than quantity. The future of print is all about quality. Smart marketing teams are honing in on delivering impeccable designs on interesting materials. Novel business cards produce tangible emotional connections with customers that go far beyond a piece of paper. Creating unique business cards is a way to boost sales and keep people from trashing the cards. It can also forge meaningful business connections that create long-term value.
How do you create these attractive, fun, unusual business cards that jump to the top of your clients' card piles? Let's take a look!
IT ALL STARTS WITH DESIGN
It's hard to create business card design ideas without knowing what copy material you're going to use. What came first, the design or the copy? The answer is both! But we're going to focus on the design process first in this blog. That being said, touch base with your printer regularly during this process.
1. USE YOUR COLORS AND LOGO
Before you even begin thinking about business card design ideas, you need to have two things down. You need a brand logo and brand colors. Consistent branding across all marketing channels (that definitely includes your business card!) increases profits by 23%, so you need to align your brand identity with your card out of the gate.
Incorporate your colors (branded, colored cards get thrown away 10x later than plain white/grayscale cards) and feature your logo prominently. Your logo helps you stand out from the crowd. It's immediately recognizable and, ultimately, you. Your colors are the icing on the cake. Remember that consistency is also important. A small blue g is instantly recognized as Google. Why? Because they used it consistently across all of their marketing channels.
2. CHOOSE YOUR SHAPE
At this point, you want to start thinking about how you can leverage your brand to create an exciting design. Feel free to throw tradition out the window. Should business cards always be a rectangle? We don't think so! Make it a square or cut it out into unique shapes. For example, the fish-shaped one below. If your brand is playful, think outside the box.
3. THINK ABOUT THE TEXT
Other than your logo, colors, and shape, business cards feature text. This is typically contact information, like a phone number and email. Social media handles are becoming a more common presence on business cards as businesses look to grow their social following. Typography plays a huge role in how you orient your text. Certain fonts align more closely with your logo and color, and these fonts have unique spacing and aesthetics. Try to play around with a few different fonts until you find one that works.
MATERIALS AND PRINTING ARE KEY
There are a variety of materials and printing techniques that you can apply to business card ideas that completely transform the way the card looks and feels.
1. EMBOSSING
Embossing is the process of creating raised or recessed portions of the business card. This can make certain areas "pop out." You can have your logo raised above the business card surface, or indent your text. Either way, embossing allows you to target where you want a person's eyes to focus.
2. FOIL STAMPING
Want your business card designs to be more noticeable? Try foil stamping. By making text or mascots shiny with foil, you can make your card stand out and immediately catch the attention of clients.
3. VARIABLE DATA PRINTING
80% of customers are more likely to purchase your product or service if you personalize your marketing experiences. With variable data printing, you can bring that personalization to them in the form of your business card design.
Variable data printing allows you to print each card with a unique name and identifier. Instead of changing the whole card, variable data printing changes a small amount of text on the card — reducing costs and making personalization economically viable. You could print your clients' names on the card, use unique quotes, or do a host of other attractive, personalized designs with the text.
4. SPOT UV PRESSING
Like foil stamping, spot UV pressing adds a shiny coat to particular elements of your card. You can use it on logos, mascots, text, or even borders. Again, this helps you draw attention to the more crucial elements of the business card.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
With the combination of design, materials, and printing techniques, every business can create unique business cards that will help them stand out in the crowded market. The sample below may look like your ordinary folded brochure however, it is actually a business card with a second purpose - medication information for your wallet! Don't let your card get tossed in the trash with all of the other cheap cards. Make a statement.
Are you looking for a team of printing experts to help you make a world-class business card that catches eyes and gets customers to pick up the phone? Contact the experts at Ironmark! We're ready when you are.