Get Creative: Tips for Creating a Top-Of-Mind Business Card

Whether you are just starting out as an entrepreneur or you are an established business leader, business cards are an essential piece of collateral. They are an easy way to deliver vital contact information while also being easy to store. A tangible reminder of your company, business cards help prospective customers get in touch with you easily.

But what makes a business card stick in the memory of the recipient? What keeps your company’s business card from being tossed in the trash or thrown in a cabinet drawer, never to be seen again? To create an effective business card, you’ll need to think about more than just adding your logo and contact information.

Consider these tips to create a business card that will capture attention, make a great first impression, and keep you and your company top of mind.

Choose a Unique Paper Option

If you want your business card to stand out from the crowd, you need to choose a unique paper option. For an interesting twist on a traditional business card, consider using thicker paper. Typically, business cards are printed on 14pt or 16pt paper. Consider going up to 24pt or 32pt. Business professionals are used to receiving traditional business cards. If they are handed something thicker, it gives them a reason to take a second look.

Kraft paper is another great option. This eco-friendly, unfinished brown paper can present more of a natural look and feel to your card. Alternatively, linen paper offers a lightly textured surface with a refined appearance.

Select Premium Finishes

Paper coatings such as silk, satin, suede, and matte change the way a business card looks and feels. These finishes can easily take your business card to the next level. Premium touches help you stand out by creating an elegant, unique look that can elevate any piece of marketing material.

Spot gloss coating applies texture and shine to specific areas of the card to highlight text or images. This type of coating adds an interesting contrast by juxtaposing matte and sheen textures. This can be applied to images or graphics to help them jump out to those receiving the business card. You can use spot gloss designs to create a design on blank paper or overlapping with printed texts. The thickness of the coating can vary.

Another option for a premium finish is utilizing metallic foil accents. This finish adds shimmer and shine for a more luxurious look to help create an elegant impression. These accents can be either big and bold or fine and intricately detailed. The most commonly used hues are gold, silver and bronze, but a metallic accent can be made in nearly any color. A business can even opt for an iridescent or holographic look. If you’re looking to make a strong impression, these accents stand out visually while communicating that your business has a unique style.

Add Interest with a Unique Shape

If you have received a business card lately, it was probably rectangular. To create a top-of-mind business card, consider using a less conventional shape, like a square or a rectangle with rounded edges. Business cards can be any size or shape, but it is important to consider their ability to fit in a wallet. While unusual shapes may capture attention, if it doesn’t fit in a wallet, the recipient may be less likely to keep them.

Incorporate a Splash of Color

Adding painted edges is another trendy approach that can help your cards stand out. This approach adds a splash of color in an unexpected place to help capture the attention of the recipient. Painted edges also offer the perfect opportunity to reinforce brand colors in a unique way. Utilizing this method works best when using thicker paper so there is more of a visible edge.

Get Creative with Applications

A business card can do more than simply list names, titles and contact information. By adding extra uses, you’ll increase the chances of your recipient holding onto your card. Some examples include creating magnetic business cards, printing a coupon on the back of the business card, making cards double as loyalty punch cards, or printing an appointment reminder template that can be filled out on the back of the card.

Update Your Business Cards

While all of these tips will help your business card stand out, it is vital for businesses to update their card frequently to reflect the brand’s message. A polished and up-to-date business card makes a great impression, but the opposite is true for an outdated or unprofessional card. Business cards should be updated regularly to ensure that contact information and titles are accurate. In addition, any time branding is refreshed, business cards must also be updated to match. Don’t create an outstanding business card only for it to fall short because of inaccurate, outdated information.

Written by Ryan Farris.