Last week, Leah of Leah MacVie Photo made a good point about marketing your freelance business when she wrote, “Business cards should flow through your hands like water.”
Any business card is better than none.
One of the best tips I received when I was starting out was to pick up a pack of Avery business card sheets
No, they aren’t as sophisticated as professionally printed cards.
Yes, some people are put off by them.
Still, any card is better than none – those who are put off were never going to know me without a card anyway. Being able to print cards instantly has helped me put my card out there when I could not have justified the expense of overnight printing and shipping.
What should you include on your card?
Photo
Your photo will make you real and help avoid any shock when someone has formed false expectations about your appearance. Your photo also saves you the expense of a professional logo when you are first starting out.
Tag Line
Craft a simple phrase that sums up what you do:
- Words that win on the web.
- Content that that gets you noticed.
- Copy that closes the deal.
Services offered
Be wary of overkill. While it’s tempting to list everything you could do (or would do for the right price) it sets some people on edge. They start thinking, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Once they get to know you, you can dazzle them with your brilliance and the depth of your skills, but to land that first meeting emphasize a short list of the things you do best. Offer just enough enticement to get them to call you or visit your website.
Website, Address, Phone Number
You have to make it easy for people to follow up and find you. If you do not feel comfortable including your home address, then at least provide your city and state. If you do not want to share your home or cell phone number, consider getting a VOIP or Skype number for your business calls.
Ordering Business Cards
As soon as you can justify the cost, you should order your first batch of business cards from a professional printer.
How many cards do you need? That all depends on how many you think you will be able to distribute and how committed you are to the details on your current cards.
I plan to move over the summer, so I decided I don’t need more than 250 cards with my current home address. Are you planning to purchase a professional logo in the coming months? Maybe you don’t want to order 1000 cards yet.
On the other hand, your cost per card goes down the more you order. Plus, you never want to put yourself in a position where you are hording your cards.
Get Your Cards Out There
Look for opportunities to spread your business cards around.
- Give them to friends and family and encourage them to share them with others.
- Find bulletin boards that allow you to put up cards, and visit them frequently to replenish.
- Watch for businesses that let you place a cardholder on their counter.
If you do not have business cards for your freelance writing business, you should get them as soon as possible. They are a cost effective method of publicity that can place your name in front of the people looking for your services.
Get them and give them away. Let them flow through your hands like water.
Oooh- OMG a feature about something I wrote about- wow!? *blushing*
I would add that most online printers like vistaprint.com and overnightprints.com have templates for you to use. You choose a template, plug in your name, a logo or photo, and bam- it’s done. No fancy software required.
These printers also print small quantities- like 50-100.
Make somebody famous…what day of 31DBBB is that?
Yes, Vistaprint. I have been waiting two weeks for them to approve my affiliate application so I could plug them in this post. I will look into overnightprints.com, maybe their application process is quicker.
I absolutely agree that business cards are essential and should “flow through your hands like water” – great quote!
I have another suggestion for you and that is that the business card holder you carry can make a difference and be a great conversation starter.
I wrote a post explaining how to choose business card holders to attract attention and get people who see it more interested in what you do.
I hope you’ll check out that post and do leave a comment there so the readers there can come back here and read this post. That blog is DoFollow and has both CommentLuv and KeywordLuv installed.
.-= Gail´s last blog ..How CommentLuv Grows Businesses and Blogs =-.
I would use this ‘quick and dirty’ way to get my special deals which do change daily, to my clients, rather than wait for the printers to deliver my marketing material. Thanks for the info.
I am happy if this helps you, Scott. I know I have found it very helpful to be able to print up my own cards the night before a networking event, and to test out new ventures on the spur of the moment.
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Business cards are a really great option for business seekers as they provide your details in a very precise form to the people who can provide you good business. This idea never came into my mind being a new person to this blogging business. Thanks for the tip.
Hi Paul, thanks for stopping by. I am pleased you found this information helpful.
I’ve been really thinking about getting business cards lately, and this definitely solidified my decision. Thanks!
Hi SpitFire,
Thanks for stopping by.
I think business cards are essential. Certainly I feel foolish whenever I am caught without them and someone asks for one.
Write on!