When your new company is created, there should be a strong emphasis on business cards. Make business cards work for you. Business cards are a tool to let others know what your company is about and what services it provides. A plain white business card does not portray the mission or creativity of a person or a business. Your cards should help make you stand out and be easily recognizable. Bright colors, a distinctive logo, and an easy to read font will make your card stand out from the rest.

Be Creative

Business cards do not have to be boring. They should not look like everyone else’s. Think about ordering square or round cards instead of rectangular cards.
Use the front and back of your card to share your mission. If you are an eco-friendly business, buy business cards made from recycled paper. There are so many ways to make that card work for you! Some people purposely leave a space on the back to write notes or provide other contact information.

It Works

Business card marketing is a real thing. It’s effective, and it does lead to new customers and new leads.  Here are some suggestions for using your business cards to maximize your customer base:

• Post your cards on community bulletin boards. Restaurants, libraries, community centers, churches, gyms, and stores often have bulletin boards. All you have to do ask to post your card.
• Think about the waiting rooms in your area and leave cards for those waiting for appointments. Doctor’s offices, hospitals, salons, auto shops, restaurants, and government buildings all have waiting areas.
• If you want to expand your reach, consider asking local hotels if you can leave business cards at their check in counter.
• Ask if you can leave your cards at your local Chamber of Commerce office or your local Tourism Office.
• Use your business cards as a direct mailer. Target your audience and send out your cards with a note to potential customers and clients.
• Send out cards with every item you ship or every promotional item you produce for a customer.
• Hand out business cards at local events or at networking opportunities. And don't forget to ask for other's business card.
• Create a photo or video of your business card and upload it to all of your social media pages.

Finally, make sure your business card is professionally printed on high quality heavy weight paper. You don't want to skimp here. Having trouble coming up with a design or getting your design ready to print? Need help with marketing? We can help. Make business cards work for you. Come by or call 573-221-3635 and we can help you with your business card and any other promotional material you need for your business.

© 2018 Poole Communications

“Books are better than television, the internet, or the computer for educating and maintaining freedom. Books matter because they state ideas and then attempt to thoroughly prove them. They have an advantage precisely because they slow down the process, allowing the reader to internalize, respond, react and transform. The ideas in books matter because time is taken to establish truth, and because the reader must take the time to consider each idea and either accept it or, if he rejects it, to think through sound reasons for doing so. A nation of people who write and read is a nation with the attention span to earn an education and free society if they choose.”
― Oliver DeMille

When you were a child and drew a picture on a piece of paper, did you feel the need to fill up the entire page? Were you told it was wasteful to leave empty space? That belief may have been okay then, but it might not be a good idea for your marketing materials now. Fewer words or less design means higher impact for the words you do use. You don’t have a lot of time to catch someone’s attention and too many words will get lost. Only the main words will be read anyway, so don’t clutter your materials with information that won’t be read. Using fewer words will help you stick to the main point. Keep it simple.

It’s time to take a close hard look at your voice mail system. If you don’t have one – don’t worry. I think you’re actually in better shape than most companies with a voicemail system! How many times have you tried to call a business and got stuck in Voicemail Purgatory? Last week I called a local station that I call frequently. I have a new sales rep and could not get to him. The phone system was overloaded with calls and asked me to type in his last name. I had no idea how to spell his last name. I needed something right away and this was aggravating – and I know their system! Think of how a new customer would have felt dealing with this same issue.

This week call your own office and listen carefully. I’m sure there’s something you can do to make your voice mail system work better. Your customers should be able to reach you quickly and easily. Don’t ask them to go to a menu or type in your last name or call another phone number. It’s dumb. It stops you from making a sale and is poor customer service. Rethink your voicemail system and seriously consider a warm live voice instead of a machine.

Here are few ideas that will help you build a better business with reliable, happy customers.

Getting Started

• Research your competition
• Start a file of ads and promotions you like
• Set goals of where you want to be
• How much money do you want to earn?
• Exactly what do you want to accomplish?
• WRITE IT ALL DOWN!

What's Different About You?

• Target your market regionally and by demographics
• Write a short, honest, memorable positioning statement
• What is different about you?
• What benefits your customers most?
• Fine tune your image
  Consistent logo and type used
  Refine personal image
  Your office projects your image

Start Promoting

• Speak Up - become a local authority for your specialty
• Volunteer with complimentary causes
• Write a column or articles
• Send press releases and news releases to ALL media
• Cross promote with other businesses whenever possible
• Don't overlook bartering and networking
• Use community bulletin boards: radio and TV

Keeping Your Customers

• Build your own database with ACT or Outlook - ask permission!
• Maintain contact with your own holiday cards, articles, gifts
• Ask customers to refer you or provide you with references
• Ask customers how you can improve service
• Listen to your customer carefully - what is working?
• Give the best incentives to long-term customers
• Build your own web site
• Start an e-zine, e-mail contact maintained with permission

FREE Not Easy

• Work harder, work smarter than your competition
• Provide more to your customer - always say "thank you"
• Keep it simple! Give your promotions time to work
• Keep your focus and be consistent
• Ask what you can do to help yourself most - every day

When you get to the point that you don't have time to do your own marketing, give Poole Advertising a call at 1-800-900-3635. Let us come up with some unique ideas for your business.

Give us a call at 1-800-900-3635 today and start building your business, visibility and profit.