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Take Your Business Card to the Next Level
by Dawn Colclasure

Your business card is your lifeline. It can make or break your chances of whether you get more people to notice you and what you can do for them. And as two writers have learned, having a business card that goes the extra mile can mean more business (and money) for their services.

Vicky Diaz (www.writeimage.net), a business copywriter in Jacksonville, Florida, has a business card that literally does go the extra mile – after mile, after mile. “One of the more interesting ideas I’ve taken advantage of is magnetic business cards which I place on my vehicle,” she said. “I had larger magnets created to place on my vehicle in order to advertise my writing business. I thought what would happen if I was parked somewhere and someone wanted my business information but didn't have writing utensils or paper on them? With ‘take away marketing materials,’ the interested party could simply take a magnetic business card off of my vehicle and be on their way!”

Another copywriter tried a different approach. Although Linda Alexander (http://www.write2thepointcom.com/) of Longmont, Colorado, uses color on her business cards, she added an extra touch that makes anyone thinking of tossing her card into a drawer think twice. “I like to write notes on the back of my cards, so I was reluctant to print anything on the back,” she said. “What my printer suggested was that I print it horizontally. That way, there is room on the back to write on, but there is also a list of my services there too. What good is your contact information if your prospects don't know how you can help them? I thought that was an important distinction to make that's different from other people's cards.”

And has this brought some positive results? Did it make people read her card just a little bit more? “Everyone flips it over after reading the front,” she said. “People who have seen them have commented on my list of services on the back.”

Diaz has had positive results, too. “Since I have started using the business cards magnets on my vehicle, at least 1 client out of 12 has admitted ‘lifting’ a magnet from my vehicle,” she said. “I have had people at intersections look at my vehicle and ask me questions. Many times they know of someone who needs my services even if they themselves may not. My best story to date was the fact that the business card magnets led to a guest appearance on a local TV show!”

While some writers may balk at taking creative measures with their business cards, these writers think – and have learned – that standing out above the rest of the hundreds of business cards already screaming for attention is well worth the try. “In today's world, having a competitive edge with something as simple as a unique business card can be the hook that could land you a client you may not have necessarily gotten otherwise,” Diaz said. Alexander agreed. “Color has been proven,” she said. “With any type of advertising, color works far better than black and white. People remember color; it sticks in their mind for some reason.”

If that doesn’t convince you, think about the last time you did a double take when you read somebody’s card. Was it their cool logo emblazoned across the background? The eye-catching color? Perhaps it was the list of testimonials from satisfied clients on the back of the card. Regardless of the reason, having a creative business card makes it stand out above the rest. It means your card will likely get picked first when someone reaches for a writer’s card when they need that writer’s services.

As Alexander pointed out, having a creative business card means more than catching the cardholder’s eye. It means they’ll keep that card on hand, too. “Give people a reason to hold on to your card. They can quickly dump the information into a database, but not everybody does that. Most cards get tossed into a drawer or a file, never to be seen again! Use it for more than contact info. Print something on the back that people will refer to, like a complicated URL or a user ID or password (that's hard to remember, so they refer to the card) to a members-only website. Make it worth their while to hold on to. You might also print on it the URLs of your partners who will offer them substantial discounts, without affecting your business. Make the card worth a deep discount at the door for your seminars or workshops.”

There is, however, instances in which a writer might get a little too creative with their cards, printing them in large, star shapes or as a CD-ROM. Don't make it take up too much space in people's wallets,” she said. “They already have far too many credit cards to keep there! Those CD-ROM business cards are a great idea, but not very practical. They're too thick to carry around, and never get looked at on the computer.”

Using color, including back-of-the-card information and sticking magnets on them to advertise your writing business with your car are some great tools writers can use to take an extra step when it comes to promoting their writing services. Think a few moments about what creative touches you can add to your plain old black and white business card to make it the conversation piece that can bring you more clients. “Don’t be limited by tradition,” Diaz said. “If you do what you always do, you’ll get what you always got!”

Copyright Dawn Colclasure. All Rights Reserved.

Dawn Colclasure is a writer, poet, book reviewer and the author of a horror novel. Her nonfiction books include: BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents and 365 Tips for Writers: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat The Block Tips To Turbocharge Any Writer's Creativity (filbert Publishing, December). She is a poetry editor for Skyline E-Magazine, a staff writer for the Web site The Shadowlands and a contributor to the newspaper, SIGNews. She also edits and publishes her own E-zine. Her Web site is at http://dmcwriter.tripod.com/  and you can e-mail her at DMCWriter@mail2desert.com.