In the most basic of terms, a business card is a card that bears information about a company or individual. They are usually small, rectangular pieces of card stock that can fit in a pocket or a wallet. But any successful businessperson knows that, for a small piece of paper, business cards can pack quite a punch. Indeed, they can mean the difference between success and missed opportunities.
The HAVEN conference provides several days worth of networking opportunities with major brands and fellow bloggers, DIY-ers, and designers. This is definitely an event where, as a businessperson, you should have business cards available to hand out. Read on to learn some ways you can help turn your business card placements into successes.
Designing Your Business Cards
Your business cards should match the overall them of your “brand”. That being said, business cards are a great way to show off your creativity! In addition to including the basics, such as your name, personal contact info, blog name and url (if applicable), and social media handles, be sure to include graphics that stand out – if that fits with your overall branding.
As Crissy Baumann from the blog First Day Of Home mentions, including a photo of yourself on the business card is a great way to be remembered long after a conference ends.
Because business cards are relatively small, it can be difficult to include the information and design you want without it looking overcrowded. Don’t forget about the back of the card! It may be a little more expensive to make, but the back of your business card is a great chuck of available real estate.
Companies who manufacture business cards like Vistaprint offer tons of style options like card thickness, gloss options, material options, and more. You’re not limited to the typical rectangular shape either, as many card companies offer square, round, and even folded options.
250 to 500 is probably the typical amount of cards to order at a time for a conference.
Include This With Your Cards
As we mentioned in a previous article, engaging others with a pleasant conversation and a friendly smile will help make you stand out in a conference full of thousands of conversations. This is especially true of brand interactions.
Once you move to business matters, tell the brand rep how you can benefit their brand, their audience, and their overall mission. Of course, before you can confidently give them such assurances, you need to know about them and their audience.
Before the conference, take the time and research these things. A brand is much more likely to work with someone who is prepared, knows the brand beyond “I love using your product!”, has a plan, and confident in their ability to make that plan happen.
If you enter into these conversations with a friendly smile, conversational manner, an effective business card, and a great business plan, you will definitely be setting yourself up for success.
Additional Options To Consider
In addition to business cards, individually-cut stickers with a peel-off backing are another fun option to give out at conferences. Many bloggers, designers, and DIY-ers love to trade these stickers as mementos, kinda like buying fridge magnets. Some bloggers even bring along a more comprehensive media kit to give to brand representatives.
Erin Spain from ErinSpain.com has a great suggestion: Bring along a binder ring and a hole punch to store the business cards you collect in one convenient place.
We hope this article has provided some inspiration for you! Whatever you decide regarding your business cards, be sure not to wait until the last minute to get them made!
There can be many things that can throw a wrench in your plans, such as delayed manufacturing and shipping, and the fact that you may not like your design choices once you actually see the finished product. Giving yourself plenty of time before HAVEN will allow you to redesign, if necessary.
Join Our Facebook Group
Haven Mavens is a place for past and present attendees and those interested in Haven to stay connected. We limit this private group to bloggers and social media influencers only. Click here to send a join request. You’ll be prompted to answer three questions; be sure to submit your answers!