chrisbrogan.com - Latest Comments in You Need to Be Easy

Re: You Need to Be Easy

youtube downloader — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 09:59:42 -0000

Email address. New world or not, email is still the way we tend to message folks.
Company URL (if you have such a thing)
Blog URL – this becomes more important these days, because you want to show your humanity, and/or what’s on your mind.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Steve Cook — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:11:18 -0000

I always try to have something of value on the back of my business cards. My last card had a table showing useful conversions between number of steps walked, distance, time spent walking and calories used (we run a web based stepmeter logging service to help people lead a healthier lifestyle).

My new cards I am working on at the moment for our web consulting service will have an offer of a free 1-hour web consultation that guarantees at least 5 concrete suggestions for improvement of the recipients website.

I am thinking that I will also have another version of the card aimed more at existing clients with some SEO-tips on the back.

I hope that gives some people some good ideas!

Re: You Need to Be Easy

mousewords — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:03:31 -0000

Very timely! I'm designing my business cards *and* reworking my website. :-)

Originally I wanted to go with Moo cards, so I could have my art on one side; but it's good to know that unusual sizes can get lost. Now I see that Moo has business cards--so I may go that route!

Totally forgot to add a tagline/quote to my temporary home-printed version.

An as for "easy," I'm absolutely Victorian. **Off to add phone # and location to card design**

Re: You Need to Be Easy

marifromky — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:21:25 -0000

Yes, I need to add a picture of ME on my about page. There's a picture there, but it's not of me. Which reminds me; I also need to get some current pictures taken...

I like the idea of adding city/state information to the business cards. I ordered a new batch in March, and they're already outdated. But now I have some things to think about before I re-order. (like dropping the Twitter and Seesmic information, for one thing)

@GracePiper - thanks for the link to Prints Made Easy!

@Danielle - We'll always have business cards. People do still meet face to face. And when one goes to a convention or other some such gathering, collecting business cards and scribbling information on them is the best way to remember the folks one meets! I can't imagine something like business cards going to "online only".

@Andrew Lightheart - I completely agree with your last statement there. :)

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Andrew Lightheart — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:53:26 -0000

SO timely, Chris (and everyone whose comments I've read through!).

I have had such a dilemma with business cards recently.

The main thing was that my email addresss was very longwinded, based around the corporate entity I set up here. Plus it sent people to my corporate site, which doesn't reflect where I'm at, but does host information about our services my e-book and email sign-up.

Now that I 'live' at my blog, I was not sure if I should have the corporate website, plus my blog... and I wanted to have my blog email address, as I'd designed it to be easily sayable and spellable.

After much soul-searching (and picking the brain of my pet marketing genius) I've decided to go with my name (large and centred), my blog email address and my (one) phone number.

On the back, the blog address, and my tagline.

I just don't see the point of a physical address, these days (although I take the points above about people wanting to locate you).

And on the issue of doing away with business cards, I'm based primarily in Asia, and it's vital to have a card. In fact, I have caught a cab across the city and back again just because I didn't have enough cards on me. Your card represents you, here, and without one, I'm basically not there!

Thanks again for insight, and thoughtfulness.

This is exactly the conversation I needed to have - and I got to have it with about 50 bright strangers...

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Ari Herzog — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:35:31 -0000

I don't have business cards.

I have contact cards that are simple yet elegant: a deep blue foreground with four lines. The top line, centered, has my name. The next line, centered, has my web address. And two left-aligned lines carry my cell number and email address.

These are cards I mainly give to friends, networking contacts, and the like.

I've yet to receive negative feedback.

Google for "contact cards" or "personal contact cards" and you'll see other examples and best practices.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Josh Klein — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:57:39 -0000

There is a great article on writing a strong about page for your blog / website at: http://www.skelliewag.org/h...

It's a critical anchor to everything else on your page. Thanks for the smart post, Chris!

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Eric Miltsch — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:25:05 -0000

Chris -

I've always been a fan of the cool biz card; read a long time ago in one of Gitomer's books - if someone doesn't at least say, "Hey, cool card." when you hand it to them - get one that does right away.

Use every second of that 1st impression. From the confidence you exude in your eyes, the firm handshake and the "wow factor" in your business card.

Unlike a lot of the readers here, I'm not looking for new clients...my philosophy for a new design was just something that stuck out from the rest of my industry & even from the other IT/Web people in my business.

When that rare opportunity to hand one out happens - I want the recipient to at least pull the card out and look at our name again. Or even better - show it to a friend and say "Hey, check out this cool card..."

http://twitpic.com/30ws/full

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Scott Fox, Author of Internet — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:47:05 -0000

People definitely care more about where you are located in the "real" world than I usually expect. I even catch myself often asking people "where" they work geographically.

Not disclosing your location seems to leave a hole in most peoples' mental maps of who you are.

And it's not only business cards that do this, I wrote a blog post back in March called "Web Marketing Newbie Mistake #1: Hiding Your Location."
[http://www.scottfox.com/200...]

It talks about the many good reasons that people do (unexpectedly) want to know where your business is based, and how web site owners should turn their About Us pages into an asset by using their location to attract customers.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Mary McDonald, Process Improve — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:01:28 -0000

Hi Chris,

Read your business card blurb with some trepidation since I'm in final proof signoff now (and just did it about 10 mins ago - could probably still change if I found a huge gaping hole) -- so I go down your list.
Did that; and that; and hey! - I did all this! External proof once again that I'm not an idiot! Success!

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Mark Eckenrode — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:42:02 -0000

a card is obviously a contact piece which, when you get down to it, is a marketing piece. therefore, shouldn't your card have a value proposition and include a call to action?

my favorite cards are ones that have tips or other useful information that frame the value the card's owner provides. follow that up with a call-to-action to visit a website/blog for more tips...

you turn a card with contact info into something that actually "works" for you.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Jaq — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:50:03 -0000

Right now, I'm getting ready to print a new batch of calling cards. And it's taking a longer time because I wanted my card to stand out. Thanks for the tips. I'll keep it in mind while designing the cards.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Alina Popescu — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:51:50 -0000

Hi Chris, I never thought of having my blog url on a business card. But that's actually a great idea to both make you look human and promote it offline. Thanks for the tip!

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Sue Murphy — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:42:29 -0000

As far as business cards go - don't be too kitschy (sp?) with shapes and sizes. It's hard to fit an octagon in my wallet (which is where most of the cards I get end up), and if it doesn't fit, it ends up at the bottom of my purse....a place no one wants to be.

Also do two-sided if you can afford it, even if you just put a watermark or logo and slogan on the back. that way in the shuffle of cards I can easily find yours even if it's flipped over.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Barry Messer — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:24:40 -0000

Spot on great article!
Giving out your business card is like saying hello it should be done with a certain amount of decorum, by that I mean the design layout and feel give the recipient the first impression of you or your company, in the same way that people will judge you on appearance and the manner in which you speak. I am all for not judging a book by its cover, however we are human and that means we are all guilty of doing exactly that. I am fortunate that we print thousands of business cards each day, which means that I get to see a variety of different designs of business cards, from corporate designs to the local mobile mechanic. Some have clearly spent money on their design, showing off creativity and some have created their own master piece in microsoft word, most of the latter tend to be of poor design this obviously only based upon my own judgement, however it is these self crafted designs which often win us our most praise, I think it is something do with seeing your own design printed, laminated and delivered in those lovely clear plastic boxes that makes people email us with their praise. Lately I have seen 2 business cards that have really caught my eye, this strangely hasn't been down to striking design or colour but becasuse they have added that little something extra to their business card a simple personal note. Ill explain the first business card had the usual company logo, contact details etc... etc... but on the reverse was how the person liked their coffee it read 'I like my coffee with one and a half teaspoons of gold blend and a generous helping of milk, plus one sugar' I found this quirky and different and strangely nearly all the factory staff had passed comment. The second card was similar but below the contact details the customer had added their favorite colour and where they most liked to holiday which again to me created that break the ice conversation piece. So remember to give a little thought when designing your business to add that little something to make your business card memorable!

Re: You Need to Be Easy

lewishowes — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:52:34 -0000

This is a perfect description of what should be on your personal business card! Excellent post.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Saravanan Sahadevan — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:35:49 -0000

Chris... What if you had a day job and a freelance Job at the same time.

Or you had multiple jobs. I cant be placing every single job title that I have right?

Could I just Have a Name & Contact Options at the front and Have a link of profiles at the back. Which then people could logon to know about you?

The key questions here is, Is it alright not to have a job title printed on cards.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

chrisbrogan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:37:16 -0000

@Danielle - we meet people face to face. You could argue that we could wave our phones at each other, but that suggests a level of interoperability that doesn't even exist between different models within the same carrier, or different models within the same handset company. Because of that, oddly, paper is still the most efficient way for this particular type of exchange.

Gimmicks are fun, but easy to lose. Tiny moo cards? I get about a hundred of these a year. I lose about 80. They slip out of holders, fall out of my pocket, blow away in the wind.

One guy handed out fortune cookies where his contact info was on the strip of paper. Brilliant! Truly a gorgeous idea.

Lost that "card" within seconds completely by accident.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Ramsey Mohsen — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:31:18 -0000

My personal business card:

Front: http://flickr.com/photos/ra...
Back: http://flickr.com/photos/ra...

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Kyle Lacy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:24:16 -0000

As long as there is face to face networking we will always have business cards.

Eventually traditional business cards will become extinct as the gen-y and millennial generations start taking over the business world.

I wouldn't mind electronically sending my business card at a networking event but you need TWO devices to connect. Most in the small business world (the baby boomers) have yet to adapt the technology.

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Danielle Restivo — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:51:48 -0000

Whenever there is a discussion about business cards, I can't help but think of the wonderful scene from American Psycho, when the group of egocentric businessmen get together to compare typeset and colouring on their cards. Frankly I'm surprised that we still have business cards. I thought by now we'd solely be exchanging contact info online. I don't use mine all that often but there is something to be said for the personal statement that a good card makes.
Chris do you think we will always have physical cards or will they migrate completely online?

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Aura Mae — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:41:45 -0000

I think the one thing people forget when they design business cards is that sometimes (if you are lucky!) you will not be the one handing out your card. If it doesn't communicate something about you, you are missing out. If you are a stiff, corporate entity, then a stiff, stuffy card makes sense.

I own a small salon who's marketing position is "you can wear your pajamas and cuss." Stiff white cards with black raised letters isn't going to communicate that very well, is it?

As to the UV coating: often you can get that on the front side only leaving the back for scribbled notes.

And I also have had great experiences and results with printsmadeeasy.com

Re: You Need to Be Easy

chrisbrogan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:03:31 -0000

That's definitely something to talk about: headshots. Formal headshots that look like Glamour Shots photos are a total turnoff. I don't mean that in the dating sense. I mean that in the "human relations" sense. Don't you agree?

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Webconomist — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:49:48 -0000

Too true Chris! Time to re-invent the Business Card...what about cards in other culture? Like Japan, where giving a biz card is a very serious affair (it's so personal it's cool)...but don't dare write on a biz card in Japan; it's a major insult. In other countries too.

Like your comment for the "About" section of a website too. In larger company sites, the head shots are so formal, the bio's so formal, we don't get a real sense of the people, and a company is nothing without real people...maybe in business we've put up so many walls?

Re: You Need to Be Easy

Lief Larson — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:29:29 -0000

Great article Chris. I think that's what many of us need to work on. What we've been doing is trying to translate the card to a dynamic format (beyond hCard/vCard) on the web. You can see mine here...

http://businesscard2.com/in...

(note:only currently optimized for firefox)

- Lief