Article by Wendy McCance

How much thought went into what your business card would look like?  Are you happy with the results?  Does your card convey exactly what you are trying to express?

The other day I picked out new business cards.  I was overdue for something more professional than what I had been using.  To be quite honest, I hate spending money on business expenses if I can avoid it.  I see how finances can quickly spin out of control when trying to justify the more expensive website or all the nifty bells and whistles you can buy to make organizing easier.

When I started writing for a living, I used Vista Prints to create my business cards.  You can get free business cards if you are willing to have a miniscule sentence placed on the back of the card that says, Build Your Business at www.vistaprints.com  I was so broke when I started my business that I was willing to accept a little advertisement so that I could have a card with information on it to hand over to a potential client.

Well, here it is a few years later and I still had those original cards.  Although I was grateful for those cards when I started out, now I was embarrassed to use them.

Once while handing out a card, I was apologized for the ugliness of the card and mentioned how I needed to order better ones.  That was the moment I realized I was way overdue for new cards.  I was also mortified that I had pointed out my thoughts about the card I was handing out.  What I was thinking in that moment, I’m not sure but it was not a professional move on my part.

So, just the other day I ordered new cards.  It’s funny how you really get a sense of the direction you are going in just by putting together a business card.  I had to ask myself questions like what would I like to include and should I have a picture on my card?  Would it be smart to offer a discount on the back of my card or is there a quote that should be included?

I realized that I shouldn’t put my picture on the card because I mostly write as a ghost writer and ghost writers aren’t seen.  Anyway, when I see a photo on a card, I think of a Realtor.

I wanted to have a card that expressed that I was a writer and a social media manager.  It’s tricky to find a card that does a good job of expressing both of those functions.  Writers usually have a card with a typewriter or pen and ink on it. People in the world of social media usually have social media icons on their card with something witty showing they can grab your attention.

The card I ended up using has a catchy sentence on it that worked well for me.  I write primarily marketing material and website content.  It also fit nicely with the other portion of my business which is managing company social media platforms.  The message I picked did a good job of giving you an immediate image of what I do.

One thing I wanted on my card was several links that could be checked.  I wanted a person thinking about using my services to get a complete picture of my experience and writing style.  I decided that it was important for my website and LinkedIn profile to be listed.  I didn’t want more information crowding the front page and anyway, the title of my website would be confusing on the front of my card.  Putting the two additional links on the back, took care of that dilemma for me.  It also completed the picture seen on the front of the card bringing the whole card together nicely.

Here is the business card I ended up with:

FRONT

BACK

What do you think?  Have you thought about what you want to convey when creating your business cards?  I would love to know about your experience in the comment section below.

• About
• Latest Posts

Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 9 local papers online, including the Oakland Press. The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing or social media assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]

Latest posts by Wendy McCance (see all)

• What is a Writers Residency and How Do I Find One? - January 13, 2018
• Welcome to my Blog!! - January 11, 2018
• Useful Information For Those Writing a Book - January 11, 2018