| |
| |
|
Advertising Resource Center |
|
|
|
Whats On Your Business Card?
A professional business card says more about youand your business than any other tool in yourmarketing arsenal. You need a card that looksgood, tells what you do and makes it easy tocontact you. Here's how to use the necessary ingredients tocreate a great business card Your name should be the biggest part of the card.Right there where the eye can pick it out withoutsearching. Avoid the old trap of name and phone number in6 point type in the lower right corner. Your card's purpose is to get people to rememberYOU and contact YOU. So put YOU in the middle,big. A fancy company logo is not you. YOU are themost important element of your business card. The second most important element of your newbusiness card should be your preferred method ofcommunication. If you are a cell phone junkie,your cell phone number should be the biggest onthe card. If eMail is your thing, your addressshould be prominent and near your name. No need topost every contact method. An option would be toadd your company logo, albeit small, in the cornerof your card. Don't use clip art to create your logo. No logolooks a lot better than one from page 23 of theclip art book. You can have logos professionallydesigned for less than $500 bucks. Next, you need a one sentence version of yourelevator speech. Condense your elevator speech toone sentence that will fit on your business card,under your name and contact info. Across thebottom is a good spot. An elevator speech is what you say to someone whoasks "What do you do?" in an elevator going downfrom the 25th floor. For some tips about crafting an elevator speech,send a blank eMail to elevator@BIGIdeasGroup.com. Your name, contact information and shortenedelevator speech (let's call it a selling sentence)are more important than any other elements of yourbusiness card. More important than paper stock(always use a high gloss card stock), colors (0nlyin a photo or logo) or fonts (easy to read). CardsDO get passed around. If someone who has never met you is given yourcard, they must be able to determine who you areand how you can help them. "Joe Jones, Plumber"might work, but it doesn't convey what you can dofor them. "Joe Jones, I show up on time, smellgood and fix your leak, guaranteed", says a wholelot more. Now your business card is selling YOU. For more about business cards, get my article "WhatDoes Your Business Card Say?"BizCardSay@BigIdeasGroup.com ©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel, Professional Speaker andFormer Major Market TV News Anchor. The BIG IdeasGroup helps small business grow with mastermindgroups, seminars and sales training.MailTo:Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" Newslettersubscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net
MORE RESOURCES: Public workers are scouring churches and libraries to find workers—mostly male—who have been sidelined for years Despite a roaring start for the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index in 2012, volume is low, equity-fund redemptions persist, and valuations are the lowest since 1989 After numerous customers accused JPMorgan Chase of gouging them on debit-card transactions in checking accounts, the bank had sought to make them arbitrate claims The 2012 bonus season is a lot less festive Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Su Keenan reports on plans to cut pay and reduce bonuses at investment banks. German film and television actor Tankred Benecke isn’t expecting much fan-mail from business chiefs in his home city of Frankfurt. A World Trade Organization probe into the legality of Chinese rules on foreign companies issuing credit cards is a “major reason” Citigroup Inc. was given permission to do so, said Stuart Eizenstat, former deputy Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton. Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos plans to convene the nation’s political leaders to seek consensus on the cuts required for a bailout as unions called a strike to protest and European leaders pressed for answers. Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said the time to judge Apple Inc. management will be in two years because the next five to six quarters will be mainly the influence of founder Steve Jobs. The California State Teachers' Retirement System, or Calstrs, intends to question in a letter the controlling power amassed by Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg By trying to help distressed homeowners without appearing to bail them out, the Administration would leave borrowers submerged Analyst Buck Horne downgraded homebuilders and says the spring selling season may disappoint again Rebound from the recovery from Thai floods, and explosive growth in mobile technology make tech stocks a good pick Companies are scrambling to handle a torrent of data, pushing them into bigger M&A frenzy since 2007 Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Andrew Economos, head of sovereign and institutional strategy Asia ex-Japan at JPMorgan Asset Management in Hong Kong, talks about Europe's sovereign debt crisis |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Dont Be a Secret Agent This tactic of the game was hard for me to master and at first I failed many times. I carried my business cards only in my briefcase, because I thought they were only used in business. Consider These Pressing Facts Before You Renew Your Yellow Page Ad Your Yellow Page Ad Deserves More than 10 Minutes of Thought a YearBefore long, your Yellow Page directory rep will be paying you a visit. It's an annual event that happens several months before next year's directory goes to press. LED video Displays LED video displays give you the power to communicate, to motivate, and to entertain. Led video displays are seen to be sited for outdoor advertising, in casinos, for events like sporting events in stadium and arena, for staging and mobile display etc. How to SAVE Yourself from Spending too Much Money on Advertising! How much money have you spent in Advertising, Promotion & Marketing? If you're like most people you've probably spent over $1000 or more. Many individuals and companies have spent $2000 to $50,000 in Advetising within a course of 1 Year. Creating a Winning Logo Creating a logo to get you noticed.When you're branding a company with a name, a colour scheme and a logo the logo is often not given enough care and attention. What Do Your Ads Say? Make a list of everything you think should beincluded at one time or another, in one of yourad, be it radio, newspaper or Little Jimmie'sclass play program.Everything. Unlock The Power Of Online Groups Yahoo Groups: I see countless marketers on shoestring budges turn to traffic exchanges for free traffic. If they would spend the time creating online groups rather than clicking for traffic they would see much more quality traffic. Is Your Yellow Pages Ad Putting Cash in Your Pocket... or Sucking Cash Out? Any idea? It's a question that more than a few Yellow Page advertisers ponder. If you are currently spending money every month to run an ad in your local directory, you don't want to wrestle with that question. Do Your Business Cards Say Who You REALLY Are? Here are a couple of tips for creating an eye catching card:Use some color - not too much - just enough to grab someone's attention and make them want to read the card.Use a font that's easy to readDon't fill the whole card with type - it looks crowded and people don't read it allConsider using a fold-over card - I have found these to be extremely effective for a number of reasons:a) If a handful of business cards are dropped on a desk only the fold over cards stand up above the restb) The fold over card is still unique - not many people use themc) I use mine as a mini brochure - inside it tells about my qualifications, services I offer and skills I have, the front has my name, phone #'s, email address, URL and postal addressAnother popular addition is your photo - this makes you seem more approachable and friendly (if your business is one where you deal directly with the public I suggest you consider adding a photo)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------How to make sure your cards are really working for you?Have a goal to give away AT LEAST 5 CARDS A DAY to build your network:Leave one with a tip for a waitressWhen you "check in" at the doctor or dentist reception desk don't spell your name - give your cardCarry them in your pocket when you walk the dog and hand one out to people you stop and chat withMake sure all your children's friends parents know what you do and have your cardAsk someone else for their card and give them yours (you can build your mailing list and get some exposure at the same time)Enclose your card with each bill you payEach time you buy something (even at the drugstore) leave your card and say something simple like "I design Internet websites if you have any questions about how you can make money on the Internet please call me"Put the cards on community bulletin boardsWhen you attend trade shows drop your card in EVERY box - yes you will get put on lots of mailing lists, but you'll also receive some business too - you'd be surprisedGive a card to the gas station attendant, grocery store clerk, video store worker, hostess at a restaurant when you give your name for a seat reservationIf you overhear a conversation about your industry say "I'm sorry but I couldn't help overhear part of your conversation if you ever need more information on the topic, here's my card"Offer to speak at your school's career day and give each student a card - they do have parents who may need what you have to offerLeave some cards with your stationery store manager - very often they get requests from small business people for different kinds of help - if you leave your cards you'll be first on the list to be calledIf you ever go anywhere there is entertainment leave your card with the entertainer - and tell them how much you've enjoyed their performanceWhile some of the ideas above may seem "silly" you won't know until you try if they'll work for you - and all of the people listed above may not want what you're offering BUT they all have family, friends and co-workers who just might. Predictions for 2010 2005 puts us at the mid-point of the first decade of the new millenium. What will things look like at the end of the 1st decade of the new millenium in the world of advertising? I thought I'd project where the ad industry is headed and what 2010 (or sooner) might look like. The Principle Of Advertising Online Advertising online is very similar to advertising in any environment. You really are trying to get your message or your product out there by the most cost effective means possible. Classified Ads That Get Results Classified ads do not have the big market appeal that a full color display ad has, but they are still one of the most economical ways to get your business into the public eye. And, because classifieds do not demand expensive eye-catching designs or ingenious wording that you often see in direct-mail campaigns, they are a perfect marketing avenue for even new entrepreneurs. Three Keys to Crafting Successful Print Ads Want to create print ads that get results? Below are three keys to get you started.1. How To Write Ads That Get Response Your print ads should do more than just get noticed. Their job is to bring you business, and if all they do is lay around and attract attention, they're no different from the lazy employee who does nothing all day but look busy. Online vs. Offline Advertising Let's face it. Email marketing and publishing have becamevery popular tool for promoting your business, especially in theUSA. Joint Ventures Increase Profits Quickly A joint venture is when two or more businesses jointogether to work on a project for a set period of time.Doing joint ventures with other businesses can increaseyour chances of beating your competition, increase yoursales and increase your profits quickly. If You're Tired Of Adverts That Don't Work And Letters That Don't Sell, Then You Must Read This Over the 32 years I've been involved in sales, marketing and management, I've discovered that there are two fatal marketing mistakes made by business owners. They are?· Lack of focus· Lack of implementationThere's certainly no shortage of ideas and information - the world is full of it - but what are you doing with it all?Let's do a quick reality check here and now:· How frequently do you get in touch with your customers?· How far up your hierarchy of buyers do you go?· What actions are you taking to make next week, next month or next year better?Pick one thing you've always meant to do and do it tomorrow to start marketing your business more effectively. Direct Mail Catalogs & Brochures: Write Captions That Sell Many prospects skim through catalogs and brochures, glancing at the photos and reading the accompanying captions only when a particular image arouses their interest. That's when you have their attention. Take Your Radio Ads to the Next Level Most small businesses do not have a high poweredadvertising agency to produce award-winning radiocommercials for them. Most award-winning radiocommercials win for the wrong reasons anyway. Small Cards, Big Ideas: Alternative Uses for Business Cards Aggressive business card marketing isn't about handing your business cards out to everyone you see.The card itself must have a new use, an innovative design, or something other than the usual contact information printed on it.
|