The importance of the business card

Nowadays, the important role of the business card has become fundamental; perhaps because we are all part of a frenetic society, where everyone is in a hurry and people have very little time to listen to others.  Perhaps the time we devote to others has gradually got less; in any case the so-called business card now acts as a bona fide passe-partout to attract the attention of potential clients.

So how can we create a business card which will be successful in all this?  The first thing must be to identify what concepts it should convey.  Whether designed to give an impression of professionality, reliability, experience or something similar, that little card should be planned in great detail (if possible by a graphic designer aided by a copywriter), with a layout of the various features which will really hit the mark.

The most essential elements are:

• The person’s name and surname
• Any professional titles held (such as Engineer)
• Profession engaged in
• Company or employer
• Telephone number
• Email address.

In addition, it is also possible to add a link to one’s own website and/or social network profiles, a QR Code for smartphones and the company logo.  All this information does not necessarily need to be displayed on the front of the card, but may be included on either side (for example: name, profession, company, website, telephone and email address on the front and social network links and slogan on the back).

The importance of the business card increases in accordance with how well laid out its components are and how carefully presented it is:  on the one hand we must be sure to include the right information, and avoid creating confusion and lack of clarity.  On the other hand it is important to take great care over the choice of materials, colours, fonts and more generally all those features which make the business card more effective.

As far as the material used for the business card is concerned, we suggest good quality card or plastic, while as regards colours, it is best to limit them to 2 or 3, using the company logo as a starting point.  As for the font, it should be clear and legible, with sufficient space between one line and the next.  Artists and other creative professionals may wish to use different techniques for a more original card, while still maintaining an air of professionality.

Translated by Joanne Beckwith