While modern marketing tends to focus on digital marketing and social media presence, the reality is that business cards remain a staple marketing tool. Furthermore, they are uniquely suited to a number of situations that almost nothing else can match. Let’s look at some of the benefits of carrying business cards.
It Is an Option at the Final Point of the Sales Funnel
The sales funnel refers to the flow of curious searchers to interested researchers to customers ready to buy the item. Digital marketing tends to focus on brand recognition and relationship building. Good search engine optimization can help you rank well for the final stage of the sales funnel, putting your product or service front and center in front of someone doing purchase-related searches. And then there are business cards.
Business cards can sit in your lobby. It can be picked up by those who had a consultation but aren’t quite ready to buy yet. You can hand out the business cards to qualified, interested prospects who can contact you later at their leisure. You can send business cards along with other marketing content to build brand recognition, as well. For example, real estate agents can send business cards and personalized letters to people trying to sell their home. A yard service could tape its business card to the door of every person in a neighborhood with tall grass.
It Is Cost-Effective
Social media marketing can be affordable, but it is time-intensive. You also run the risk of putting in a lot of time to get followers, almost none of whom buy your product or service. Business cards are relatively cheap. You can include them in mailed bills, invoices, sales letters and gift baskets. You can tape them to doors or toss them in mailboxes. You can hand them to everyone you meet. And it costs a fraction of branded swag, while it maintains your connection with each and every prospect.
It Is Hyper-Local
You can send flyers with your business card to everyone in a given area. Given the cost of mailing them out, it is best to send out business cards to likely prospects in your immediate area. Business cards can be put up on community bulletin boards, promoting your business to local residents. You can share business cards with people you meet, adding depth to the contact and ensuring they have your contact information.
They’re Convenient
We often forget how convenient physical business cards are. You can give it to someone who struggles to remember your name, and it eliminates the need to write down your web address or phone number. That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid to write notes on the back of your business card when answering someone’s question before giving it to them. They’re more likely to read the information later, and it will remind them of how helpful you were.
They Last
We mentioned the option of attaching business cards to bulletin boards. The business card will remain readable for months, whereas paper tends to fade and rip over the same length of time. A business card could sit in someone’s wallet, purse or drawer for weeks before they find it and are reminded of why they asked for it. Few marketing methods are this durable, and your business card is more likely to prompt them to schedule an appointment than a branded coaster.
