Do you really need Blogger Business Cards? The topic of blogger business cards has come up at a few events that I have been at recently and if bloggers really need business cards. My opinion on them has always remained the same, that similar to having a stand out media kit – a polished business card can show professionalism and brands may take you more seriously.
They are handy to give to brands that you may meet and also I have found to give to other bloggers! When you network at events constantly taking out your phone to ‘follow’ someone can be annoying and I find it much easier to swop cards and then look them up when you get home.
Many people obviously differ on what details that you should put on your business cards but here are what I include;
- Your name – please include your name, it may sound obvious but I have seen business cards with just the blog name and not the person’s name – people need to know what your real life name is.
- Your email address. Not everyone wants to tweet you or find you on Facebook, many brands or PR companies will want to talk to on email especially if they want to add you to their mailing list.
- Your Blog name / Logo – an obvious one but one to note on this list all the same.
- A brief description – I included a one line description of my blog so if someone refers back to it in a month or more than at least they will know what type of blog my blog is.
- Your Social Media handles – this can be done by simply putting the symbols on card for each network and if you handle is the same across them all then just add that. On my cards since Facebook is different I have each of my handles beside each symbol.
- Telephone number – some people will always include their mobile number, this is not something that I include but I will give out if someone emails me asking to talk.
- QR Code. I included a QR code on my card that links directly to my website. I created this using a free QR generator online. I don’t know if I would include it again when getting my next batch but I quite like it on these ones.
- I included my profile picture on my card but this is optional and many do not.
This is what I included on one side of my card and I tried to keep it as clean as possible in line with my blog. The back of my business card is simply my logo. In my opinion, everything at a high level on your blog, social media, media kit and business cards should carry some similarities when it comes to aesthetic.
There are so many places on line to buy them and it is up to you whether you decide to buy online or go to a local printers. I personally decided to go with Vistaprint as I found them quite affordable and the website was easy to navigate. I would advise regardless of who you use online – search for coupon codes and also check the shipping cost before buying.
And don’t forget the last step… buy a cute business card holder 🙂 I hope this helped if you are debating getting them.
I think business cards are very handy to give out at an event, but it’s important not to get too many printed unless you really are going out a lot and meeting large quantities of people. I have so many redundant business cards which have gone out of date! Luckily they are not too expensive to get printed. I tend to use the minicards from Moo.com as I find them to be excellent quality.
Very good point! 🙂 I did the same and then changed my Twitter handle to @Floralesque and they were redundant! I order in much smaller quantities now 🙂 I have heard good things about Moo.com but have not used them myself, I’ve found Vistaprint just straightforward to use but I might try moo.com if I need more for a change
I strongly advise against having your picture on your business card. It takes up a lot of real estate and you cannot control the message it sends.
Whether you like it or not, people will subliminally judge you by how you look…too grey, too bald and I have even know a woman suffer by looking too beautiful.
Also don’t forget a call to action. When you give somebody your card you want them to do something with it. So, tell them what you want them to do with it and what you will do for them if they do.
Hi Mark, thanks for your comments! It is always great to get feedback and other opinions on things like this, as I am certainly no expert. You are right in that people do judge when they see you whether in person or on a business card and I guess it is up to each to decide how they want to be perceived. I like the colour that my picture adds to my card but have no doubt that the next round of cards will again be different. Very good point on the call to action – I hadn’t thought of that 🙂
I think they’re a great idea for passing on to prospective brands/people for collars and also handy to quickly pass to new blogging friends. 🙂
Agree that it sends a professional sign. Your blog, at the end of the day is your brand, so why not.
Caroline.x
http://www.notesfromcaroline.com
Couldn’t agree more Caroline – I find them so handy to give out, and love when other bloggers give me theirs as I it’s great to come home and check out their links!