Green Printers Rule!
I love business cards.
But I also understand that they waste a LOT of paper.
And that I don’t like.
So I certainly support the purchase of recycled paper business cards, or at the very least, green business cards that use soy based inks and environmentally conscious printing processes. The good news is that green printing is growing in both popularity and availability.
The next time you order, consider choosing a company that has made an effort to offer recycled paper business cards to their customers.
Oh… and the next time you feel like tossing a business card someone gave you… recycle it!
4 places you can get recycled paper business cards:
- Greener Printer – A printer totally devoted to green printing
- VistaPrint – Offering 100% recycled paper business cards at up to 85% off
- PSPrint – Very environmentally-friendly printing company
- 123 Print – 100% recycled business cards and many green designs too
Consider printing with one of the companies above.
The finished product will still look great, and your customers and contacts will appreciate your decision to support the environment!
]]>
Are business cards dead? Or dying?
I’m Seeing a Lot of Online, Digital, and App-Based Business Card Options of Late.
Like card.ly for example.
Or that iPhone app where you just bump phones and your contact details are magically shared.
Well, a lot of people are saying that applications like these have rendered the old fashioned business card, dead.
Or dying.
Frankly, I Couldn’t DISAGREE More.
Is there a place for these applications? Absolutely. Will a lot of people use them? Surely they will. But that doesn’t mean that business cards don’t have a long, useful life ahead of them.
In fact, from a business building standpoint (especially small local businesses) I think traditional business cards that can be seen and felt have a lot greater potential than a novel fist bump. Why? Because a good business card gets people to LOOK at it. It makes an actual impression and encourages people to pay attention to it. And not just to contact details, but more importantly to a marketing message.
In essence, a GOOD business card is like a powerful ad matched with a genuine person behind it.
While novel, someone’s contact details magically whisked away to my smartphone makes less of an impression. I may not even look at it (right now, or ever) Not so with a good, creative, business card.
Long Live the Traditional Business Card.
Business cards are also a lot easier for your fans and referrers to share with other people.
You can leave them on your retail store counter. Or in your office.
You can leave them with related, non competing businesses. You can place them in envelopes, on restaurant tables, on community posting boards, and in outgoing mail.
That’s a lot of good use. It”s also why — in one man’s humble opinion, anyway — traditional business cards are more versatile than their electronic counterpart.
Consider This Case in Point
I was just at a DJ convention representing my wife’s company (Rock & Soul DJ Equipment for all you DJs out there — after 35 years, it’s one of the first and most famous DJ shops in the world) Well, business cards were out in FULL force and getting a lot of great use.
DJs were sharing them with other DJs as they networked. Businesses were using them to promote their stores and equipment. And they were collecting business cards to keep in touch with — and promote to — people they met at the convention.
Business cards, dead?
I don’t think so.
Not by a longshot.
If you like your digital business cards, by all means use them. I defend my choice without attacking yours. But please don’t tell that the traditional business card doesn’t have its place. They continue to be one of the most cost-effective and versatile little marketing tools on the planet. And a good card can make a great BIG impression. Period.
End of rant.
]]>407 entries later, this was the winner…
The winning business card design
Personally, having seen some pretty ridiculous (ie. great) business cards online, I’m a bit surprised to see this as the winner.
Not that it’s bad. It’s undoubtedly nicely designed with a clever credit card concept.
But I gotta believe there was a better one in the bunch.
Sidenote: It also lacks even a tagline so I have no idea what ShoeMoney is about.
Would have liked to see some of the other entries.
Oh well.
]]>