Business cards might be tiny pieces of paper at a  first glance, but they  certainly hold the key to a large business empire and a truckload of contacts for the enterprise – if executed well, that is. Business cards are often ignored by many in comparison to the larger marketing campaigns that enterprises follow to establish a brand image in the market. But a professional and appealing business card with the relevant design and content structure can perform miracles for the host company – winning both clients as well as crucial business associates.

Here are some tips to follow before you decide to send those business cards for printing:

• Hire a Professional – Don’t try and design your business cards at home. Apart from chances of the whole effort being branded unprofessional, the time required to set the business card right can be more cumbersome than simply hiring a professional agency to do the job.

• Reflect your corporate image – Create your company logo, try to enlarge and embellish your company name and have well-defined contact details. These will help reflect your corporate image – not only on the clients but also on professional associates. A good business card should always be an ideal representation of the company.

• Design it well – The design of a business card is always of utmost importance, if you want it to actually compliment your marketing campaign. Background color should include the colors that define your brand. Company colors are always the best option to choose from. Use faded effects and swiping lines that cover up at least 1/4th of your business card. Make sure that the font used is in contrast to the background color, because the details are what help your business card make a sale.

• Don’t be too stingy with investments – Be generous while investing in a business card. Remember that a business card can get you millions only if you are generous enough in hiring the best for the job. Regularly update your business card to avoid being branded as outdated.

• Use both sides – Make good use of both sides of your business card. While the front/upward side has all the major details and USP of the company, the back can have tips, charts, graphs, images or even funny trivia to rivet the attention of the potential client or professional business partner.

• Make it interesting – Don’t bore your potential clients with your business cards. Try not to  list your products and services blandly in your business card – your website or brochure can do the same. Use your business card to build a relationship with the client or associate, enticing him/ her to invest in your enterprise.

• DO NOT Clutter up the card – Many companies make the mistake of trying to stuff too much into the small space of a business card. You need to understand that you can only add a specified amount of details in the card. If you overdo it, the business card will look cluttered and disorganized – a sure-fire way to shoot yourself in the foot. A clean, crisp card depicting the exact details, features and contact lists of the company is all you need to have. Everything else will be considered junk!

With these tips in mind, try and make a better impression (a lasting one at that!) with your business card. For this is what personally introduces you to the potential client or a business associate – the marketing strategies can come later on!