adminIn this world of cyber-takeover and influence, ever wonder “Business card or not?” Personally, I think one of the most underutilized and underrated tool in business by business owners and some lovers of Entrepreneur is having a business card. Some people think it is unnecessary, some other people think it’s a plain exaggerated tool while some other sect find people who prioritize it amusing fully convinced that they’ve got their priorities misplaced.
What do I think about a Freelancer needing a Business Card?
It can be undoubtedly said that owning a business card is an important tool in branding any business. It goes a long way in buttressing our business presentations and selling our outfit to people. It is one big deal that influences a great deal how people perceive our business. It answers the questions, how serious do you take this business? How long do you want to be in this business? And many more. Some people still say that in this era of social media literacy and awareness where I have a great online presence and I’m constantly showcasing what I do and how good I do it with a dedicated audience, do you think business card still serve any purpose that my social media accounts are not? Do you think business card can pull strings for me that social media hasn’t already? Well, I’d like to say that even with a great online presence and status, business cards still serve their purpose. It’s not every time you live online, sometimes you will have to interact with other real people like you in the real world. You’ll be invited to meetings, confabs, seminars, workshops that creates opportunities for networking and collaboration, and in situations like that, you can’t pass your online presence to another as a card, so what you give them during your period of interaction and introduction is a business card that still carries your online presence. So it does a two-in-one job; telling people how to catch up on your online niche and also how to reach you beyond online. Business card is most effective in brand marketing because there will always be outdoor moments as Freelancers.
So tell me, what do you get to lose when you do it the Business Card way? Absolutely nothing!
What then are the other benefits of having Business Cards as a Freelancer?
1. For easy contact. A Business Card tells people how to contact and reach you both online and offline. It takes off the stress that people tend to face in the past when there’s opportunity you should take and they desperately need to get in touch with you. All they need to do is pick up their copy of your business card and put a call through.
2. For job opportunities. Owning a business card can help Freelancers secure new clients who might never hear about them outside their business card. When you exchange your business card at an event, you can have a relationship that goes beyond just meeting at an event to business deals. It is a great ticket for expansion and referrals.
3. It’s professional. Exactly! Professionalism sells a brand and one of those ways to show you are very professional is having a business card. Professionalism shows how committed and dedicated you are to your craft and the extent you are willing to go in putting it out there.
What should you have on your Business Card?
A Business card is simply a concise breakdown of what your brand does. It should have your name, job title (Writer/Freelancer/Photographer etc.) and contact (email website, social media act and business line) and if you must have a logo, always go for the simple but lush.
Don’ts of a Business Card.
Never cloud your business card with a lot of skills (editing, typing, content writing, content creating, screenwriting etc.) summary is better! (You can just go Content – Screen – Editing). It’s not a CV/Resume. Be short, precise and direct. No jargon.
Conclusively, Freelancers should always be prepared for each day. View each new day with the mindset that a new job opportunity could come knocking. When you introduce yourself at a gathering, do it with your business card. Don’t wait for people to ask before you gift it out. Never go to an event without it. Give it to family and friends to help spread and move the gospel. Maximize every opportunity to sell yourself and advertise your brand; at a meet, get-together, tea time, lunch break, etc. If you travel anywhere, it’s okay to leave your business card at hotels you lodge; you can also leave it in a book at public libraries. It can also come as a package that comes with your new published releases (books). More so, a business card doesn’t have to be costly to be quality.
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