You’re at your favorite deli waiting patiently in line to buy a sandwich for lunch. As you approach the counter, the customer in front of you drops his business card into a fishbowl labeled “customer of the month.” Instead of scribbling their names on the back of a receipt, most are just dropping their business cards in there.
Everyone has business cards; so many, in fact, that they’re becoming less effective as a promotional tool. You may think you just need to work harder at getting your cards out, that maybe sheer volume will make them more effective. Just like this fishbowl of random titles and company names, picking your business out of the lineup feels like a game of chance. But it doesn’t have to.
Image via Flickr
Before you place that rush order from your printer, consider some of these ideas that will make your business stand out instead of just your card.
Be Unique
Borrowing marketing ideas from other businesses is generally wise, but over time, other businesses may start to copy. There are many successful ways to promote without sounding like a clone. For example, many businesses make the mistake of designing their cards with generic clip art. Be mindful that this could be a customer’s first impression of your business. You don’t want them to see your card and think about how many times they’ve seen that design before. When they see your card, they should only think of your business. Hire a graphic designer to create a custom design.Â
Instagram and Pinterest
If you are not using sites like Instagram and Pinterest, you are missing out on one of the most effective forms of free promotion out there. Whether you’re a small fashion boutique or a chain store, the benefits of being online are obvious. Why? Because it is where the people are. How can you get customers to your business if they don’t know it exists? They won’t know unless it’s brought to their attention somehow, and two of the best ways to do this are through Instagram and Pinterest.
Begin to think of Instagram and Pinterest as interactive business cards. Users go on Instagram to share their photos and marvel at others. The goal is to find interesting users to follow, and as long as you post engaging photography, the text doesn’t matter as much. For this reason, a marketing campaign done through Instagram doesn’t feel like an invasive sales pitch. You can attract a larger audience of potential customers.
The key for Instagram is to keep things light and fun but professional. If you have a new item in the shop, create an engaging photo set with it and post about it throughout the day. Participate in the weekly trends like Throwback Thursday posts where you post a photo from the past. Use casual hashtags that apply to your company; this way, users can look up topics that meet their interests and find your business.
When using Pinterest, creating boards that apply to various themes in your company can get you noticed. If your business focuses on interior design, boards about home decor can be effective. If it’s a café, create boards about different recipes or processes to get the perfect cup of coffee. Occasionally sneak in links for your business’s website and you’ve found an effective way to market in a matter of minutes.
Occasionally post an image that highlights a sale or gives a discount code that only your Instagram or Pinterest followers can use.
Sponsor GiveawaysÂ
Whether your business has a blog or not, you can find successful promotion through other blogs. Bloggers, in a sense, are business promoters. Start observing some bloggers who specialize in your field. From food to beauty bloggers, there is a niche for everyone to check out.
Start contacting these bloggers and asking them if they would be interested in a sponsored giveaway on promo items. You can give away promotional items from your business or partner with another business or website to make the giveaway even more engaging. Discuss the type of giveaway you are interested in with the blogger.
Make the giveaway free to enter and the action simple. For example, the readers may have to comment on your site and the blogger’s post. They may have to follow your social media profiles, gaining a new entry with each profile they follow, and then comment on the post. Let the blogger choose the winner and this will be a successful way to promote yourself and connect with a new blogger.
Be Useful
The standard business card can easily be forgotten. Customers may take your card with intentions of returning to your business, but once it goes in their wallet, it’s just another thing taking up space. After a while, they will clean out their wallet and toss all the excess, keeping only the cards they actually use. If you make yours useful, you have a better chance of being remembered.
A common promotional idea is a punch card. Giving your costumers something that promises them a reward is an easy way to keep them coming back. Consider creating a punch card for a specific dollar amount between $5-20, depending on your business. Once customers spend that amount, they get a punch or two and after filling up the card, they get something for free.Â
Depending on your business, a discount card could be useful. To keep customers coming back on days that are typically slow (or to make you their first stop during a popular shopping day), change the value of the discount. For example, on Friday the discount card could give them 15% off their purchase but on a slow day like a Tuesday it could give them 25% off.Â
It is clear that there are many ideas that will get your business noticed. These strategies will make users feel connected to your company as your photos, pins and promotions slowly become a part of their daily lives. Your business will be memorable when you’re thinking outside of the box and getting your card out of the fishbowl.