Why Business Cards Are Still Relevant
If you’re a plumbing at any level, you probably are familiar with plumbing software or
apps that help you create online booking systems, send invoices, bookkeeping, and manage many business tasks. No matter how much digital services you use to automate tasks, traditional print-based business cards can still be a relevant and effective marketing tool. I mean, there is a reason why these business cards are still around in the first place. An email doesn’t provide any lasting memory like a beautiful piece of card, and websites don’t replace human face to face interaction.
Business cards act as an effective direct marketing tool to help build your brand and create visibility around your business at a low cost. Read on to learn more about the significance of plumbing business cards and the five cards we recommend to impress customers.
Are Business Cards Still Relevant?
Yes, they are! We believe that having thoughtful and professional business cards are a great addition to your marketing.
Business Cards Impact First Impressions
If you’re a person that loves to attend plumbing trade shows to learn the latest trends in the plumbing industry, it’s a good idea to get a stack of business cards to get your name out there. Giving out business cards is a much better way to trade contact information than to type it in other people’s phone numbers quickly.
Although having contact information stored in your cell phone is convenient, it doesn’t nearly leave the lasting impact that a business card does. Having your head buried in your phone breaks the face to face communication. There’s nothing better than making a great
first impression through eye contact and just regular human interaction.
Before any business can be done, it’s important to have a real human connection.
Even if you have an amazing follow-up email, it won’t be as effective without a memorable conversation and business card.
Fairly Cheap
On average, businesses spend about $194 on business cards, but can vary between $10 to $500. It’ll depend on the quality of the card and the company that you buy from. Even with this price, business cards are one of the cheapest forms of marketing material that you can purchase for your business.
There are always low-cost deals that you can choose from that business card companies such as Vista Print will offer. There are fancier cards that established brands such as Moo.com offers as well.
Portability
Carrying a small stack of business cards is incredibly useful because you never know who you’ll meet that can be a lead or potential contact. Many places bring you unexpected leads, such as trade shows, happy hours, and coffee shops.
Branding
Create a consistent brand message by having your name and logo clearly visible on the card. If you have an appealing business card, your contacts may even share some with their friends to further increase your brand visibility.
Professionalism
Have you been to a trade show and someone made an awful attempt to put their contact info on a piece of napkin? This is extremely unprofessional and won’t do a thing for you to call them. If you’re someone who has to scramble to write their contact information on a piece of paper, then other people may perceive you as a bit clumsy or unprepared.
When you’re at an event, you may only have a quick second to hand them your card. Being ready for the occasion and having a nice business card in hand makes it memorable for people.
Low Tech
This may sound silly, but business cards have been around long before the invention of WiFi. If the WiFi ever gets shut down or technology doesn’t work, you can always rely on business cards.
What Should You Have On Your Business Card
Here are a few pieces of information you need to add on your business card to help your plumbing business.
- Name
- Job Title
- Company Name
- Business Number
- Business Phone Number
- Work Email
- Social Sites
- A Company Slogan
Use Your Card Carefully
Keep a simple design.
Don’t overwhelm the reader with extravagant fonts and crowded design. Keep things simple by including essential information such as your name, title, contact info, and company on the front of the card and leave the back completely blank.
Leave blank space
This may sound counterintuitive because most people would want to fill up their cards. Leave some white space for card receivers to write a few notes about the conversation or things you’ve mentioned to them.
Use a standard sized card
A fun fact is that
88% of business cards are tossed. Having a funky size card will just add to that and make people want to throw them out. We recommend choosing the standard card size of 2 inches by 3.5 inches.
Consider adding a photo
Consider using a photo of your face to have people remember what you look like. This is incredibly important if you’re meeting people at trade shows where they will meet dozens of new people. It’s likely those people will have lots of business cards after the event, so your card will definitely stand out.
Add a QR code
For those that don’t want to clutter your card. You can add a
QR code for your contact to simply scan the card for more information.
Choose a Clean Font
Don’t choose a playful font like Comic Sans. Nor should you choose a cursive font that’s just hard to read, such as Papyrus. Instead, choose a 12 point size
font that is easy to read and clean. If someone needs a magnifying glass to read your font, then it definitely needs a change.
Give Your Cards Away Wisely
If you spent a lot of time and money designing and printing your cards, then you should pick who you give it out to strategically!
You may want to give it out to everyone, but that’s an easy way to just have them throw it in the dumpster. Instead, only give out your card to people that you’ve made a genuine connection with. This means you’ll give it out to people that actually want it and leave a great first impression.
After giving it out, it’s not the end of your communication. Giving out your business card and receiving one also means you can follow-up with them. Remember to call or email the contact after the event later. It could end up improving your business!
Below, we’ve displayed a few samples of 5 plumbing business cards.
Examples of Business Cards
Ways to Simplify Your Plumbing Business
If you want to improve your business, then you should prioritize networking and marketing instead of just meaningless administrative work. Instead, try to automate them with the latest contractor
tools and apps out there. You likely have a lot on your plate, including bookkeeping,
sending invoices, dispatching team members, and more.
Use a technology that can centralize all these tasks into one app. Automating this will make your day-to-day operations run much easier, and you can just focus on growing your business.
Final Thoughts
Think of your business card as a physical symbol of your company. A business card is much more personal than an email that feels impersonal. Make sure to plan out your design in advance and have an easy to read font with your contact info bold.
ServGrow is a leader in comprehensive
HVAC software that industry professionals utilize to help streamline their operations, boost revenue, and substantially increase their online exposure.
Ready to learn more about what ServGrow can do for your business?
Contact our team to schedule a demo today.
