This week's episode of the CardsMadeEasy series focuses on two very different professions – the legal eagles and the letting agents. The design team at the printing experts have come up with some expert tips to help those in these fields design their business cards in a stylish and effective way – enjoy!
A survey in the US has found that certain types of Christmas greetings cards can have a positive effect on how the business is perceived by the recipient. 55% of humorous printed Christmas greetings cards dispatched by businesses to their clients or partners resulted in a more positive perception of the company, and that cards account for 49% of all gifts given by businesses over the festive period.
A professional printing company is urging more businesses and professionals to invest in business cards, flying in the face of all those who say that the future lies in digital means of communication. The experts from business card printing service, CardsMadeEasy, believe that tangible business cards can still do a lot of things that digital means of interaction cannot, and they are encouraging all businesses to take advantage of this traditional yet effective resource.
Expert printing service CardsMadeEasy have launched this year's batch of beautifully designed printed Christmas cards, as more consumers and businesses turn their thoughts to festive goodwill and gift-giving.
54% of people surveyed in research by Intuit say they believe that the quality of a business' printed materials, including promotional documents, business cards and in-house stationery, is a direct reflection on a business itself. If a business has coherent and well-designed printed materials, with a consistent brand across all elements, people are more likely to have a positive opinion of a business, as opposed to a badly-designed stack of literature, which will give the idea that the business is poorly-run.
Doing business abroad is now an incredibly popular move for many businesses looking to expand and grow. This leads to many trips to other countries, where the customs in regards to meetings, business card exchange and general commerce are very different from in the UK. It is vital for businesspeople to understand the customs of the country they are going to, so that they can leave a great impression on their hosts and hopefully do business with them again.
An infographic by Bolt Insurance has revealed some differences in the way that businesses and consumers think about print marketing methods. 65% of consumers still place a lot of stock in the promotional materials that arrive on their doormats, whilst just 36% of businesses think that consumers value their printed materials at all. Many businesses are trying to force a move into social media because they think that's what consumers want, when in reality, consumers are still as enamoured with printed promotions as they always have been.
Business cards are still seen as incredibly relevant by business and by consumers, partly because of their ability to adapt and change with the times, conforming to popular trends set by market leaders. As one of the most popular methods of communication around today, and as a tool which has been around for hundreds of years, the business card is obviously going to undergo slight changes and amendments in order to stay fresh. New materials, exciting fonts, colour schemes or other creative methods of exchanging information on business cards have constantly been introduced, and the traditional business greeting or exchange of contact details has retained its status as one of the most important ways to showcase your credentials and your brand in the world of business.
Worldwide statistics prove that SMEs across the globe are still using print media as part of their everyday operations. The demise of print in favour of digital media has been vastly overrated, as proven by the fact that that 45 trillion promotional pages are printed annually, with over 28 million business cards printed on a daily basis. Indeed, if you lined up the business cards which are printed annually across the world, they would reach to the moon and back. Business printing has been steadily growing by 6.8% year on year across the globe, and print has been proven to drive commerce in a way that digital promotions haven't yet managed.
Everyone knows the very basic colour psychology tips and tricks that can aid them in their marketing schemes and printed promotions. Red stands for love and danger, green signifies nature and wealth, and blue is relaxing and calm. But further research into the science behind colours has revealed some intriguing facts that may well be of use to those planning their latest printed promotional push.
The conventional business card tips are etched in the memories of those who distribute their cards as part of their job. ‘Exchange, don't give', ‘Don't give out a soiled business card' and ‘Keep the design simple' are basic guidelines that every professional should adopt as their mantras. But there are a number of other useful tips which can be utilised which many businessmen and women may have overlooked.
Financial services company Deloitte have demonstrated to businesses that the outsourcing of printing services to specialist providers can dramatically reduce printing costs whilst providing high-quality documents. After an audit of the firm's printing output which outlined the restrictions placed on staff when using the current in-house printing system, Deloitte outsourced their print management needs and saw a 20% reduction in needless paper consumption, a higher quality of document output and significantly reduced printing costs across the board.
When designing a business card, there are a few important factors to bear in mind in order to ensure that they will be as effective, attractive and impactful as possible. There are four basic principles for all designers to bear in mind when they are drawing up the plans: alignment, contrast, proximity and repetition. This handy guide can help those creating their own business cards to understand the key features of their design, and can help those outsourcing their business card design to better understand their designers when they discuss things such as strategic alignment and white space.