Why are business cards important?

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D-pearce92

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Im doing a photography at college and we are doing ways of promoting yourself as a photographer and am currently writing about business cards. Im trying to explain why they are a good to use in promoting yourself but ive got what i want to write in my head but when trying to put it down i cant put into words.
Any help would be greatly appreciated:thumbs:
 
because they are pocket sized so easy to have with you all the time to give out to casual contacts , and/or to confirm your contact details at the end of a meeting.

plus because people associate them with proffesionals they help to subconciously reafirm a proffesional image.

(and they are handy for giving to girls in clubs when you are out on the shark- but you might want to leave that out of your essay :lol: )
 
Thanks Pete, think i will leave out the bottom line, my teacher will kick me out of the room quicker than i can say big soft moose. :D
 
They are a nice fallback when you lose your phone/organizer, or it stops working.
 
kartracer said:
They are a nice fallback when you lose your phone/organizer, or it stops working.
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As said about, great for writing note's on lol

Seriously though, you will be the first impression of your business, your card will be what is used in an attemptto make that impression last
 
D-pearce92 said:
Thanks Pete, think i will leave out the bottom line, my teacher will kick me out of the room quicker than i can say big soft moose. :D
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LoL - I dare you to write " The main benefit of business cards is that they provide a favourable impression when speaking to young ladies in nightspots and hostelries across town, and save you the hassle of scribbling your number on beermats" :lol:

When she writes "see me at end of class" on the bottom , I double dare you to ask her if she'll pose for you naked and give her a business card :naughty:

(If your teacher is a man - I triple dare you to take the same approach :nuts: )
 
...because people's memories are fallible, but a business card allows them to concentrate on what you're saying, without trying to remember a website / photographer name / telephone number & still have a reference to you.
 
Business cards are essential for any professional looking for work.
Business cards can be used as a reference as @AnitaB mentioned & they are compact to carry. Include a name, direct contact details, perhaps a description of what you actually do & ensure it looks presentable & interesting. I've found that potential clients will be impressed with original-looking cards & often offering a business card can impress.
 
When getting work as a photographer it's all about promoting yourself. You'll have to get out there and network - exhibitions, studios, talks and of course with potential clients. You'll be going through business cards like you wouldn't believe. Nobody will remember your name but an eye catching business card is an excellent reminder.
 
One essential thing about a business card is "SIMPLICITY"
Don't clutter your card up with things and weird fonts..

A.J.Blogges,
photographer

phone . . . . .
fax . . . .
e-mail . . . . .
​

A simple message works better.
The image is one of quiet competence; you don't need to demonstrate your skill first off. It's a given!

And good luck
 
Perhaps print a variety of double sided business cards? Have a range of different photographs on various different cards that demonstrate a variety & have same details on the back of each design. I find it beneficial having a variety of cards with varied work displayed on the front as different clients might be drawn in by different images. Just a suggestion that some more 'creative' photographers might want to consider? Altho as Dave mentioned,
keep the details straight forward.
 
It's vitally important that a card has a memorable "look" because people remember the look of something better than they do words or details. I have thousands of cards in holders and when flicking through looking for a particular one your brain isn't reading words it's looking at mental pictures of shapes and colours.

This is where branding is so important because your brain links colours and shapes with "you" and makes it more memorable. This is why big firms spend millions on logo design and overall branding (e.g. "Barclays blue", the Vodafone logo, the Duracell colours, the Apple apple etc. You don't need words to know who or what it is).

So, a business card is your first and best opportunity to imprint your visual brand in someone's brain. They may not remember your name but they are nevertheless remembering "you" from a mental picture.
 
As above. Business cards are simple, practical and an effective means of communication. We are visual creatures, and the 'hi tech' alternatives - exchanging ecards/details using mobile phones - have never come close to replacing them.

Design is pretty subjective. Ideally, they should say something about you and your target market. A lawyer or an accountant will probably use plain cards because it fits the professional 'image', but a graphic designer or photographer might prefer something far more colourful and artistic, providing it isn't so complicated or 'busy' that it defeats the purpose.

I work in corporate security consulting and use plain, very high quality, cards - black print on white linen stock - with my name and contact details, that's all. It works for me, but might not be the best choice for you.

They're handy to scribble on too as others have said. I've lost count of the number of notes I've mislaid, after writing them on cigarette packets and beer mats!
 
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Another reason to carry business cards might be if you were doing some street photography and someone asked you what you were doing or why you were taking their picture. Explaining to them that you're a photographer and backing that up with a card is really quite professional.
 
Leslie said:
Explaining to them that you're a photographer and backing that up with a card is really quite professional.
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Don't think I could have phrased that any better!
 
previous to 2005 i has never used business cards,i wasnt a pro and am still not,im a keen hobbyist.over the past 5 years ive given over 5000 cards to people ive met,bumped into at gigs,music festivals etc.when ive got my camera around my neck i just tend to hand them out.ive broken even on the cost of photography equipment etc ive bought over this period just by covering my costs when people,friends and famly too have asked for prints.in other words my hobby which includes all the equipment i have bought,all the gigs and music festivals ive been too in that time have cost me nothing.as a non tax payer living off savings i would probably have been better off going self employed,declaring my low income,getting full tax credits as well as tax relief on my purchases too but hey ho,i may just have to consider doing just that.

business cards are worth every penny if you know how to use them
 
Definitely.
I actually re-design mine each time I order more to keep them updated with new work.
 
Something worth mentioning other than what's been said already is that people often keep business cards where as other means of contact are often discarded (flyers, brochures etc..) as they're more cumbersome to store and re-access.
 
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