5 Reasons Bloggers Should Carry Business Cards

When I decided to go to my first blogging conference I did a lot of research as to what to expect and how to prepare. One of the most common tips I saw was  to take business cards and after Blogher15, I was  glad I did.

If you are of the fence about getting business cards here are 5 reasons bloggers should carry a business card.

It shows that you are professional.

Let’s be honest there are a lot out blogs out there. Any Jane or John with a computer and Wi-Fi can start a blog and start sharing their thoughts with the world. If you want to separate yourself from the pack get a business card. It shows that you’re willing to invest in your blog and mean business.

I remember the first day of Blogher15 I sat at a table with this very nice girl. I gave her my card and she had to quickly jot down her blog URL for me, no offense to her but the exchange seemed disorganized and sloppy. Other bloggers would confidently hand me their card and I made a point to check out each blog after my trip.

It makes it easier for readers.

If you go the professional route I strongly suggest adding a QR code on the back of them. A QR is a two-dimensional barcode that allows people to scan it using a QR reader app on their smartphones and takes them directly to a website. Even if you decide to make them yourself, business cards makes it so much easier for potential readers, sponsors or clients to remember you and find your website.

It’s much easier to find a business card in your wallet than it is to try to remember a long blog name.

You never know where you will find new readers.

I’ve handed my cards out everywhere, not just blogging events. When someone asks me what I do, in addition to my Marketing position I tell them I have a lifestyle blog and am a freelance writer. The casual ,”okay, you’re a ‘blogger’ ” expression changes quickly to, “I’ll check it out,” when I pull out my business cards. I’ve even passed out cards to my OB/GYN!

I’ve met people at a bar and then next day gotten comments, text and emails letting me know they ended up finding my card the next day and checked out my blog. You never know who someone knows. As a blogger you are your marketing team, you should also be spreading the word about your blog/business any chance you get.

When you give, you get.

Have you ever been walking somewhere in public and smiled at a stranger? Chances are they smiled back. It’s the same with business cards! I handed a business card to Vice President of She Knows Media and guess what, she gave me her business card back. Not only are you increasing the chances of someone you’re interacting with going to your website but you are subliminally encouraging them to give you their contact information as well.

Branding!

With so many blogs out there it’s important that you stand out. If someone sees the same logo and colors on your business card they will be more confident they have landed on the right page. Also if they see one of your pins on Pinterest, a post on Instagram or blog tweet they will recognize it is a part of your brand. A strong brand shows a strong business.

Say you have a blog about saving money as a mom. You meet someone and tell them you have a blog called “Mom isn’t going broke,” while you may think it’s a memorable name, chances are that person’s brain space is occupied with a lot (especially at a networking event) and your blog name may slip through the cracks. They remembered you have a mommy saving blog and Google “Mommy saving blog” they will find a lot of other blogs and after visiting a few sites that aren’t yours, they will probably give up and move on.

Business cards are a great way to share information with and can be very inexpensive. We make use of Asset Print to make our business cards.

Do you use business cards for your blog? Did you make them yourself or did you buy them? What do you put on them?  Please share below.

Article source: https://bestflyerprinting.tumblr.com/post/165576489639/5-reasons-bloggers-should-carry-business-cards

BUSINESS CARD DESIGN AND BUSINESS CARD PRINTING TIPS

Your business card design and business card printing should never be a side thought to your marketing plan, it often works as the first point of contact between a potential customer and your company. It needs to be strategically thought out and designed in a way that encourages them to want to know more about you and your service offerings.

If you want to create eye-catching, distinctive and professional business cards it is important to work alongside a professional business card designer and business card printing company, take a look at these top tips for business card success:

THE 4 W’S

Who? What? Where? Why? You may want to roll your eyes at how obvious this is but it certainly has to be mentioned because it is the most important part of your business card! This is the key information that you want to convey to your audience. Ensure that your name, company name, logo, job title and contact information is clearly displayed on your card.

Think carefully about which contact details you would like to give out as you need to strike a good balance between offering enough point of contacts without looking too cluttered. With years of experience in business card design and business card printing, we suggest you include: your email address, work number and website address.

TYPOGRAPHY FOR READABILITY

Don’t be tempted to minimise the size of your text because you want to add more information. Rather leave out some of the unnecessary details to ensure a readable business card. A smaller font may look perfectly acceptable when you look at the design on a screen, but your business card will be printed!

The general rule is to not go smaller than 8pt. Another aspect to look at is the typography itself. What font are you going to use? Keep it simple and easy to read – your business card is no place for calligraphy or the dreaded Comic Sans typeface. In fact, Comic Sans has no place anywhere…

BLACK AND WHITE OR COLOUR BUSINESS CARD PRINTING

Colours certainly give your business card an eye-catching advantage over a typical black and white print. If you are going for colour, make sure you only use colours that are in-line with your corporate branding. Again, this may sound obvious, but it is critical.

However, brightly coloured cards should only be used by businesses that embrace a creative company culture. It would make sense for a digital agency put together an eye catching colourful design, but would it be applicable to a legal firm? Probably not.

In the same breath, never underestimate the power of simplicity.

A simple black and white business card is often viewed as classy, professional, minimalist and stylish. To create this classic look, it is important that you work alongside an experienced graphic designer and printing company – this is not something you can design in Word.

EMBOSS LIKE A BOSS

If you are worried that your plain black and white design may appear too static, look into creating a fun, raised 3D effect. This is done by embossing your cards. If your business embraces style, class and elegance, than this is an excellent design choice for you.

Not only is an embossed card aesthetically appealing, it also makes it more tactile and engaging. The more engaging your marketing material, the more your potential clients will remember your business.

KEEP IT VISUAL

A picture is worth a thousand words. As we mentioned previously, you should never fill your business card with unnecessary information – it needs to get straight to the point. Yes, you need to have some text on your card but you don’t want to overwhelm the viewer.

Leave some space for something visually appealing i.e.: An image of your product or something related to your business. Think about placing this on the back of your business card, this is also a great space to boldly display your logo.

PAPER CHOICE

It is important to consider the thickness of your business card. Stronger, thicker and more durable cards feel more expensive and professional, while thinner paper makes them feel cheap and somewhat tacky. Think about your card as your handshake – it should be strong and firm.

Plus, you don’t want your business card to rip apart when it is placed in a potential client’s wallet…

ASSET PRINT: PRINTING COMPANY SOUTH AFRICA

As a leading printing company South Africa, Print Asset offers the highest quality business card design and business card printing solutions. Take a look at our business card promotions here and contact Asset Print for more information.

Time to get networking!

Article source: http://www.jetline.co.za/business-card-design-and-business-card-printing-tips/

Why feather banners or flags are the future of outdoor and indoor advertising

There are several benefits of using feather banners for outdoor advertising or other promotional campaigns.   Below I will list a few key things that make custom or stock banner flags better for outdoor advertising.

1.  Limited area usage.

Feather flags come in a variety of different sizes.  What makes them better than custom vinyl prints is that they take up very little horizontal space.  With the largest of our flags spanning only 2.5ft wide, you can make these swooper flags work in small spaces.  A lot of high population areas, such as New York City or Los Angeles, have very limited space to work with.  Our feather flags allow you to advertise in small 3 square foot area.  Additionally, since the flags come in large sizes, your customers can easily view them.

2.  Easy assembly of pole kits.

Our 3 piece, 4 piece, and 5 piece poles kits require no tools to assembly.  Simply telescope them together and slide the banner flag onto the large pole kit.  Compare this to vinyl banners, which typically require drilling holes, nailing hammers, or other troublesome and inconvenient mounting shenanigans.  Custom vinyl prints are the past for outdoor advertising.  For the most cost effective and hassle free outdoor promotions, buy Feather Flag Nation‘s feather flags.

3.  Feather Flag kits are lightweight and portable.

Water-base roll-out frames are too heavy,  A-frames fall over with high winds, once mounted — vinyl banners are very difficult to take down.  Air inflated dancers can get too loud.  Out Feather Flag kits can be assembled within a couple of minutes and can be taken down even quicker.  Additionally, you require no tools to use our ground spike or cross-base mounting hardware.  Since the pole kits are light weight — almost anyone can transport and install our custom or stock banner flag kits.

The list of benefits of using fabric prints for outdoor advertising is long.  Move away from the old technology and get into the future of outdoor advertising.  Feather Flags are the future for all businesses– they are the top choice for trade shows, car shows, festivals, concerts, other outdoor or indoor events.

A variety of feather banner designs are available from Asset Print, along with a vast array of printed advertising options - to suits your business’ needs.

Article source: https://featherflagnation.com/blog/stock-custom-feather-flags-banner-flags-work/

Custom Stickers: Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas that Stick

Are you looking for ‘profitable’ nonprofit fundraising ideas? This article outlines five innovative ways to put this low-cost investment to work in generating non-profit funds.

If there’s one thing nonprofit organizations are almost always in need of, it’s reliable sources of income rolling in through memberships, grants, events and donations. But part of the challenge involved with the yearly fundraising cycle lies not just in making your appeal, but in keeping it fresh and making it fun. One of the ideas that offers the most fundraising bang for your nonprofit buck is using custom stickers.

Custom stickers can be made to order with your name and logo and can include special slogans and catchphrases that help to build awareness of your charity in the community while raising much-needed funds. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Sell them

Custom stickers are an extremely inexpensive investment as far as fundraising products go, offering as much as 300% mark-up. Sell your organization’s custom stickers at fundraising events, at booths in fairs and festivals where you might be exhibiting, and anywhere your supporters, current or potential, might be gathered.

 2. Use them as a membership incentive

Have a spring membership drive? Use the ease of sticker printing as part of your thank-you for new members. Your supporters will appreciate the thoughtful gesture—while at the same time providing an opportunity for them to further advertise their support of your organization. Consider a design your supporters will be proud to show off: “I brake for the arts” for a kids’ art program, for example, or “Fish Lover” for a conservation organization benefiting a river. Change the concept each year to keep it fresh and encourage annual renewals.

3. Honor your major donors

Have a multi-tiered donation platform with memorable or intriguing names? Honor your donors with a custom sticker designed in conjunction with a local artist as part of your overall thank-you package.

4. Send them to foundation staff

Has your organization received grants for programs or services in the last year?  Consider adding the personal touch to your final reports and grant updates by including a few of your organization’s custom stickers, with a handwritten thank-you note for those foundation staff who have assisted in ministering your grant.

5. Use them as incentives for filling out surveys

If your organization presents events or workshops, getting audience-members, supporters and/or participants to fill out surveys is one of the best ways to collect the kind of data that makes for strong foundation grants. Offering a free sticker as an incentive is an easy way to encourage this.

With a good working knowledge of nonprofit fundraising basics, custom stickers can be an important, low-cost tool in both raising funds and promoting the visibility of your cause in the community.

Article source: http://customstickermakers.com/blog/custom-stickers-nonprofit-fundraising-ideas-stick/

Why Custom Invoice Book Printing Is Essential

Many small business owners use generic invoice books that make and keep track of orders, but it can prove incredibly beneficial to take advantage of professional custom invoice book printing.

Not only do these custom invoices help pull in more customers, but many companies report that the custom printing of unique designs improves customer loyalty and retention.

Here are just a few of the major benefits of having your own personalised invoices.

Build your Brand

Part of building a brand is having custom imagery, unique colours and slogans to differentiate your company from the competition. There are many ways of building your brand and social recognition, but this will just focus on custom invoices.

Invoice forms aren't just used for orders. They are similar to business cards because they display your logo, and tell customers who you are and how to contact you.

Invoices are also commonly used as a quoting mechanism because you might be asked to make an itemised statement of charges for a formal quote.

Having a custom invoice will separate you from the rest of your competition. There are many examples of clients choosing companies solely based on their image and branding. Don't miss this opportunity to gain some new clients.

Unique Fields

While there are some companies that can use generic invoices without running into any issues, the truth is that most businesses can't do this. They often require information that other companies don't ask for.

If you are having this problem, then there are two things that you can do. The first is manually writing the field onto a generic invoice. This looks sloppy and reduces the client's confidence in your business.

The ideal route is to invest in professional invoice book printing because you can customise the form to your exact needs.

Improve Customer Loyalty and Return Purchases

As stated above, custom invoices help build your brand. Many companies have found that clients are more willing to come back for return purchases if they use custom invoices. There are several reasons for this. The most important one is that these invoices are much easier to remember. If you use printing and marketing that is easy to remember, then customers will more frequently choose you over your competition.

The other reason is because it shows that you are willing to put more work into your presentation. Clients tend to believe that this is a mark of quality, which can influence them to make more purchases from you.

Quality Paper

While there are some exceptions, you will find that most generic invoice books use rather poor paper. The invoices often feel scratchy and unpleasant. This might not seem important, but it conveys a message to your clients. Many clients will assume that you don't care about your work as much as another company that has better invoices.

Custom invoice printing uses quality paper that is smooth and durable. You will see your customers' eyes suddenly light up when they feel your invoice. This is because most companies don't pay attention to the quality of their invoices. A good invoice can leave a powerful impression on your clients that can translate into additional sales.

Conclusion

Taking advantage of invoice book printing is essential if you want to run a successful company. While you can make sales with generic invoices, they definitely have their weaknesses. Uniquely designed invoices feel and look better, help build your brand and they can lead to additional sales. If you want to make the most of your company and create the right impression with your client base, then use custom invoices.

Asset Print is a leading online print and design company that offers many unique items such as invoice book printing. They offer affordable printing options to busy companies that need the highest quality printing.

Article source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Custom-Invoice-Book-Printing-Is-Essential&id=7553690

Create perfect printed stickers

Everyone loves stickers! And these little marketing tools are really effective if used well. You can use your stickers on packaging, as free gifts, on products or for a sticker advertising campaign. These days, many companies know the power of advertising with printed stickers. There’s plenty of competition, so it’s important to design your sticker so that it looks great and sticks out from the crowd.

There are endless possibilities for your printed colour stickers.

With this in mind, we’ve put together five great tips for creating perfect printed stickers that are sure to get you noticed.

Choose great colours

Choosing the right colours will obviously help your stickers to stand out. Good, contrasting colours will help your message get noticed and a great advantage of digital over process printing is that you can choose any colours you like at no extra cost. There won’t be registration issue either, so your stickers will appear sharp and striking.

Pick a striking image

If you’re using an image, make sure it’s likely to grab attention. Your image resolution must be at least 300 dpi at its final printed size to avoid it looking blurry.

Keep it simple

Just because digital printing process gives you so much choice doesn’t mean you have to go wild with graphics and content. With sticker advertising, simple is always best. Too much visual information on your sticker will see it overlooked. Make your message clear and easy to see at a glance.

Consider location

Where are your stickers going? If you’re placing it on packaging, make sure it stands out well from the paper colour. If your sticker is part of an advertising campaign and might go in a number of different locations, choose colours that will stand out anywhere.

Tease your audience

Stickers are best used to entice people to find out more. Some of our customers simply print a QR code or web address on a coloured background. This is a great way to drive traffic to your online pages and people are always intrigued by teaser messages.

Visit a reputable digital printing company such as Asset Print  for Printing, Rondebosch, Cape Town to get started.

Article and image source: http://fromhelveticatoprint.weebly.com/blog/create-perfect-printed-stickers