Should you use the backs of a business card?
Monday’s Promotion Tip for Graphic Designers
When designing stationery, there is one question about designing business cards that causes some debate. “To use or not to use the backs of the business cards. That is the question.”
You’ve got 2 camps: one that says you should and the other that says a resounding “NO!” (I know, deep!)
Those that say “NO” claim it’s because you want to leave it blank so that the recipient of the business card can write notes about you on the back. They also say that there should be “no confusion” as to which is the front and which is the back.
Those that say “YES!” say it’s because the back of the cards are prime real estate for an ad or additional information. They say that the back is a continuation of the front and be treated as sort of a billboard.
In design school, everyone always told me it was a no-no to put stuff on the backs of business cards. When I started working at the print shop, the majority of business cards were one-sided. In fact, printers hated double-sided cards.
Well, I’ve come across one man’s solution for combining these 2 seemingly opposing views. You can check out the post here.
He does use the backs. He uses a “next action form” on the backs so that the prospect can write notes. Brilliant.
TAKEAWAY:
The reason I like this is 3-fold.
It’s original and practical. You never see anyone really create the backs of the business cards as something to be used. It’s practical because the prospect has a place to write notes.
But, most importantly, it’s engaging. You are ensuring that they remember you. More likely than not, the prospect write out stuff to remember. Or, at the very least, he’ll remember your original business card (and of course the person that gave out the card).
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