Business Cards are the best form of advertising, my boss once told me. Now I need your help....?

Question

I will be strategically placing my business cards in locations such as...librarys, grocery stores, restuarants, casios, etc...

The Question: What is the most effective message to write on the back get people to call me?

PS - i sell money for a living...i.e...refi houses, cars, unsecured products, etc...

I could go with the *someone dropped it* message:

"Paul, Call anytime! I'll get you the cash out you need!" - my sig

or the...

I purposely placed this here...

"Call for a Re-Fi anytime..." -my sig

Do you think that is effective?

Answer 1

It's not effective and you'd probably get done for dropping litter- not too difficult to find the offending litter-lout is it?

A business card is usually given/exchanged when you have a brief (maybe) chat with someone and the card is used as a reminder/contact aide later (if that person is impressed by you or your business)

Answer 2

Business cards are quite effective IF you hand it to the prospect.  It is a very personal means of marketing yourself and your company.

If you're using BCs remotely, you have to answer the 5w&H questions:

WHO: Who are you?  your name

WHAT: What do you do? Personal Loan Consultant

WHERE: Where do you work?  name of company and address. Where can they contact you Phone/CP/fax/email/ anything that makes it easy to find you.

WHEN: When can you be reached? When are you available for consultation?

WHY: Why should anyone contact you or care to?  You need to give them a reason (it could be in your tagline or a mission statement)

HOW:  How are you going to help me? (What's your hook?)

If you can't do it on one side of a 2x3 card, try using a flyer instead.  I've see (and designed) BCs that sell, but in a highly sensitive thing like finances, its best to be personal and conservative.

Answer 3

Honestly?  I don't think business cards for what you want to do are the correct way to go.   Do you really think someone is going to call you based on a business card they saw hanging in a laundromat, deli or library, and I mean this based on the type of business you're running?  You're talking about finances;  it just looks unseemly.   If you were giving music lessons or running a landscaping concern, something along those lines, it would be something else entirely.

I can tell you that where I live the library would never let you hang that up.  I would never borrow money from someone just because I saw some business card.

I think it would be much better for you to have a reliable website that shows your company has gravitas, and to then place ads in reliable publications.

Answer 4

Your boss is wrong.

Some people say things like that as an excuse to avoid spending money on REAL marketing.

My prediction is that you will get very few responses from your business cards.

Answer 5

I guess your boss should know better than me but honestly I never keep business cards so I'm not sure I'd agree.