Blogher Business Cards

A few weeks ago, I blogged about some cool business card ideas.  Getting ready for Blogher, I realized I needed some more cards.  Since I’ve been using 3x5 cards a lot lately as I implement the Hipster PDA, I decided to try index cards.  Liberally stealing from both Eric Mack and Garrett Dimon, I came up with this design, printed on the front and back of a plain white index card, which Halley Suitt calls the “The Awesomest”:

The best part of the design is that I can scribble notes on the front of the card before I hand it to the person.  The back of the card contains far more info about me than I’d be able to convey in a brief conversation.  Though I may change them a bit, I’m really starting to like this format.  I’d love your thoughts and comments.

Comments

[Kat]

YES!!! I love the idea as well...My $$$ is limited right now , yet I still need to reach out to people and you gave me a wonderful idea! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Your Awesome!

Kat

[Brian]

Love the design, if I had a business, I would have absolutely no problem with that.
regards,
B.
http://low-apr-credit-card.valueprep.com/business_credit_cards.html

[John Richardson]

Wow, these will fit nicely in my Hipster PDA(43folders.com). I love this idea!

Great Blog BTW...

Cheers!

John

[Lucy MacDonald]

Matt - Thanks for the twist on the conventional (read boring) business card. Well done!

[Neville]

Now THAT is a great idea!

I might have to copy you!
-Nev

[William Royall]

This is a great Idea for a card. I love the personalization it conveys. It really helps the client "warm up" to you before they actually do business with you. It shows that you are a real person! One question though, Is this 3X5 inches? Like almost post card size? WOW - how could they miss-place that!? I'm going to have to post a blurb on my blog about these cards. http://www.royallmedia.blogspot.com. My site is full of marketing ideas (that's the purpose of the blog) and your's definitly tops the list!

[Tony Soprano]

Even forward thinkers have many ideas that miss the mark, and your execution of a creative business card strategy does just that.

The "seven things" are full of schmaltzy, sacchirine commentary which is inconsistent with what you are selling (i.e. you as a generative "idea person"). For instance...people are likely to find #1 shamefully manipulative (especially when they don't know your wife/daughter). #5 is an unclever insult on your target market. #7 would benefit from some specificity. Basically, you alternately manipulate people and tell them what you are good at via conclusory self-compliments, but you don't show them any particularly good ideas on the card...

Regarding the design...there are practical reasons why people don't want a huge business card, and a DIY business card is as likely to create the impression that you are cheap and don't care about the details as your desired impression (that you "think outside of the box").

Please don't take this the wrong way...challenging ideas is what takes them further. Any "idea person" would embrace this principle.

[Ruben Timmerman]

A useful addition that I have never seen on a business card (there must be a reason, enlighten me), is a graphical reperesentation of your own face. If you meet tons of people at networking opportunties, you tend to forget the ever so important face with the name.
Putting a real photo on your card might be too shocking for some, but a logo-like vector thingy can help, imho. I'll certainly do this when we make new cards.

[Rosa Say]

Aloha Matt,
In a word, your cards are BRILLIANT.
Mahalo for sharing your idea with us.
Rosa

[Liz]

Thanks again for helping me with my RSS frustration.

And your biz card is very effective! I showed it to a couple of people later in the week, as part of the ongoing marketing conversation for The Girls' Middle School...how we can represent the school's unique dimensions in a lot of new ways.

I am looking forward to more stimulating ideas.