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Do Bloggers Need a Business Card?

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Business Cards

Whether or not a blogger should have a business card has a been a topic of debate in recent years.  It probably really depends on how seriously you take yourself as a blogger. If you treat your blog as a business, then more than likely, you no doubt have a business card.  Because, what business doesn’t have business cards?

Think of it like this- your blog or website is like  a business card/resume/portfolio for the Interwebs. When you finally meet other bloggers or potential clients, what do you give them besides a friendly handshake and your sparkling personality?

The business card is the single most powerful single business tool- dollar for dollar- you can invest in. – Dr Ivan Misner, Networking Expert

If your blog is the gateway to increasing more income, be it passive or non-passive, any way you can get the word out is essential.  The origin of the business card can be traced all the way back to 15th century China.  Of course it has evolved over the years to the designs that we have now.  I think it’s a safe bet that business cards will be around for a little while longer.

Now I’ll admit!

I’ve been blogging on the Smart Income Blog for over a year, and on my personal geek blog, The Uncanny Kevin Douglas, for over two years and I just purchased business cards for SIB. I personally use MOO Cards.  They’re awesome and have different designs and styles that will make you a happy camper. They made me happy!

I figure that now I’m taking blogging more seriously, having a business card is definitely a worthy investment.

You should, too!

If you’re going to be going to any upcoming events, like BlogWorld Expo, blogger meetups, etc.- you need to have a business card.

Get the most out of your business cards as a blogger:

  • Add a personalized message to your card.  People love to feel they belong to an exclusive group. Nothing screams exclusivity more than a personalized message to new people you meet.  Add a link to your card that goes to a direct page on your website.  Offer a discount or other exclusive offer to your page. Your new contact will be impressed and it could spark a future business relationship.
  • Sell yourself.  Nobody is going to be able to talk better about you THAN you.  Your card should reflect things you do and will do.  Don’t jumble your card with useless buzzwords most people don’t understand in your industry.  Link your card to a resource page of your best posts.  You’ll be glad you did.
  • Don’t Be Cheap- Quality Over Frugality. In an effort to be frugal (translation:cheap), people will usually go for the the lowest priced paper stock for business cards.  Don’t do this! Your business card is your first impression and how people will remember you.  If you give a potential client a crappy business card, they’re going to think your services are crappy, as well.  If you need to be frugal about giving out your card, be more selective of who you give your card to.  Everybody doesn’t need to have it.  Think of giving your card away like giving out your home or cell phone number.  You want only the people you have a rapport or relationship to have your number.  The same characteristics apply to your business card.

About

Owner of The Smart Income Blog. A blogger, Career Independence advocate, travel enthusiast, veteran young guy and comic book culture geek. Lover of social media and all things Google.

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{ 23 Responses }

  1. Brad Hughes says:
    Yeah I do agree business cards are important for bloggers. If you'll attend a conference or a meetup, it would be best if you give them a card rather than let them write the name of your blog.
  2. Victoria says:
    I had an experiential blog for a week and handed out over 400 business cards with the URL and some info about the blog. Everyone said they loved the card. And to @addisonskans, I wear a jacket with my twitter handle embroidered on the back. I get a lot of feedback!
  3. Noel Addison says:
    Definitely. I am even thinking of printing my blog's URL on a shirt and walk around town wearing it. Another way to drive traffic to your blog. ;)
  4. Justin Germino says:
    Absolutely I think bloggers should have business cards and I have run out currently, I am always in a setting where I want to hand out a card or drop one in a local business for a contest, or tack one on a board promoting local businesses.
  5. Kavya Hari says:
    Nowadays, people will choose low price paper stock to the business card sections. In fact, business card should be attractive to all the readers in the wide. So, it would be good with the good support in it.
  6. Johnny Optimo says:
    One more thing I wanted to add to my last comment, I DO have two sets of business cards. On the back of one it has a listing and description of my 10 favorite blogs. My other business card just has a link to my consulting website... sometimes I like to look more professional, other times I like to promote the heck out of my sites offline
  7. Ming Jong Tey says:
    Hey Kevin, Thanks for your reminder. I should have got my card done 6 months ago. As you mentioned, I used to think that I am running a business online so I don't really need a business card. However, business card is essential for offline networking, which might lead to other opportunities. Cheers, Ming
  8. Jane says:
    It is indeed very important to have a business card. It gives a professional touch to a business as a whole. Plus, it is easy to get introduced and maintain new contacts. If we meet a handful of people at a conference, those people would also have met many other people; not just us. So if we can give them our business card, it is a nice way to have them remember you.
  9. Latief says:
    Sure we need them brother! Do not forget your offline marketing effort. Business cards still an effective and very cheap :)
  10. Ritesh says:
    unless you are a super famous blogger, i don't think that you need a Business card.
  11. Johnny Optimo says:
    I think it can always help. It does depend on the type of blog though and how you're monetizing it. If you're just writing keyword stuffed fluff and monetizing it with adsense, I don't think a card would help much. If, however, your blog is advertising your web development services, then I think giving out the card can help establish you as an authority.
  12. Ricardus says:
    I think a business card is kind of a way to stay true to your identity as well..
  13. Wasim Ismail says:
    Business cards is defiantly a tool that will stay around for a while, it may change in form, but the concept and the idea will stay.
  14. Mandy Kilinskis says:
    Excellent post, Kevin. I never even considered using business cards for bloggers, but it's an absolutely brilliant idea. When meeting someone, it's rare that I actually retain much information about them. And it's a shame, especially if I find them interesting. A physical business card would definitely remind me to check out their website and/or blog. They would be huge wins at conventions and tradeshows.
  15. Gogi Rana says:
    Well depends it is always better to have a business card handy, but from my personal experience customers usually ask for your phone number / Facebook ID and they add on their handset or tablet.
  16. Abi says:
    Definitely think bloggers need to have some form of a card! If anything, people you randomly meet still would like something to take away with them to remind them of what you're doing. It's always a good idea to have one!
  17. Robert says:
    I think whether or not bloggers need an a business card can depend a lot on the nature of their blog. For example a health advice blog could use one, but a blog that simply posts news about something probably doesn't need one as much
  18. Jamie Northrup says:
    I love business cards so much I made a whole website about them, I keep redesigning my own ones for my personal brand, but I think I finally found the ones I will keep for a while (but I always say that). The more useful you can make the card the better it is. And like Matt said, I leave them in different places as well for advertisement purposes ;)
  19. Sonia says:
    I agree with having a business card. It's your own personal identity when you aren't next to your computer to say, "oh yeah that's my site". I run Corporate events at my day job and when we participate at trade shows like Dell, Microsoft or VMworld, it's what you see all day long; people giving out business cards. The trick is finding something people will want to keep in their wallet, so creating something memorable might help stay in someone's mind when they are scrambling through a pile of cards. If I get a card that is different, that usually goes in my wallet and the others usually get lost in my purse.
  20. Dave Lucas says:
    You're right in that the idea gets tossed round from time to time. Better ideas: T-shirt with your URL splashed across it. Add your http to your email signature. Business card? No, not unless you are Michelel Malkin, Darren Rowse, Tavi Gevison or Xiaxue. (or a full time PROfessional blogger).
    • Kevin Douglas says:
      If you're going to a blogging conference or Tweetup, a business card will come in extremely handy. Having something to refer back to helps me remember people I want to keep in touch. T-shirts are a good idea, too. But in a more business casual environment, t-shirts aren't the best option. To serve as a walking billboard on the weekend, absolutely. And you're right about appending your website on email signatures. That should be a no-brainer.
  21. Matt says:
    Maybe true, but your business card is also an advert. You'd normally have to pay to place an advert in a specific place, but- whoops- you left a business card- or maybe a small pile of them- in a bar. Or in the drawers of a hotel room. As long as you leave them neatly aligned, not slung on a surface like it's been discarded from a potential customer's pocket, it will attract attention.