I first saw them circulating about a year ago…
Those mini-business cards, about the size of a tear-off on a flyer at the supermarket. Sure, they’re cute. They’re different. But, here’s the problem.
They’re built to lose.
Just like the millions of flyer tear-offs that people take, then promptly lose or throw out, because there’s not logical place to keep them.
So, somebody explain to me, why would you go and take a business card that’s designed to fit into a spot where other business cards are found, where people remember to look for it, and transform it into something that’s virtually guaranteed to be lost, buried at the bottom of a bag or thrown out because there’s no logical place to put it.
It’s important to be different, to show your individuality, but not in a way that makes people have to work harder to stay in touch.
The core purpose of a business card is to help establish your brand, but, more importantly, to provide an easy way to find your contact information. Even if only until it’s entered into something electronic. Mini business cards scream, “I dare you find me two seconds later!”
It’ s kind of like what happened a few years back when the brassy, oversized Sacagawea dollar pieces hit the market in the U.S.. At first, people thought they were cool, then merchants started to revolt, because they had nowhere to put them. Cash registers were set up with standardized slots for bills, coins and credit card receipts. Merchants filled every slot and set up the drawers that way they worked best. Then, along comes the Sacagawea dollar and there’s no easy place to put then, so they end up getting left on the counter, misplaced or mixed into the quarter slot, then often miscounted. Even though it was illegal, some smaller merchants flat out refused to take them.
Don’t turn your business cards in Sacagawea dollars.
Be unique, stand for something, shine.
But remember, a cool design that’s more easily lost and makes people have to work to find you may well be unique…
But not in the way you want to be remembered.
Different is only worth it when it’s better.
