5 reasons why you need to print your own business card

Though your mindset as a blogger may lead you to discount the impact of offline promotion, there are five important reasons why you should still invest in a set of classy business cards.

So you have something to hand out during networking opportunities

Meeting with other bloggers, internet marketers, or other people who are online authorities gives you valuable opportunities to represent and pitch your blog to them in a very direct and personal way. Not having business cards handy when one of these opportunities come up, by surprise or otherwise, is a waste. Besides, how sure can you be that they’ll keep that scrap of paper you scrawled your name and blog on, and not throw it in the trash or leave it limp and damp in the laundry chute the next day?

(Granted, they may do the same to your business cards, but at least they will survive the abuse long enough to still be there when the person changes his/her mind.)

Printing business cards can actually help you be a more sociable blogger.

For branding

Some people may have seen or heard of your blog before, but haven’t come back to it lately because they forgot how to get there, or why they should. A physical reminder like your business card will help them get back on track. Your card will also refresh their memory constantly for the duration of its stay in their business card holders, just in case they dare to forget you again.

People will remember you better

Handing your business card to people is like shaking their hand; you have the opportunity to make a memorable impression, stronger than if they simply saw your blog or an image of your face online. The process of presenting it to them doesn’t have to be as formal as presenting a meishi, but you can take a hint from that Japanese custom and recognize the potential impact you can make with this simple act.

It can pave the way to unexpected opportunities

I once saw a comment online from a blogger who gave away his business cards in a unique way. He’d give two to each person, saying something like, “One of them is for you. If you like me, you can give the other one to a friend; if you don’t, you can give it to an enemy!”

Humor aside, this is one good reason why you should find opportunities to hand out your business cards as much as you could – without being annoying, of course. You never know if the next great blog sponsorship offer, high-paying freelance writing job, or free iPad you can get will come from someone who knows that person you talked to at the airport bar.

It can help increase your blog traffic offline

Blogging for Business co-author Ted Demopoulos listed business cards as his first tip to increase blog traffic offline in his guest post on ProBlogger. Just as submitting your old posts to article directories, being active in forums, and making your posts rank on Google can help you get traffic while you sleep, printing your own business cards for people to remember you by can do the same.

Need some business cards for your own blog?

Leave a comment below on why you need some business cards and we will pick 5 winners by the end of the week. Limited to US residents only.

This is a guest post by Jennifer Silverman; she writes for the UPrinting Blog on topics ranging from small business marketing to print design inspiration, on behalf of UPrinting.com which specializes in business card printing. Want to guest post on HowToMakeMyBlog? See more info here.