Have You Thought About Your Business Cards Lately?

So I wanted to take a quick moment to address something fundamental …. yet WPPI proved how many miss it, your business card. Your business card is an extension of your brand and should reflect your style and preferences.  But more importantly, it needs to give all of your contact information.  It needs to have your website, so people can look at your work.  It needs to have your phone number AND email, so they can contact you however they feel.  And, most importantly, it needs to have YOUR NAME.  Remember, you’re selling yourself as a professional photographer.

During my presentation and throughout WPPI, I collected business cards of the photographers I would meet.  And so, we did a little tally down here afterwards.

During WPPI, I collected 42 business cards.  The following are categories that should be on your business card, and the number of cards that actually had it on them:

Business Name: 30 of 42 —> 71%
Phone Number: 33 of 42 —> 78%
Email Address: 25 of 42 —> 59%
Website: 31 of 42 —> 73%
Personal Name: 26 of 42 —> 62%
Info written on a torn off piece of paper and given to me: 9 of 42 —> 21%

In addition, of the 42, 2 business cards had ill-legible print, and 2 had websites that didn’t work anymore.

My advice to each photographer – think about your business card as an extension of you.  At WPPI, I met so many photographers, and I had forgotten many by the time that I got home, only a few days later.  But there were a few cards I pulled out, and immediately remembered who it was that handed me the card.  Thats good branding …. thats what a business card should do to your clients as well!  Brides and Grooms meet so many photographers, are they going to remember you from your card?

Beyond the branding though, ensure that your card has the pertinent and necessary information to get in touch with you!  If they have 3 photographers business cards, and yours is missing key information, you’ve just made it easy for them to not hire you.

Written by Jared Bauman

Jared Bauman is a San Diego based wedding photographer and owner of Bauman Weddings. He is beginning a speaking tour around the country that includes speaking at Pictage User Groups and putting on his own “Prevail in Business” workshops. Jared has also started a resources blog which is where you can go to get more great posts like the one below.