Business cards have been a marketing tactic for decades. And while many people now look online to find what they need, a business card can still be an excellent tool for finding new clients and keeping your business at the forefront of someone’s mind.
The first impression your card makes can determine whether someone holds on to your card or tosses it. If you want people to remember you and call you when they’re ready to paint, consider these business card ideas for painters to create the perfect card.
1. Use High-Quality Images of Your Work
Think of your business card as being an offline version of your website. You want it to give potential clients a taste of what you can do for them. So don’t include photos of yourself or images of a paintbrush, paint can, or paint splatters.
Instead, take high-quality photos of some of the work you’ve done and include them. To showcase all your services, you might be tempted to include several images. After all, you do both interiors and exteriors, residential and commercial, and so on. But this can overwhelm the card and make it more challenging to see the quality of your work. Choose one or two of the best photos and know that they will speak to the quality of all your other services as well.
2. Include All Relevant Contact Information
In today’s world, with websites, social media, texting, video calls, email, and so many other ways to find someone, it’s tempting to load up your card with every possible method of contacting you. And while this certainly does ensure that your potential clients can find you, it’s not necessarily one of the best business card ideas for painters.
Instead, choose the most relevant contact information. If you prefer phone calls and texts, include a phone number. Add social media only if you prefer potential customers to direct message you through those channels. The one thing you should always include is your website (where you can, and should, include every contact method).
3. Make it Visually Appealing
A business card tends to be a relatively small document. Knowing that it represents your business, there’s often an urge to include as much information as possible. From rates to contact information to a slogan or tagline, you want to give clients as much incentive as possible to contact you.
Visually appealing business cards—the kind that gets people to reach out—are ones with lots of white space. White space is the blank space that you don’t fill with images or text. Try putting your high-quality images on one side of the card and using the other for text. Take time to carefully choose exactly what information to include and where to place it. Include longer lines of text near the top and flow down to shorter lines at the bottom. One of the best business card ideas for painters is to include a QR code that links the user to more information.
4. Consider Including a Call to Action
Marketing is always about encouraging people to contact your company when they need the service you provide. The card acts as a call to action, encouraging them to call, text, or reach out to you. But what if you take that a step further?
Consider including a call to action on the card. Encourage them to call for a free estimate or to schedule an appointment. If you offer an ongoing promo or discount, tell them to mention it when they contact you. Sometimes people need the added push of being told what their next step should be so they can take action.
5. Think About Size & Materials
A business card can be as simple as a thin paper-like rectangle. But the thinner and more paper-like it is, the more likely it will get stained, torn, or otherwise damaged. Then it gets thrown away, and you may never be thought of again.
Consider using higher-quality materials. For example, you might use synthetic paper that can withstand moisture, heat, and stains. You might also want to go with a slightly larger card, so it stands out among all the other cards someone has collected. Or, knowing that the card may be easily damaged, you might use a more sustainable material to make your card more eco-friendly.
6. Print High-Quality Copies
The previous business card ideas for painters will fall flat if your cards have smeared ink, fuzzy images, or smudge if you touch them. Spring for high-quality materials and printing so that your business cards will look stunning and inviting from the moment you take them out of the box to the moment that someone digs them out of their junk drawer to call you!
