Design is a foundational component of the experience and success of your brand. Not only does your brand need to be consistently present and cohesive online, but in your printed materials as well (tweet this!).
But what if you’re a completely online business, like many of us are these days? No matter our business structure - whether we operate exclusively digitally or not - our clients and customers still crave a personal touch from your brand.
Here are several of my favorite recommendations for print pieces that you can - and should - be using to elevate your client and customer experience with an in-person, in-real-life, human touch!
Business Cards, the Handshake of Your Brand
I run a business that is run nearly exclusively online. Nearly all of my clients find my brand online, I work digitally, deliver work digitally, and market my brand all online.
But, when I’m talking with people “in real life” about what I do, they almost always ask for a business card. I never know when an in-person conversation could turn into an opportunity, so I always make sure to have some branded business cards on hand.
Handing them my business card is a critical moment — this is the very first experience they have with my brand (aside from talking with me, of course). It’s important my business cards are well-designed and support my desired brand experience because what this person sees on these cards is an introduction to what they’ll receive online.
My cards are not simply well-designed - they’re consistent with and support my brand as a whole. Here are a few tips to do the same:
When designing a business card, always be directing the person to your website. When they stick that card into their purse or laptop bag, they’ll remember to check out your website when they find it again.
Include your business email address as well as any communication or social channels on which they can find you. This makes it easy for potential clients to get in touch with you. The easier, the better.
One last thing that many people forget, if your business name does not include your actual name, be sure to include that as well!
Letterhead and Paperwork, a Personal Touch
If you need to send out correspondence on letterhead or have clients fill out paperwork, be sure to include your branding there. This can be as simple as adding your logo to the top of every page or changing headings to one of your brand colors and type fonts.
Any client paperwork and forms should also include your brand design throughout. When your clients see that you have attention to detail, it shows that you care about your business and what you do — and, more importantly, them.
Tip: Save a template on your computer in your program of choice so that all you need to do is paste the text that you need and print. This will make it really easy if you’re in a hurry.
“Not only does your brand need to be consistently present and cohesive online, but in your printed materials as well.”
Thank You Cards Go Above and Beyond
Back in the day when I worked at a greeting card company, it was the norm to give a thank you card to your co-workers for a job well done — either personal or professional.
I loved this personal touch — it was a beautiful way to genuinely go above and beyond to show someone you were thankful for them. It was such a nice little treat to get a simple handwritten note from someone you did work for. I have kept many of them as feel-good reminders.
Even though nice emails are great, there’s just nothing like getting a handwritten card. Knowing someone took the extra time to hand-write their note just goes to show how much you meant to them. I mean, they say the medium is the message, right?
Tip: You can print these postcard-style and write on the blank side. This saves on printing but still has a big impact!
Sample Cards Showcase Your Ideas
When you’re connecting with potential clients or other colleagues in your field, having a card that shows samples of your work, lists all your services, and has your contact information could be very helpful.
Especially if you’re at an event with other business owners, it’s hard to remember who you talked with, who does what, and the style of work the person produces. Having a print piece that is a little heftier than a business card can really come in handy and will help you stand out among the collection of cards!
See? Even those of us who do the majority of our work online can still utilize print pieces to our advantage when it comes to our branding!
If you’re ready to bring your dream brand to life, too (no matter where you are in your business journey), I would love to guide you. This is one of my favorite parts of what I do! Learn more about brand + website design here or contact me here to get started.
Are you looking for some brand consistency across your internet presence?
If you’re not, you should be! It’s really important that your brand is visually consistent across the web and on your social media platforms, and a great place to start is with Instagram. I’ve created a FREE bundle of Instagram templates for Photoshop that I’d love to send you. Sign up down below and I’ll send it directly to your inbox.
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