What to Put on a Blog Business Card
All week we’ll be going through everything you ever wanted to know about blog business cards. And I mean everything. Before we get to what you should have on your business cards, we should probably start with the why.
Why You Need a Business Card for Your Blog
One thing I heard said at Type A Parent conference last week was that if you’re serious about blogging then “treat your blog as your business.”
With that in mind, being a business means having a business card. Besides tossing them into fish bowls at your local Mexican restaurant (wanna win a free lunch?), here are some places where blog business cards really come in handy:
Conferences: Last week at Type A, I handed out at least 100 cards. Exchanging business cards with other bloggers at a blog conference gives bloggers a little something to remember you by. And don’t forget handing your business cards to all those brands you may want to work with.
Local networking events: Whether you’re looking for brands to partner with or just went for a learning experience (like a seminar), local networking events are the perfect place to pass out those fab cards of yours.
Mail with giveaway prize: While you probably don’t mail prizes directly to your readers often, you may have to at some point. Dropping in a business card adds a nice personal touch. Awwww, that’s sweet.
A surprise opportunity: You never know when you may meet someone you’d like to talk with again. A cool mom at the park, a business owner who happens to want to start a blogger outreach, a person you just met who happens to be a blogger. Give them your card!
What to Put on a Blog Business Card
There are TONS of things you can put on a business card, but what should you put on your business card? You’re gonna hate my first answer but it’s important so listen up: it depends on your blogging goals.
You know, those goals “the experts” keep telling you to define? Yep, those.
Before you work on your business cards you need to decide what you want. More followers? More writing gigs? More brand opportunities? It can be more than one, too. Just spell it out and let that guide you.
{The Have-ta Haves}
Despite the fact that I just said “it depends,” there are some things that MUST be on your blog business card.
Name
Obvious, right? People need to know who you are. If you don’t use your full name on your blog, a first name is okay. And if you don’t use your name on your blog? Well, people still need a way to address you. Try a pseudonym or nickname or some sort.
Website URL
Why do you even have these cards? Well, for your blog of course. A few pieces of advice when listing your blog URL:
- Leave off http://. It’s the 21st century- people know that a URL has that in front of it. Plus, you don’t even have to type it into a browser these days. The browser will do it for you.
- Using the “www” is optional as long as your blog URL works without it. Now’s a good time to check.
- If you have a Blogspot or WordPress.com site, I’d leave the www off (again, check that it works). It takes valuable space away from the card and make it looks crowded.
Email Address
The easiest way for someone to contact you is your email address. Make sure it’s on there, peeps! You don’t want people having to hunt you down.
If you don’t have a bloggy email address but don’t want to use your personal one either, head over to Google and create a Gmail account or even better, a Gmail account that uses your domain name (if you own a domain). You can even set it up a forward to your primary email address if you want.
{The “It Depends” Things to Have}
Now that we’ve got the mandatory things out the way, here are some other bits of info you may want to show on your b-card:
Your Picture
It’s a good idea but it’s not necessary. The pro: It makes you memorable because often we can see a picture of someone and have it jog our memory of that great convo we had. The con: it can be overkill when you’ve got a card full of other bits of info and conflicting design elements (I doubt your picture matches your blog colors).
If you decide to use a picture on your card, keep it up to date. It’s useless to have your picture on there if your hair’s a different color or it’s from five years ago. If you decide not to put a picture, be sure to have a picture of yourself on your blog.
Phone Number
Again, it depends on your goals. It’s a staple in the business world so if you’re providing a business-oriented service (consulting, design, etc), you need to have a phone number listed. If you’re worried about privacy, set up a Google voice number to redirect to your personal number.
Title
A lot of bloggers worry if they need a title on their business card or not. If you’re the owner of one wonderful blog and just want to stick with blogging, you probably don’t need to say that you’re the “Founder” or “Owner.” It’s a given. However, if you’re the owner of a community-based blog, definitely consider it. If you provide business services you could say something like “Graphic Designer, Blogger.” Also, if you’re hoping to get into freelance writing, you could say something like “Writer and Blogger” or even simply “Writer.” Just don’t feel like you have to include a title.
Twitter Handle
I’ll get to other social media in a second, but Twitter is hands-down the most important social media network to be in if you’re a blogger. In fact, at conferences, most people introduce themselves as their names PLUS their Twitter names. No kidding. It’s just how people in the blogging community identify each other. So, while it’s not required, I’d strongly suggest having your Twitter handle(s) on your b-card.
Other Social Links (Facebook, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon)
Again, it depends. For example, if you’re a photographer who’s heavy into Flickr, then you may want to put your Flickr info on there. If you have a heavy Facebook following, consider adding that. Just be cautious not to overload your business card with too much information. Instead, funnel people through your blog for connections. Make your social media buttons obvious on your blog’s home page so someone can easily find all the social media places you’re hanging out at.
Location
If you can fit it in, consider listing your city and state. Why? Sometimes brands will want to hire bloggers for a campaign that live in a certain area. You make it easy for them to know where you live so they don’t have to dig around on your blog for it. It’s not crucial to have on your card but a few PR reps recommended it at the last conference I went to.
QR codes
What’s a QR code? Well, it’s this little square of awesome that people can scan with their smart phone. Once scanned, it leads to a web page with more information. That “more information” can be all sorts of things. Do you need one? Maybe not. Will you want one after Bloggy B-Card Week? Probably. I’ll have more on QR codes in both Wednesday’s AND Thursday’s posts so stay tuned.
Contributor Gigs
If you a regular contributor on other blogs or publishing sites, you may be tempted to list them on your card. While it does make you sound really important (in a good way), just be cautious in printing too many cards. You never know when these gigs may change (whether it’s from your doing or theirs).
Identifying Elements from Your Blog
You want your bloggy b-card to look mesh up with your blog design. If you have an identifiable logo for your blog, include it. If not, incorporate other strong elements of your blog into your design like signature colors, fonts, etc.
Taglines and Stories
What’s your blog’s tagline? Can you whittle down your story to a sentence? If what you say interests people, they may be more likely to visit your blog than someone who just says Adventuroo.com. You’ll see some examples on Friday but know that this can be a powerful if not overdone with too much text.
What if You Have More Than One Blog?
Here’s where it gets tricky, doesn’t it? First, it’s totally okay to have separate cards, especially if one is more geared towards business and one is more personal. But you may not want to hand out multiple business cards to people you meet, especially if you have more than two blogs.
For convenience, you can incorporate into one card. Just be careful not to make it too busy. If your blog designs are too different, try writing out your blog names in each blog’s fonts and choosing a simple color scheme.
If you have so much more to say, you can use a QR code to lead them to a page with all your blogs listed (again, more on that later this week).
Just Don’t Overdo It, Okay?
Take a deep breath. I just gave you over 10 things to possibly include on your blog business card. But for the love of all things holy, don’t put ALL of it on your cards. Remember your goals and how you want to grow. Then let that guide you. Simplicity will make a bigger impact than everything someone could ever want to know being crammed into a piece of paper that fits in the palm of your hand.
Where Can You Buy Blogger Business Cards?
MOO Business Cards (this link will get you free samples so you can test them out)
Tiny Prints (lots of great templates)
By the way, a few of these links are affiliate links but I hope the content I provided was worthy of a click.
This post was part of a week-long series of blogger business cards. If you want more b-card goodness, check out If That’s Your Business Card, I Can’t Wait to See Your Blog, Seven Trends in Blogger Business Cards, QR Code Ideas for Business Cards and the Blogger Business Card Showcase.
