Business cards are an essential piece of marketing fabric. Yet we all have this ping in the back of our minds when we hand them out whether or not they are going to net the attention we seek. We go to great lengths sometimes to create one that is flashy, eye catching and effective. But too often, regardless of how snappy they are, business cards end up in the trash or shuffled into a pile of others. Hand one out and it often goes straight to the pocket without a glance. Here’s a creative way to get more attention.

The standard business card is 2 inch by 3 1/2 inch size. It has existed in this format for many years of course. This makes them easier to carry and store but do they really do the job we expect them to do? In a fast paced world business cards are typically dumped into a card file or placed on a stack; that is if they survive the trip to the circular file.

Why not print an oversize card? A 3×5 card isn’t any more difficult to carry in the pocket than the standard size and it is far more likely to end up on a wall or next to the phone where it will be seen and used more frequently. Some say it goes right to the trash, but this writer can assure you that will happen less often than using the standard format.

Retain the original look of the card you wish to present. Just make it bigger. The additional size facilitates more usable space on the back of the card to present a detailed message about what you do and how you can better serve the needs of the client/person you have presented it to. Point this out. Just handing it out and saying, “Here’s my card,” isn’t enough. Show them the extra content and tell them why it’s there.

If your goal is to get results, then step up your game by expanding the format. It may be prudent to carry both so the smaller version can be placed in a card file. However, test yourself the next time someone hands you a business card and see how you react. Do you pocket the card? Do you transcribe the information into your phone or desktop address book? Or, do you send it to the trash that evening when you clean out your pockets?

Using a larger format will get attention and is much more likely to land somewhere that yields greater mileage. Better yet, regardless of where it ends up, you will be more memorable because you are pointing out that you are different.

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