You don’t need blogging cards just for conferences, but you need them if you’re going to any meetups, going to an event, or if you just want to spread the word about your blog in general! I don’t always bring up that I’m a blogger in conversation with friends or new acquaintances, but when it does come up, they always want to know where they can find your blog. *insert- handing them your blog card*
So here are some tips for creating blog cards that are going to work for you- and make people want to RUN TO THE COMPUTER and check out your blog! (but seriously- running to the computer to see your blog- wouldn’t that be somethin’?)
1. Branding is KEY
You’re going to hear me talk about branding a lot on my blog- especially since I’m going to be sharing more tips on blogging with y’all. And since I’m a graphic designer, this is something I’ve learned a lot about and let me tell you- it is so important.
You have your own brand, your style, the way you dress, talk, act, it all makes up who you are. The same goes for your blog. You’ve worked on your design, your content, and making it be you. So on your blog cards- consistency is your best friend. Don’t see your blog cards as a way to experiment with a new idea you want to try out! Now is not the time. You want your blog cards to mimic exactly what you have going on on your site.
That means fonts, headers, images, wordage. Everything. As you can see on the image, I have used the same header as I have on my blog, the same fonts and color scheme. Make your blog card a sneak peek of what people will see on your blog.
2. Don’t hurt my eyes!
Okay- what I mean by this is make sure there is don’t cram something onto every square inch of your blog card. If I pick up a business card and it is so full of information (kinda like when your professors told you you could have ONE notecard for the test, and you wrote a whole freakin’ book on that poor notecard!) Yeah- don’t do that. #1- People will not read it all. #2- It won’t look professional. Yes- you want to have the important information on there, but don’t go overboard.
3. Important Info to Display
So what information should you display? #1- URL. I have been handed a blog business card before, that did NOT have the url! I had to google their blog. And then didn’t find it. And then threw the card away. Don’t be that blogger! You’re better than that.
The rest of the information you should have: Blog Name. A tagline or SHORT description (again- remember tip 2.) Your Name! 1-2 social media that you use all the time. An email address.
I say 1-2 social media, but this is subjective. I honestly am just going to go to a persons facebook, twitter, or instagram. Something I can check out immediately if I don’t go to their blog first. Pinterest, google+, and everything else is accessible on your blog, and people will likely connect with those outlets from your page. So I don’t think you should cram your business card with all that information. You want people visiting your BLOG not your social media right? Right.
4. Use 3 fonts or LESS
Too many fonts = unprofessional look, and your eyeballs going crayzeee. Use the fonts you use in your header, and tagline. And if you need to, add one more for social media. I only used 2 fonts on my cards, so it can be done. You don’t have to have a different font for every different piece of information. Keep groups of information in the same font.
5. Print High Quality
Now that you’ve gone to all that work of creating your business cards make sure they print beautifully! Output your designs to 300dpi, and make sure its the correct size. You don’t want the cards to come out blurry or stretched. If you’re having images go all the way to the edge of the card then make sure you use a bleed (have your items extend past the actual size of the card 1/8th of an inch, and make sure you output using bleeds). That will make sure you don’t have any ugly white showing on the edge of your cards where you don’t want it.
Printers I recommend: Moo.com | vistaprint.com (design your own and output correctly! don’t use their premade designs) | ME. I have a printer I work with to get you good prices, so contact me if you need help with printing.
Don’t be overwhelmed! You can do it! If you do decide to hire a designer, make sure you know what you’re getting when you hire them, have them give you a timeline, and ask how many revisions you will get for the price. And remember- you can always contact me for help.
