30 Second Business Card Blink Test

April 9th, 2008
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I like the practical advice mentioned in this article.


(Click on this image to get a closer look!)

Recently I took 66 business cards I’ve collected over the years and spread them out on the table. I closed my eyes for 30 seconds, opened them and took note of which cards stood out the most. And here’s what I noticed:

  • Red: every card that had red on it stood out
  • Picture: only a few cards had pictures of the cardholder. This not only made them stand out, but helped me connect faces with names and companies.
  • Vertical: several cards were formatted vertically, which caught my eye.
  • Black Background: most cards are white. The black ones REALLY stood out.
  • Image: cards with some sort of colorful image that took up at least one fourth of the total surface area captured my interest.
  • This was a very cool exercise that I recommend to everyone. Give it a shot and find out what makes effective business cards stand out! And don’t forget to put your OWN business card in the pile. You might be amazed at what you find. Or don’t find…

    LET ME ASK YA THIS…

    What makes your business card stand out?

    * * * *
    Reprinted from: HelloMyNameIsScottBlog.com
    Scott Ginsberg
    Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
    www.hellomynameisscott.com

    ———-
    Free Business Cards

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    Posted in Advice | Comments (9)

    9 Responses to “30 Second Business Card Blink Test”

    1. HELLO, my name is Scott (1 comments) Says:

      Thanks for the link love!

    2. Zalm (1 comments) Says:

      Great post, thank you for your effort. I will use this knowledge for my next card design

    3. Marc Norris (1 comments) Says:

      I think that the key is to make your card different from the rest – not the usual plain-Jane cards that everyone else is using.

      Also, it makes sense to stay away from those do-it-yourself business cards as they come across as very cheap – not the image you want to project about your business.

      Marc Norris’s last blog post..Don’t Be Cheap with Your Web Hosting

    4. Mississauga Accountant (1 comments) Says:

      Very smart… I shall try this out tonight and I think I’ll have to change the look of my business card!
      Thanks for this!

      Mississauga Accountant’s last blog post..By: How To Choose Excellent Mississauga Accountants

    5. Mark (1 comments) Says:

      The ones you saw first only standout from these cards because they are right next to them. Unless this is a tip about competing against other cards on a wall or bulletin board, each card is still equally effective. Using red and photos won’t make it standout by itself. Any card with good typography and design will always appear more professional regardless of vibrant colors or photos. So the test is pointless.

    6. Business-Ben (1 comments) Says:

      I sort of agree. A business card is a bit different from an ad in a newspaper: It is not something that just flashes by; rather, it is intended to give a professional impression, sort of like a miniature resume. But I also agree it is a good thing to have your picture on the card.

      Business-Ben’s last blog post..Ways To Send Subscribers To Your Online Business

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