Whether your enterprise is large or small, it's essential that the image of your business communicates your strengths and uniqueness to your customers and potential clients at all times.

Many business people understand this and spend a significant amount of time and money executing their advertising and marketing strategy. They commission the design of just the right logo, meticulously plan the launch of their website, simplify their price structure, write press releases or fine-tune the company tag line and develop marketing materials for direct mail campaigns. All this is completed in an effort to get company's name out in front of their target market.

However, two of the most important tools in your marketing arsenal, your company letterhead and business card, are just as important. Often, your letterhead or business card is the only impression prospective clients have of you.

Often, these items don't receive as much attention as other aspects of your advertising and marketing strategy. Yet, they can have just as big an impact on a company image as any of the other items!
On one level your stationary is used for some of your most significant one-on-one communications, including requests, proposals, letters of introduction and other important messages. The business card you hand out to the people you meet tells the recipient who you are, the company you represent and the nature of your business and how to get in contact with you.

Often, customers form an opinion of you and your organization from these tools. Therefore, the process of choosing your letterhead and business card should not be taken lightly. Your letterhead and business card should be consistent with the color scheme for other printed material and your website. This will ensure that you maintain your organization's connection and consistency.

The visual appearance and feel of these tools are important.

Letterhead that is produced on inexpensive and flimsy paper may not only be inappropriate for your target market; it may even damage your corporate image. Also, a business card that is created on thin card stock, or bordered with perforated edges, is not the mark of an enterprise that is professional, stable and in business for the long-run.

For business card printing, the quality of the card stock you choose should be carefully considered. A thin inexpensive business card can be an immediate turn off. Thicker cards have a perception of elegance and quality.

The type of finish that you choose for your business cards not only affects it durability, but also the way it looks and feels. The most common finishes include gloss or matt celloglaze. Gloss cello creates a shiny finish. Matt laminated cards have a smooth silk-like surface and are very durable. They offer a graceful and stylish appearance.

As a business owner, when you meet people face-to-face you probably go out of your way to ensure that they receive a positive impression of you. Hopefully, their first impression is favorable and long-lasting. You should think of your letterhead and business card as an extension of you. They are in fact miniature billboards that are advertising your business.

So, the next time you decide to send a query to a magazine editor on your letterhead, or find yourself in a networking situation and you hand out one of your business cards, you should ask yourself the following question:

What does your letterhead or business card say about the quality of your products or services?

By ThinkWithInk. Source: Articlebliss.