Editor's note:The blogs on Sola Salon Suite's website offer advice on business-building, seasonal promotions, self-care for the stylist and profiles of successful suite owners.  Visit the site to see all their great blog content, including this one by Erica Bail which offers some smart ways to make a business card work for you.

A business card can seem like an outdated tool in today’s fast paced, tech-obsessed world. However, the humble business card can still be a valuable asset and a great way to market your business. They’re a great way to share your business’s hours of operation, web address, and product or service offerings. They also give the receiver a good idea of your style and personality!

The best part about business cards is that you hand them out personally, which gives you an opportunity to sell yourself and your business. Make sure you always have clean, unmarked cards on hand, and practice a short pitch to give potential clients when you hand them out. A couple sentences selling your experience and expertise can be very effective at helping someone remember you later.

If you’re ready to use business cards as a marketing tool, here are five ways to utilize them.

Make it Multipurpose

Business cards are great for sharing information about your business, but giving them a second purpose can help ensure that the people you give them to actually hold onto them. You can order business cards that double as bookmarks or tiny rulers, or you could include useful information related to your industry on the backside. Perhaps the best second purpose for a business card is as a coupon! Offer new clients a discount when you pass out your business card, and encourage them to call for an appointment right away and bring the card with them to redeem their special deal.

Offer Referral Incentives

Once you put a referral offer on your card, give a stack of business cards to your current clients and have them write their name on the back. When people compliment them on their hair, makeup, nails, etc., they can pass out your business card with a personal recommendation. If someone redeems a business card coupon with your client’s name on it, give both the new customer and your client a thank you gift – call it a discounted service or retail item! This encourages your current clients to spread the word about how amazing your salon is, and helps you find capture business you might never have found otherwise.

Add Testimonials

Your happy clients are your greatest advertisement. There’s no better marketing than a first-person account of how amazing you are. Have a selection of testimonials printed on the backside of your business cards to add credibility to your sales pitch.

Partner Up

Make a deal with a complimentary business to pass each other’s business cards out to your clients. Perhaps you specialize in facials and the other business specializes in massages. It’s possible that your clients would enjoy services from your neighbor and vice versa. You’re reaching a new audience with minimal effort or expense.

Get Creative

Traditional networking events aren’t the only places where it’s appropriate to pass out your business card. Any social event or situation could turn into a potential networking opportunity. You might get into a conversation with other parents at your child’s soccer game or meet someone new to town at a volunteer opportunity who is looking for a salon. You never know who might be in the market for your products or services, so handing out your business card in a friendly, helpful manner is a good business practice.

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