Over the last couple of months I have taken a new approach to promoting my blog that you don’t really see anywhere else. A blogging business card (blog card) is a great way to exchange info and expand your readership to people outside your typical sphere of influence. Some of you may remember I held a business card design contest in an attempt to have a unique design that represented me and my blog the most.

It amazes me how many times I run into people on an airplane or at the doctor’s office who are interested in what I do and how I do it. At that point, I simply reach in my wallet and hand them a business card for my blog. People often forget that only a small fraction of Internet users regularly visit or operate blogs. Blogs can be a great store and wealth of information on a niche subject, and you should have a way for people to easily remember where to find your site. If you are interested in a topic and share your opinions on that, the chances are you know and will meet people who also like that same topic. We as humans like to talk about the things that interest us the most. When you have a political blog and you are talking politics with a stranger, how easy would it be to refer them to your site? How do you do that? Hand them your blog card.

The best part about a blog card is the fact that they are cheap and easy to have made. Just about every town has a place that can print blog cards, or thousands of online print stores can do the same. The cost is roughly about $35 for 250 individual cards, depending on design. I held a contest to have mine designed, but you could always swap or pay someone to design a very fitting card for you. I find that it is so easy to pass on a business card, and it is also pretty natural in our day and age. In order to ensure that the person receives the card and keeps it is another story. I simply hand write “$500 off first consulting” on the back of each card and say that is the only way to receive that discount. I don’t gives those cards to everyone, just the people I feel genuinely are interested in pursuing business relations. Now that business card has value, and things with attributed value seem to stick around on the desk or in the wallet for a long time.

As far as I can tell, I haven’t really run into any disadvantages with having a business card, unless you use them to present yourself or your blog as something that it is not. The key is to find ways that you can best exchange information and communicate to your current or potential readers. It is easy enough for people to find you online and to bookmark your site for later, but how do you get those same types of people to find you offline before online?

A great thing about the blog card is the ability to leave them anywhere, including the places your potential customers hang out. If you have a local bookstore in town that has a section of books or magazines that fits your niche, how simple is it to leave one of those card in the marketing books? I typically frequent Barns and Noble every other week. How much business or new readers could I get by leaving my blog card in a place like that? I don’t know, but if you are here and you found my card in a book, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know about your experience so far.

What’s your take on a blog card? How do you feel you could best use them to your advantage? Share your thoughts.

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