Category: News

Business cards are a common way for professionals and businesses to introduce themselves to potential customers and partners. You’ve probably received or given out business cards in the past and know how common they are. This commonality is good because people know how to read business cards and what information to put on their cards when they design them. The problem with this common method of communication is that many business cards end up looking the same, which means they’re easy to forget and ignore. To make yourself stand out, you have to design your business cards with something special, such as foil. Keep reading to learn more about why you should hand out foil business cards.

Stand Out

As we mentioned above, the most important reason to hand out foil business cards is that they help you stand out from the competition. Most business cards are plain white rectangles with dark writing. While those types of cards communicate everything necessary about your business, they look like everyone else’s, which means they’re easily lost, forgotten, or ignored. A foil accent against a white or colorful background immediately makes your business card stand out visually and tactilely.

Visually, recipients of your card will immediately notice its shiny aspect. You can place a foil accent on the top of your cards or along the edge; any placement will catch the light and shine. Once people finish admiring the shiny aspect of your unique card, they’ll read your information and tuck the card somewhere safe. Even if they don’t immediately call you, they’ll enjoy seeing this unique visual aspect of your card whenever they look through their wallet. This means you’ll continue to stand out, even when you’re not around anymore.

Tactilely, the foil part of a business card will also feel different. Even the smoothest, highest quality of paper won’t feel like a foil print. Even if someone isn’t looking at your card when you hand it to them, they’ll immediately feel the difference when they touch it. That tactile difference will draw their attention and help you stand out in the moment and in the future.

Silently Communicate

Business cards are a popular form of silent communication, since all someone has to do is read them to learn about your business. But what is your business card silently communicating other than your business information? Plain cards aren’t communicating much. They’re focused more on the message than the medium.

But the medium of your card matters just as much as the message because it is what will help make the message more memorable. If your card features a special quality, such as foil, you are showing that your business pays attention to detail, cares about luxury, and invests in the best. These details help the nonverbal message of your card go further.

Declaring on your card that your business cares about customer experience is one thing. Handing out cards with special elements like foil that you invested time and money in designing proves that you don’t just make claims—you keep them.

And it’s not just the foil detail that silently communicates your business’s assets; it’s also the color of that foil. Many card printers only offer traditional metallic foil prints in gold and silver. SilkCards offers foil stamped business cards in a variety of colors, from calming blue to passionate red. Your choice between these colors matters because they also serve as a form of silent communication. Color theory has a significant impact on the signals your business cards give off to recipients.

For instance, blue is frequently found in nature and has a calming effect on the mind, which means many people associate it with intellect. If your business specializes in book printing, tutoring, or another intellectual field, choosing blue foil for your business card will send a silent message that you truly care about the intellect of the recipient.

Conversely, red is considered the color of passion and fire. People often associate red with both love and anger, so it’s a color you need to use wisely to ensure you don’t silently communicate the wrong thing. You may want to consider red foil if your business specializes in something related to love, such as a flower shop, or something related to fire, such as blacksmithing.

Get the Most From Your Tax Return

Most people tend to think of business cards as only an outward-facing expense since they go to potential clients and partners. How, then, can they affect your taxes? Advertising and marketing expenses, even when focused more on the client than you, are still business expenses, which means you get to write them off on your taxes and can get more out of your tax return.

While your business shouldn’t opulently spend based on the potential of a tax return, knowing that this investment will pay off financially within the year is a good thing. It can take longer than a fiscal year for a well-placed business card to turn into a client, which leaves some people wondering if spending more on business cards to make them stand out is worth it. Knowing you can get some of that money back on your tax return proves that this is a worthy investment, even if it takes a while for the recipient to respond. If you’re going to spend money on business cards that you can claim on your taxes, you may as well spend a little more for cards that stand out.

There are many reasons why you should hand out foil business cards. Foil business cards will help you stand out from the competition since they’re both visually and tactilely different than the cards most people receive. They silently communicate how much you care about your business, and using the right color foil can also silently communicate the purpose of your business. Lastly, handing out business cards acts as a tax write-off, so spending a little more on special cards means you can write off a little bit more money. These benefits all combine to make a compelling argument for why your business needs foil cards.

Gift cards are an excellent way for you to bring in new customers and share your brand with the world. When someone purchases a gift card from you, they could take it almost anywhere, spreading your brand and piquing interest in your business. Keep reading to learn how gift cards can raise brand awareness and attract new customers.

Provide Custom Advertising

When you sell a gift card, you’re giving out a piece of custom advertising that could go almost anywhere. Your card should have your business name, logo, and other information, such as a tag line or contact information for questions. With so much information on such a small piece of plastic, your card can advertise to almost anyone. Every time the gift card recipient opens their wallet before they come to your store, other people will see the custom advertising on the gift card. And once they know about your business, they can start shopping with you, too, even without a gift card.

Compete With Big Names

Many smaller businesses wonder if offering gift cards is even financially worth it, especially when they can print paper gift certificates for much cheaper. But plastic gift cards allow you to compete with big-name brands, getting your business more attention. If you offer gift cards, you can sell them in your place of business and in other businesses where retailers will put them beside big names. While some shoppers won’t recognize your business, they will see the card sitting next to names they recognize, which can lead them to look up your business online. They might not purchase a gift card from you as soon as they learn about your brand, but learning about you and seeing you out there with big business names is the first step towards turning them into loyal customers.

Make Seasonal Sales

Seasonal sales are a great way to bring in new customers, and you can promote seasonal sales with gift cards. While your primary gift card should feature a design incorporating your business name and logo, seasonal gift cards should include that information and an appropriate design. Flowers for the spring and Mother’s Day, trees and snowmen for winter holidays, and fireworks and beaches for summer holidays are some basic ideas that will draw people’s eyes to your gift cards during different seasons. Once you’ve caught their eye, they can learn more about you and become a customer, just like when you compete with the big names.

Gift cards can raise brand awareness by providing custom advertising, helping you compete with big names, and helping you make seasonal sales. If you’re ready to order custom gift cards for your business so you can raise your brand awareness and get more customers, SilkCards can help. Our custom cards are durable, beautiful, and will leave a lasting impression.

Nowadays, everyone seems to have a business card. As more people work side hustles or change jobs and want to share their new venture using business cards, it seems everyone has a card in their pocket. While it’s fantastic that people want to share what they do, especially if they’re striking out on their own or have recently made a career change, the presence of so many business cards in the world means you have a lot of competition.

If you want to make a lasting impression when you hand over your card, then the card must be as unique as you are. That’s one of the reasons people are ordering business cards out of materials other than paper. Metal is quickly becoming a favorite option since it’s exceptionally durable and has great customization options. Once you decide that metal is your material, you must decide on the details. How thick should your metal business cards be? What color should they be? Should you add cutouts or any other custom designs? We can help you make all those decisions. Keep reading to learn all these details about designing metal business cards.

Ideal Card Thickness

Traditional paper business cards are about 0.14 inches thick, or 0.3 millimeters. This keeps them light enough so you can carry a stack or two around to give away. You can order metal business cards in the same thickness, although they weigh more given the material. This is the ideal thickness if you plan to have unique designs cut out of your card.

However, many people prefer slightly thicker cards, especially when they’re made of metal, since it helps better show off this unique material. This leads many people to design cards at a 0.5 mm thickness, which is thicker than the average paper card but thinner than a typical plastic credit card. It’s still thin enough to fit in a wallet easily, but the additional weight makes it feel more special.

A typical plastic credit card is about 0.8 mm thick, and many people also choose this thickness for cards, although most people prefer it for membership cards, not business cards. This is because many membership cards have a magnetic strip on them that you must swipe to use them, and it’s easier to do so if the metal card is the same thickness as a traditional plastic card. However, you can still choose this for your business cards as well.

Anything 1 mm and thicker isn’t a practical choice for a business card. Cards that are 1 mm thick are too heavy to carry in packs, which makes it difficult for you to carry and give them out at large functions. This thickness can also prevent people from easily sliding the card into their wallet, especially if that wallet is already full of other cards. However, a thicker card is necessary if you’re designing your card to have a secondary function, such as a bottle opener. Decide exactly how you want your card to function so you can choose the thickness of the card appropriately.

Ideal Card Colors

Since metal cards are made of exactly that, most people order their cards in a metallic color. Silver, gold, and bronze are the most popular metallic colors, but many people choose other colors such as black. You can choose any color for the print you want on the card, but sometimes the print color will look different than intended since the background isn’t white like a paper or plastic card.

You can order a card in any color, no matter how thick. The thickness of the card doesn’t affect the color. However, if you’re choosing a card thicker than 0.5 mm, you should choose the color wisely. These cards are already bold and thicker than traditional business cards, so they already have something extra making them stand out. Don’t choose a color that will cause them to stand out in the wrong way. Consider the design and function of the card and the colored print you’re getting on it so that you can choose a color that complements the rest of the card.

Custom Designs

Due to their durability, metal cards are ideal for ordering die-cut and other custom designs. Unlike paper, which can easily tear, and plastic, which can easily bend, metal will do neither, so your unique design stays intact no matter how the card is handled.

As we mentioned above, many people choose cards with a 0.3 mm thickness when they’re planning to order a die-cut design. The thinness of the card helps the design look flawless, and it’s easier for the manufacturer to cut pieces out of a thin card. However, you can still request die-cut designs on thicker cards. It’s important to note that some manufacturers cannot offer die-cut designs on cards thicker than one millimeter. Laser engraving is still an option at any thickness, so no matter what thickness and design you have in mind, you’ll be able to see it come to fruition.

So, how thick should your metal business cards be? The ideal thickness is partially affected by how you want the card to function. If it’s just a business card, not a membership card or an extra tool like a bottle opener, then 0.3 mm or 0.5 mm are the ideal choices. A measurement of 0.3 mm is perfect if you’re planning to order a die-cut design, as we mentioned above, but you can order a die-cut design in either thickness. Anything thicker than 0.5 mm is still useful and can look great, but this thickness allows your card to have an impressive weight without weighing so much that you can’t carry it around in stacks.

If you’re looking for custom metal business cards for your business, then you’ve come to the right place. Our metal cards are bold and memorable, and we include one free laser cut and laser engraving with the purchase, which means you can get precisely what you want at a price you can afford. If you have any questions about metal cards or your design options, feel free to reach out.

There are tons of business cards in the world, and most of them look the same—white cards with black print that occasionally feature a colorful logo or picture. With all these similar business cards, it’s difficult for your card to stand out from the crowd. While some people fix this problem with colorful cards and prints and unique shapes, other professionals prefer more subtle differences like foil. Keep reading to learn more about foil business cards and what popular foil colors you can use on business cards.

What Are Foil Business Cards?

Foil business cards are made from traditional cardstock and foil print. The foil is printed on top of the cardstock in any design you want, from logos to print to just the edge of the card. Foil can come in any color to complement the color of your cardstock, so you don’t have to worry about anything clashing on your cards. However, you will need to keep in mind that it has a metallic shine to it.

Popular Foil Colors

Since foil has that metallic shine we mentioned above, most people choose a metallic color. Gold and silver are the most popular metallic colors since they complement almost any color of card and print. People who want a metallic shade but something more unique often choose rose gold and bronze.

However, colors that are not traditionally metallic are also popular. Many people like red due to the bold, passionate connotations it recalls. Others prefer blue, often called the color of intellect, since it’s said to calm and clear the mind. Black and white are also popular since they’re traditional business card colors but look unique when done in a foil print. Purple is another popular color due to its royal connotations and looks especially elegant in foil.

How Should You Pick Your Foil Color?

With 36 foil color options and the 9 popular colors we mentioned above, you may not know how to pick the right foil color for your business card. The best way to pick the right color is to decide on the color scheme of the entire card. What color is your card? What color is your font? Are you including any pictures and logos that aren’t foil? If so, what are their colors? Once you know the answers to those questions, you can choose a complementary foil color that looks good with all the other colors on your card.

Gold, silver, rose gold, bronze, red, blue, black, white, and purple are the most popular foil colors to use on business cards. While you can always choose a color that’s not on this list, these popular colors are iconic choices that should complement the other colors on your card. If you want to order your own foil business cards now, we can help. Contact us, and we’ll be happy to help to design the perfect foil business card for your needs.

People from high society began using business cards in the 1600s to announce their impending arrival during travel. In the 400 years since, little about the card design has changed. While we now use them more for business than personal announcements, they continue to be white and black rectangular cards that can easily fit in a wallet or pocket. Now, those black and white rectangles have done their duty; it’s time to make a change and step into the future with modern business cards. Keep reading to learn about 10 ways to modernize your business cards.

Different Materials

Paper has been the business card standard since the 1600s, and little has changed—but it should. Paper is easy to ruin with a splash of water or quick tear, which means that you always need extra cards on hand to offer replacements. While you can laminate your business cards, that defeats the purpose of the paper design. Instead, skip paper entirely and use a different material. Depending on who your printer is, you can order cards made from wood, metal, or plastic. All three are more durable than paper and offer a unique modern twist on the traditional business card.

New Shapes

Another way to modernize your business card is by breaking free of the rectangular shape. While rectangular cards are easy to slip into a wallet, pocket, or purse, they’re also easy to stack, which means your information gets lost in the competition. Choosing a new shape for your card will prevent that from happening. Again, depending on your printer, you can order your cards in any other classic shape like circles, squares, or leaves, or you may even be able to order custom die-cut business cards in any shape you can imagine. No one will be able to lose your card ever again.

Special Finishes

For those who want to continue using paper for their business cards, there are other modernization options, such as special finishes. If you still want recipients to be able to write on the card, you can order a foil finish on the card, which will add metallic shine to the edge or another specified area of your card. To avoid the metallic look—but still add something unique—you can request Spot UV. Spot UV will slightly raise text or design elements and apply a shiny coating to that raised area so recipients can write on other areas of the card while maintaining the special design.

Unique Layouts

Imagine a simple business card. You’re probably imagining a white rectangular card with black print. The black print goes from left to right on one side of the card while the other side is blank. It’s also probably designed to be printed horizontally along the longer edge of the card.

Your business card shouldn’t be that predictable. Shake up the face of your card by choosing a unique layout. Print information vertically so a rectangular card must be held with the short side up. Print on a diagonal instead of straight. Follow the curves of other design elements. Block off smaller sections across the card for different groups of text. Layouts are versatile and the only limit is your imagination.

Interesting Text

While the information you’re printing on your business card might be basic, the text doesn’t have to be. You can make the text part of the overall design of the card. Choose beautiful calligraphy for important words or request that your text be in a bold color instead of traditional black. The only requirement for text is that it’s readable, so get creative—but keep it functional—and your business card will look modern in no time.

Print on Both Sides

Another unique way to use text to modernize your business card is to print information on both sides. While traditional business cards print information on one side and leave the other side blank for notes, you can make your card unique by printing information on both sides. This gives you an opportunity to use a bigger font for the visually impaired or to include additional information, such as personal contact information as well as company information. If you’re getting a die-cut business card, this is extra helpful since your card doesn’t have the same dimensions as traditional cards but you still need to share the same amount of information.

QR Codes

QR codes became popular during the pandemic because they allowed for touchless interaction. While many people are becoming more comfortable with touch again, you can still use QR codes on your business cards. The codes can link to whatever you want, from your social media to your website, and recipients will appreciate the convenience. Just remember to print the QR code information on the card for those who don’t know how they work or don’t have the technology to scan them. Convenience shouldn’t trump inclusivity.

Picture Perfect

Adding pictures to your business card makes it more like the original announcement cards of the 1600s, which is not a bad thing. Including a picture of the person handing out the card will help the recipient remember exactly who they talked to and who they’ll reach if they use the card’s contact information. Alternatively, you can include a more aesthetically pleasing photo of something related to your business, like a house you recently sold if you’re in real estate or a birthday cake you recently made if you’re a baker. No matter what you choose, pictures are worth a thousand words, making them a great option for your modern card.

Logo Logistics

You can use business logos as your picture or include the logo in a different section of your card and use both. Including your logo on your card will make it easy for recipients to recognize, so they don’t have to hunt through the text to remind themselves who the card is from. If your card tells people to come to your physical store or office, a logo on the card will also be a helpful reference when they’re looking at signs. You want your cards to help people, and including your business logo will do just that.

Professional Design

Lastly, modern business cards have something that older business cards, especially back in the 17th century, didn’t have: professional designers. While you can design your business card yourself using a virtual program and print them on cardstock to save money, you’ll be losing the unique elements professional designers have to offer. Professionals can help you choose all the modern elements you want to incorporate and combine them on your card in an aesthetically pleasing, effective way. Take advantage of their services and spend the extra money for perfectly professional cards.

There are many ways to modernize your business cards, but these 10 are the best. While you probably can’t combine all of them on one business card, you can pick the elements you like and consult with a professional to make sure your card is beautiful and effective. If you’re still looking for that business card professional, you’ve come to the right place. SilkCards can help with your custom die-cut business cards and other business needs so you can effectively grow your business.

Think about the last time you were handed a business card after meeting someone or at an event. It was probably a white rectangle of paper with black writing that you forgot about as soon as you laid it down. If you don’t want your own business cards to suffer the same fate, you need to get creative with the cards you order. And that could mean die-cutting. Keep reading to learn about the advantages of ordering die-cut business cards to make your card stand out.

Make a Good First Impression

As we touched on above, many people in the US use traditional business cards that are rectangular white pieces of paper with black print. While this communicates your business to the person you’re giving your card to, it doesn’t make your business stand out in someone’s memory. Your card is the first tangible impression of your business that the recipient has. Therefore, it needs to do more than communicate information about your business; it needs to look good too.

Custom die-cut business cards will allow you to do just that. You can order die-cut cards in any shape and customize them even further by selecting higher paper grades, foil stamping, and raised spot UV.

Better Communicate Your Business Goals

Die-cut business cards don’t just make a good first impression; they also help you better communicate your business goals. While traditional business cards with words and maybe a picture can communicate what you plainly put on them, die-cut cards communicate more. The detail you put into customization and die-cutting communicates that your business is unique and serious about what it does. Card recipients will trust you when they accept a card that you’ve so thoughtfully and purposefully designed.

Stand Out From the Competition

You may think the business cards you already have make good first impressions and communicate your business goals well. Maybe you’ve used more interesting colors or special details like foil, so you know your card is a cut above the rest. It probably is. But if your card is the same rectangular shape as all the other cards someone receives, it can still end up lost in a stack forgotten.

Stand out from the competition with die-cut business cards. Giving your card a unique shape will set you apart even when the card recipient returns home and lays your card on their desk. They won’t be able to stack your card with the others. That means you’ll beat the competition before the recipient even needs your services.

The advantages of ordering die-cut business cards are that they help you make a good impression, communicate your business goals, and stand out from the competition. If you want to add die-cut cards to your business to reap these benefits, Silk Cards can help. Contact us about designing and ordering custom business cards today.

Adding membership cards to your business is a great way to reward loyal customers, boost sales, and collect customer data so you can more efficiently serve your area. However, your membership cards can’t just look like any plastic card in your customer’s wallet; you need to design them so they’re attractive and have the right information your customer might need. Keep reading to learn how to design membership cards and what essential information to include on them.

Designing Your Cards

If you order your membership cards from a business that offers custom printing, you can design your cards to look any way that you want. However, there are some guidelines to follow to make the card aesthetically pleasing and easy to use.

Start by choosing a durable material. Most membership cards are plastic, so they’re lightweight and won’t take up too much room in your wallet, but they also won’t tear, bend, or get stained. Next, choose the color of your card. You can choose any color the printer offers—but remember that this is a card your customers need to be able to easily read, so lighter backgrounds are best. You can add pops of color by including your logo on the card. Lastly, make sure you design the card to include the essential information on the front and back. This way, the font can be big enough and spaced out enough to be easily read, while fitting all the essentials. Arrange the front and back of your card by leaving one side for the business details you’ll learn below and the other side for the identification information and membership specifics.

Business Details

Your customer probably already has a lot of cards in their wallet, from business cards to bank cards to your membership card. They need to be able to quickly identify your card as their membership card, so they can pull it out whenever necessary without flipping through all those other cards in their wallet. Including your organization details on that membership card will help make your card identifiable and easy to pick out.

Details To Include

When including your business details on your membership card, you don’t want to include too much information. This is because it will overwhelm the card, either making the card impossible to read or requiring a card bigger than can fit in a wallet, which means it may be forgotten at home. Limit your business information to necessities, while including some design elements like your logo.

Necessary business information is your business name, physical address, website address, phone number, and email. If your business’s physical address is different than your mailing address, make sure to include both and mark each clearly. And if you have different phone numbers or emails for after hours, include both with explanations of which contact information to use when.

Identification Information

While you can create membership cards with just your business details, those often end up looking just like plastic business cards instead of membership cards. Membership cards need to also include information about the member that the card belongs to. This ensures that the card can get back to the person if it’s lost, and you can also save this information in your system so you can track spending habits and send them personalized ads and discounts.

Information To Include

You may feel hesitant to include too much identification information on your client’s membership cards. After all, if it does get lost or stolen, someone could use that information in a criminal way. But as we mentioned above, this identification information helps make sure that the card can get back to the right person and so that you know who is using the card when they come to your store.

Keep the information simple and straightforward by asking for their name and signature. You can print this on the card with a specific membership number that they can write down or memorize if they lose the card. Consider including a barcode or QR code as well, so your cashiers can scan it when your customers shop. This will help you clean spending habits and gives you the opportunity to send personalized ads and discounts, as we mentioned above. Lastly, consider adding a photo to the membership card to prevent someone else from using the card and claiming your member’s identity.

Membership Specifics

Your membership cards should have the business details and identification information they need to be useful to both you and your customer. You can stop there, but including membership specifics can take the card one step further. Membership specifics keeps both you and the customer informed about what type of membership they have, and on the details associated with that membership. While you can link your membership cards to online accounts where you and your customer can check such specifics, being able to glance at their card and learn everything they need to know will make your customer’s life simpler.

Specifics To Include

What specifics will be helpful to both you and your customer? If your business has multiple types of membership, start with what type of member they are. If you don’t have multiple membership tiers, then move on to when they became a member. This will help you keep track of how long they’ve been a member so you can offer timed awards to celebrate month and year anniversaries. If your membership requires a subscription, you can also include the renewal date, so your member knows what date they need to renew or cancel their subscription by. If the subscription is automatically renewed, make sure to include that information as well. You may be able to keep more members by automatically renewing their accounts and only telling them in the small print, but honesty is the best policy with your customers, and they will appreciate the transparency.

Design your membership cards and fill them with the essential information that will make them easy for your customers to use. This means choosing a durable material, light background color, and using both sides of the card. On those sides, print the business details, identification information, and membership specifics that will keep both you and your customer well-informed. If there’s pertinent business or membership information that you can’t include on your membership card, make the information available in another way that is easy to access, such as paperwork, a virtual membership portal, or an email. Remember that the point of these cards is to reward loyal customers and grow your business, so offering a well-designed, informative card is essential to completing that business goal.

If your business needs custom-printed plastic loyalty cards, Silk Cards will be happy to help you design them. We offer various sizes, materials, and finishes that will help your business stand out from the competition and have people flocking to join your membership program.

Most of us are familiar with membership cards due to their popularity with big-box retailers. That’s often where we leave them, too, thinking that membership cards can only benefit huge businesses. But membership cards can help any business thrive, regardless of its size. Keep reading to learn the five benefits of providing membership cards for customers so that your business can thrive.

Increase Customer Loyalty

Membership cards can help increase customer loyalty, as long as the membership comes with benefits. A membership card that doesn’t do anything but take up space in a wallet won’t help you or your customers. But if that card comes with benefits to the customer, then you’ll see their loyalty skyrocket. Your customers will know that with every swipe of their card, they’re getting a specific discount, earning points that will win them a prize, or getting some other reward. As a result, they’ll be more likely to get what they need from your store rather than somewhere else that doesn’t reward them for their loyal shopping.

Gain New Customers

Membership cards stuffed with rewards won’t just bring your loyal customers coming back to you; they’ll also bring in new customers. The customers already loyal to you who love the rewards you offer are sure to tell their friends about the perks of shopping at your business. As they tell their friends, those friends will roll into your business to get the same benefits. That means you won’t just be gaining more customers but more members.

Make More Money

Those old and new members who love your membership cards are also going to spend more money because of them. Research has shown that people who are loyal to a brand and have that loyalty rewarded are more likely to spend money with that brand. That means the more members you have thanks to your rewarding membership card, the more money you’ll make.

Gather Customer Information

When your loyal customers sign up for a membership card, you can ask them for information within certain parameters. Asking for identifying information and contact information is a commonplace request for signing up for membership cards, and you can use that information to your advantage. By analyzing the data from your membership cards, you can learn what demographics you’re reaching and use that to offer better rewards. You can also learn their spending habits so that you have a better idea of what to keep in stock.

Nurture Your Customers

You can also use your customer information to better cater to them, making them feel that your business is as loyal to them as they are to it. This means sending promotions, discounts, and ads tailored to what that specific member will enjoy. Doing so will bring the benefits of membership cards full circle, as specialized rewards will be among the things that increase customer loyalty.

The five benefits of providing membership cards for customers are increasing customer loyalty, gaining new customers, making more money, gathering customer information, and nurturing your customers. If you want to bring all these benefits to your business, you should contact us today. We offer custom membership cards to make your customers feel appreciated and help your business thrive.

Paper gift certificates are a common choice for many small businesses in the US because they’re easy and affordable to produce. Unfortunately, they also aren’t durable and can be easily copied or stolen. To protect your business and reap additional benefits, consider investing in plastic gift cards. Keep reading to learn about the advantages of plastic gift cards over gift certificates.

Great Durability

One of the advantages of plastic gift cards is that they are much more durable than paper gift certificates. Plastic gift cards are often made from the same material and with the same thickness as credit cards, so they can endure any wallet, pocket, or purse. Being made from plastic also prevents them from being bent or torn like paper gift certificates.

Do gift cards need to be durable? They just need to last from the store to the person receiving them until they get back to the store, which can be a quick turnaround. Paper can easily survive that long. But what if someone buys something for less than what their gift certificate is worth? That leaves your cashier in an awkward position: write out a small, specific gift card or give them cash to make up the difference. And then, if the shopper returns the original product for a cash refund, your cashier hands out even more cash. A durable plastic card that automatically subtracts the spent around and can be saved for future purchases with the leftover amount will eliminate this potential problem.

Quick Convenience

To prevent robbery, many small businesses store their paper gift certificates under the register or in another secret place. This means that if someone wants to purchase a gift certificate, they have to ask a sales associate, wait until someone is available to retrieve a certificate, and then wait longer as the associate fills the certificate out for the desired amount. It can be a long process, especially if you have a busy store and can’t spare an associate or have to retrieve more certificates.

In contrast, plastic gift cards provide your customers with quick convenience. You can leave them on display, since many aren’t useable until activated, so all someone has to do is pick one up that already has the desired amount on it and hand it to the cashier. While they still may have to wait for a cashier or associate to activate the card, they won’t have to wait nearly as long and won’t be as anxious as they wait since they’ll already have the card in their hands.

Better Branding

When a person takes a gift card out of your store, they’re not just taking a gift to a loved one; they’re also giving you free advertising, if you’ve branded your cards right. If you have custom plastic gift cards with your business name and logo, along with other aesthetic features like embossing and foil, then gift cards can show off your brand and provide free advertising for your business. If the gift recipient opens their gift in public and shows off your card, a well-designed card will catch people’s attention, and many will want a second look later.

You can also sell your gift cards in specific packages, so you’ll get better branding and free advertising on the street. Custom boxes and bags that perfectly fit small plastic cards and display your company’s information on the side will draw attention when it’s carried out of your store. It lets people know that you care about your customers and that gift cards are for sale inside, which will draw in more customers who may not have previously been interested.

Improve Sales

One of the biggest advantages of plastic gift cards is that they help improve sales. When people aren’t spending their own money, they’re easily tempted to buy full-priced items. And if they’re using a plastic card instead of a paper gift certificate that can offer cashback for spending less, they’re even more likely to spend the entire amount on the card. This means that when someone walks in with a gift card, they will probably buy a full-priced item and additional items until they have spent the entire amount on the card, since it’s free money to them. Even if they don’t spend the entire amount at once, the leftover money will stay on the gift card until they come back to your store another time.

Since gift cards feel like free money to their recipients, many people won’t just spend the money on their card but will spend some of their own money as well. Most of their purchase will feel free since it was through a gift card, but if they see something else they want, they’re often willing to splurge with their own money. This means that you end up with more money in your pocket, all because of a bit of plastic.

Long-Lasting Loyalty

The last advantage that plastic gift cards have over paper gift certificates is that they can help inspire long-lasting customer loyalty because you can hand them out like coupons. Most small businesses can’t run coupons in the paper like big-box retailers but still want to offer loyal customers discounts and advantages. By keeping plastic gift cards close by, you can easily reward a customer with a gift card for a small amount that can help discount their next purchase. Doing this can even feel more luxurious for the customer than a scrap of paper offering a certain percentage off based on how much they spend. Gift cards are easier for them to apply and will keep them coming back to your store to spend the free money. You’ll probably get some free advertising out of it too, since people love to tell their friends about good deals, and free gift cards are a great deal.

Durability, convenience, branding, improved sales, and customer loyalty are the top advantages of plastic gift cards over gift certificates. Buying custom plastic gift cards can be an initial investment, but it will help grow your business and keep customers coming back again and again. It’s time to throw your old paper gift certificates away and invest in gift cards.

Paper is the most common choice for business cards since they’re light and thin enough to slide into your pocket and can even be useful for a quick handwritten note. However, if you want to stand out from the competition and give potential partners and customers something unforgettable, you should consider metal business cards. If you think that metal is too bulky or heavy to make good business cards, you should reconsider. Keep reading to learn about the advantages of metal business cards over paper.

Unique First Impression

As mentioned above, metal business cards make a unique first impression that potential partners and customers won’t soon forget. While most people kindly accept business cards and then tuck them away, possibly never being seen again, metal business cards will immediately catch the eye. They’ll have questions about the unique material choice, and you’ll be able to lead that conversation into a discussion about your business. Even after the conversation is over, you’ll stay in their mind as the person with the cool metal card.

Great Durability

It’s common sense that metal is more durable than paper, and that common sense applies to business cards as well. While paper ones can be bent and torn, and the ink on them can bleed if it gets wet, metal has no such problems. Your metal cards will outlast almost everything else in your wallet, and you’ll never risk losing them since they’re such a unique material. The people you give them to won’t want to lose them either.

Improved Business Image

Paper business cards give all the necessary business information, but they don’t do anything else for your business. Metal business cards convey essential information and create an improved business image that sets you apart from the competition. Recipients will know your business is bold, unique, and committed to high quality with these cards that work just as hard as you do. This high-quality image will help people trust you and your business more than your paper competition.

A unique first impression, great durability, and improved business image are just three advantages of metal business cards over paper. If you want to order metal business cards, Silk Cards is happy to provide you with high-quality metal and laser cut or laser engraving options for your cards. Your business will stand out with these unique cards, and we are proud to be part of that process.

The right business card can be crucial to your success. Eye-catching designs and color combinations will likely keep your card in a potential client’s wallet. Stand out even more and add a luxurious feel to your cards with foil accents. Here are our top design tips for foil business cards.

Get Creative With Color

When designing business cards with foil, many people opt for black or white as their cardstock color. They’re both classic options, but do they speak to what makes your business unique? When choosing cardstock, don’t be afraid to dip into pastels or jewel tones. For example, you’ll discover that gold foil enhances a deep blue or purple card.

Pro Tip:

Did you know that our foil embossed business cards offer several foil color choices, too? You’re not limited to gold or silver! Ask about foil accents in colors like teal and purple.

Less Is More

You want to catch your potential client’s eye—not blind them! Too much foil will overwhelm your card, and your contact information may get lost in the sparkle. Identify the most crucial part of the card and accent it with foil, whether it’s your business’s name or logo.

Choose Fonts Carefully

Make sure that your foil accents complement the font you’ve chosen for your card. A thick, blocky font embossed in foil may be overwhelming to your potential client. When using foil to accent your text, go for a font that’s not too thick but not too thin either. Suppose you prefer a bold font for your business’s name; accent the sides of the letters. Or save the foil for the border!

If you’re looking for a creative way to make your business cards stand out, peruse the options at Silk Cards. We offer foil embossing in various colors, and we’re here to help you design a card that best represents your business. Our top design tips for foil business cards will get you started creating the ideal card for your business. Add some shine to your business card today!

Not all business cards are created equal. When you’re creating a luxury brand to represent your business, the card you hand out should reflect it. In this article, we’ll discuss the four reasons to invest in luxury business cards for your brand. Make your brand obvious in all that you do to promote your business.

First Impressions Are Everything

When business cards are handed out, it’s often the first time a potential customer has heard of who you are. A business card is your first and possibly only chance to make a good impression. What makes your business so unique? If you tell others your services are luxurious or upscale, your business card should reflect the same. If it doesn’t, it’s hard for customers to take you seriously.

A Great Marketing Technique

We search for unique marketing techniques to make our business stand out in the crowd. Still, the classic business card remains an important staple in business marketing.

Whether you work with or own a luxury company, the business card still matters. The trick is to use it to your full advantage. A business card is like a mini-sized billboard you carry with you everywhere you go.

Your cards make a difference when they are eye-catching, and even feel different in the hands of potential customers. One of the best reasons to invest in luxury business cards for your brand is so that the customers that see the card take your services seriously.

Create Credibility

Put yourself in the shoes of your potential customers. Imagine what you’d think if someone told you about their rare, upscale service—and then handed you a business card that screamed plain and boring. Create credibility with cards that reflect your brand.

A Personal Touch

Your business card is the perfect opportunity to add a personal touch to represent your brand. One small business card goes a long way in personality. Here are a few examples of what you can do to add a personal touch to your business cards and represent your luxury brand:

• Use unique paper, metal, or plastic rather than traditional cardstock
• Use an elegant font
• Have a large card size
• Use colors that represent your brand
• Use Foil embossing

These are simply some ideas to kickstart your creativity.

As you promote your business, remember the business card and its important role. Make it one of the first things you use to represent your brand.

At Silk Cards, we use the highest quality materials to print luxury business cards. Browse our online store or contact us. Let’s discuss your brand and how we can create a business card to go along with it.

Businesses close their doors for any number of reasons. Recently, the pandemic was one of those reasons, and countless businesses shut their doors. Thankfully, many are now opening again as customers are ready to get out of their homes. In this article, we’ll discuss five creative ways to communicate your business re-opening. Get the word out and start growing your business again.

Everything Starts With a Plan

Ask yourself a few questions as you plan your business re-opening. Here are five ideas to get you started:

1. Has the business changed, or will previous customers find everything the same?
2. Are there special health and safety requirements as customers enter your business?
3. Does the business have an online presence, storefront, or both?
4. What’s your preferred way of marketing?
5. Do you feel your old ways didn’t work well and you need new, creative ideas to get the word out?

As you answer these questions are answered, you’ll get a clear idea of the necessary information customers need.

Update Your Website

When doors close, websites are stagnant. One of the most important ways to communicate your business re-opening is to breathe new life into your website.

If websites are outdated and have no new information, they’ll turn away customers, who’ll assume nothing new is going on with the business. They’ll feel dismissed and ignored. Websites are for the customer—so show your customers that you care by using the website to your full advantage.

Blast the Re-Opening on Social Media

If you weren’t on social media before, it’s time to get on it for the sake of your re-opening. Most people are on social media and customers expect to see your business as they scroll through the latest posts.

Social media is free advertising. Post about your business re-opening every day. Ask friends to share with their friends. All it takes is a click or two and people you’ve never met will see the news about your re-opening.

Creative Business Cards

Now that your business is re-opening, hand out business cards to let others know you’re coming back. Business cards come in many styles, so make yours unique. Include all information necessary so customers see your brand, know how to communicate with you, and understand what service you offer.

Text Previous Customers

When the doors were open in the past, you offered ways for customers to sign up with their contact information. Shoot a quick text to all those numbers you have and get your customers excited.

As you re-open your business, remember to address their concerns. Include safety measures you’ve implemented so they know you care that everyone is safe. Let them know the re-opening was well thought out and you’re ready to serve them with enthusiasm.

At Silk Cards, we understand the special needs a business re-opening has and how important that communication is. We offer unique business card options, such as die-cut cards, to help your business stand out no matter what stage it’s in. Contact Silk cards or browse our online design store for creative ideas and assistance in designing the perfect business card.

Choosing the most inspired business card design and style is an extremely important personal decision that can influence the way potential clients and partners see you and interact with your brand.

Considering that business cards mirror one’s style, taste and personality, you should definitely strive to avoid boring designs that don’t really speak to you and your audience and rely on one-of-a-kind, sophisticated details that command attention, make your contact information stand out and encourage recipients to take action.

With dozens of new restaurants opening in your area each year, achieving success in the food industry is definitely not an easy task. Even so, restaurant owners can still boost the popularity and profitability of their business by employing a series of creative marketing strategies both online and offline.