Types of Metal Business cards and its Popularity
Business cards are something very common in the modern world.
A way to help others understand your business better, they have become almost indispensable for the average businessman.
Given that the economy is something that runs every single day, it is only a given that the cards will be around for a very long time.
When it comes to business cards, one of the most unique and often rare, is that of those made using metal.
Although metal cards have been around for a very long time, they are rather rare, due to the cost factor, among other such reasons.
There are many different card variations and crowds in general, each of which have their own uniqueness, characteristics and so on.
This can make it rather interesting to know how to match the ideal card with the targeted audience.
Some of the most common metal business card classifications and their applicable crowds are given below:
- Repeat Customers
These are some of the most ideal people who deserve a metal business card.
Given that they form the foundation and the core of any business, they are to be treated in a way that they feel special, and are given a general degree of importance above all.
One useful way in which this can be achieved, would be through the help of metal cards.
The exact nature of the cards would certainly vary, but in general, anything with a base metal, intricate designs and more will do just fine.
Additionally, it is a good idea to go for those cards with feature a greater degree of graphics and designs, as well as ‘see through’ elements, where there are graphical and even information aspects that are represented with the help of shapely holes in the metal, which allows for a high degree of design and uniqueness.
- Business Clientele
These are the second most common group of people who would make for ideal metal card recipient candidates.
Given that not every individual you come across is deserving of an expensive card, it is a good idea to know if the idea of giving metal cards to everyone is good to begin with.
Should that be the case, the ideal kinds of business cards to go for, would be that of basic designs that don’t cost much to begin with. These are the ones that feature minimalistic designs and the core ideas and concepts of the business. They help to not only get the message across, but also keep costs to a minimum.
This should however, be limited to a minimum because of how businesses operate. In general, it has been observed by those ‘in the know’ of business and in particular, that not everyone interested in the business will end up becoming a customer. On the contrary, only a small fraction of anyone who shows interest in the business will actually end up buying what the business has to offer, with the ‘conversion’ percentage being somewhere between 2.5-5%, with the rest ‘flaking out’ for one reason or another.
This can make the prospect of issuing metal cards to everyone a financial drain if it isn’t adequately planned. Simply put, go for the metallic business cards if you certain that you’ll be able to recover the cost of the metallic cards by selling to the special 2.5-5% of the customer who do buy. Likewise, if the whole prospect seems like a financial excess, hold out on the metallic cards and other such ‘excesses’ until you are able to afford it in the future.
Also to note is that the people that you issue these ‘special’ metallic cards to, should be the people you are already in business with, rather than those you are still prospecting or in the process of making a deal.
- Personal Contact
The next category of people are those who are not exactly business clientele or repeat buyers as such, but at the same time people who can help you in your life. These include everyone from financiers and marketers to suppliers and other contacts associated with your business.
In general, it is a good idea to go for a more personal experience when dealing with such individuals, which would warrant the use of cards that are made with more attention paid to detail.
This is when one can bring out the rather ‘expensive’ and ‘elaborate’ cards. Such cards are often characterized by unique color finishes, gold or silver plating (or similar substitutes), intricate designs, unique shapes and so on.
Given that the individuals play a major role in your personal and business life, the amount spent on the each of the cards can be considered a worthy investment, rather than an excess or luxury.
- Miscellaneous
This is the last category where metal cards may be of concern.
This includes every single individual and party that you may have to end up issuing a metallic business card to.
Given that it doesn’t make sound financial sense to issue expensive and intricate cards to everyone you meet, it would be a great idea to have basic metallic cards made with simple design elements and lacking much of the uniqueness that are found in the previous example.
This allows for the unique statement of the metallic cards to remain, without having to shell a fortune to get the impression across.
It should be noted that the above considerations largely apply to those individuals who are into metallic cards, and are also operating on a budget.
Should these budgetary constraints be eliminated in the case of a booming business, or something along those lines, it is very likely that one will be in a position to issue top end business and visiting cards to almost everyone in the above list, without any serious financial consequences or issues.
Last but not the least, it should also be added that there are also other lesser known categories of cards as well as clientele groups as well.
The above mentioned ones are just some of the most important in this regard. Depending on the exact nature of the business and clientele, the same will change accordingly.
