Confessions of a Six Figure Professional Blogger

Twitter On Your Business Card – Duh!

October 21, 2009 | Advice, Uncategorized

As might be expected, I picked up a lot of business cards from folks at BlogWorld Expo. When I get these cards, the idea is that I can check these people out after the show is over and see if they might be of any interest to me.

Nothing personal, but many times I end up with a card for somebody I barely remember.

So, as a person designing your business card, put yourself into my shoes. I don’t really remember you. And all you’ve given me is some phone numbers, a snail mail address, your name, your email.

Well, I’m not going to call you if I don’t even know who you are. Likewise, I’m not going to email you unless I have something to say.

So, it is your job to build the relationship. Let me form a little line between you and I which doesn’t have a commitment to it and doesn’t put me in the awkward spot of asking “I know I’m emailing you but who are you again?”

In other words, PUT TWITTER ON YOUR DAMN BUSINESS CARD!

How can you show up to a blogging conference without this stuff?

Even worse, some of the people I’ve got cards from are “PR professionals” (or so they say). Yet, they’re not using Twitter? What gives?

Some people did put AIM or Skype on their business card, but that is pure interruption. Am I going to chat you up just to ask you who you are again? That’s a douche maneuver.

Twitter isn’t a toy, guys. It is a powerful tool for relationship marketing. It is important. If you don’t have Twitter on your business card, throw it away and make a new one.

Without Twitter, you’re just future trash can liner. With Twitter, I’ll be able to get exposed to your tweets for the next year. And guess what? Next time we meet, I’ll recognize you and I might even approach YOU and say hi.

Here, if you need some help, check out some of the things that went through my mind when I did my latest biz card. Check out these 5 tips for your business card.

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  • I was just reading someof your back posts and found this one. I really enjoyed it. It just confirms what I had sort of thought myself. A couple of people that saw my business cards recently asked me why I didn't have my phone number on the front. When I tried to explain it to them, they just laughed. Of course, these are people who are even less of a "pro blogger" than I am. Thanks for all the great articles.
  • I just posted a video response. Hope you see the funny side of it.

    http://bit.ly/1yqY6B

    I agree with you 100% that you should have it on the card, it's sometimes it's not always possible. I often get the booth babes at shows slip me a card to their other job in strip clubs, which is a perfectly good reason to have two cards, but I struggle remembering to take enough cards as it is.

    You gotta love the written word!

    Any btw I really do enjoy reading your blog content, your blueprint was one of the best free reports I've read.
  • Good tip.
    I feel ahead of the curve for a change (on this) as I've got Twitter and FB on mine, since these seem to be the big 2 these days. When I created the card layout, I wondered if I had gone too far, then said the hell with it, I'm on both sites.

    I understand Jim Banks' position regarding the corporate card, but also see this article as addressing the big picture. Bloggers and entreprenuers who are building a brand for themselves.

    When I worked for NASA we had serious restrictions, which is why I had my own personal cards as well.

    As I travel around and encounter people, I am more struck by those who have no card, period. HUH? :-)
  • Very true! I thought bloggers were supposed to be tuned into social media? Having experienced similar issues with non-bloggers, I actually wonder if it we are all in the minority? Many people still thing that this is a fad, I am sure!
    I am just going through a re-brand and have gone through the biz card process (and yes I put my details on them every time), and some people who I asked to review the designs, were incredibly surprised I was putting the details on the card!!

    More fool them I say!
  • No doubt Twitter is a powerful tool. It is true that putting twitter on the business card helps, but still they have to really make use of twitter in order to make it useful. If they don't twit as often as they're suppose, then there's no point.
  • Thanks David - nice post :)
  • Good ideal although most haven't considered all their web 2.0 accounts on their older marketing material. If you have a site that has all your accounts listed, do you still need to list them on your card or just have the site link?
  • How did I blow this! Guilty as charged man. I put mine together in a hurry, but you are absolutely correct. Hell, I'd add Facebook in there too.
  • That's OK, Nathan -- you could have done what I did -- have the Twitter name on the card and then change your Twitter name right before leaving for the conference, not realizing that it's still the old name on the cards. Big time FAIL! :) Oh well, I have had my Twitter name on my card for a while and will continue to do so -- just need to be sure it's the right one. :)
  • I agree about needing the Twitter name. Twitter just makes things so much simpler to find a face, a name or their website in seconds. (we really needed user names for all the panelists at the event as well). In my case, I was handing out cards for one of my sponsors, but also included my info on them as well...especially website & twitter info.

    @Jim Banks: Not everyone that comes up to a well known speaker is prepared with a full dialogue of what to say...they just want to say hello and let the speaker know they appreciate their work. In David's case, he is a celebrity figure in the blogging world and his time is limited with everyone wanting their moment with him. With so many faces and so little time it's easy to lose track. A Twitter name helps.

    I can tell you that I did meet David at Blogworld, and it was his welcoming & casual demeanor that helped a nervous 1st time event attendee feel at ease. The arrogant person is the one that monopolizes a speaker's limited time or a speaker that discriminates who he takes cards from. I believe in social media it's about your engaging with your entire community & appreciating each one..not just the power networkers. You have no idea what you may have missed out on if you're not able to see beyond the face to face impression.
  • Let me begin by saying I read your content with interest, you write very well and it's usually informative stuff.

    That being said, I do have to take you to task over this particular article.

    I work for a company and that company pays for me to have business cards.

    We have a corporate Twitter account @globaldirect and I have a personal one @jimbanks.

    Who is going to pay for the twitter link and which one do you promote, me or the company? Is it fair on your organisation to expect them to support your own personal brand? Is it appropriate to expose people you meet in an informal social environment (aka networking) to your corporate twitter account which may be worthless to them at that point?

    The bit that I took offense to though was your first few paragraphs, about barely remembering someone. It came across as hugely arrogant.

    If that person has made such little impression that you can't remember meeting them, there is no point in trying to pursue anything meaningful after that initial meeting.

    If you couldn't get something going face to face, you've got very little chance of doing it by poring over historical tweets from someone giving their opinion of the football scores or how sucky their airline is.

    I speak at a lot of events, I LOVE meeting new people into the business. Their drive and enthusiasm keeps me wanting to attend events and give back. If I came across as a cocky arrogant arse then my time in the business would be short-lived.

    I only give and take cards from people who it is my express desire to follow up with. So there would be some initial dialogue, followed by a request to exchange cards, usually because there is some mutual reason to do so.

    Even if I go to a networking event and have a decent drink I can always remember who I met and what we discussed. I often use their card to write down on it, at the time, where we met and why it might be worthwhile following up, and in the email that I send them I can elaborate on the Twitter conundrum between personal/business.

    It is dangerous to make the assumption that just because someone doesn't have twitter on their card that they are a useless POS.

    Sorry, rant over. Feel better. I will be at Pubcon, I see from your twitter feed you will be too. Perhaps I can buy you a drink and give you one of my Twitterless business cards.
  • These days, I really think a smart company would have their employees on Twitter. It would be different than your personal account. At the very least, put the corporate Twitter acct on there. But, look at a company like Zappos and how they use Twitter. It is very smart.

    And it isn't arrogant to not remember everybody I met at a conference. I met several HUNDRED people at BlogWorld. Some gave me a card but didn't make a huge impression. What am I going to do, refuse the card? No. I'm going to take it and then look them up online when I get back. That's where Twitter comes in. It allows me to make a connection and build a potential relationship after the conference. If I want to.

    In my opinion, entrepreneurs and companies need to look ahead, realize that Twitter is a new paradigm shift, that it is an important component to marketing, and that it is almost as ubiquitous as a cell phone number when you come to a conference like BlogWorld.
  • Hey Jim, I think you have to step back and look at the big picture. Not everyone is in the same situation as you and are simply at these events branding themselves and not using their twitter account on a card. That is different than you being there for your company.

    But having said that, there is still a place for the twitter id. If your company is buying you cards then that is who you are branding with that card. I would definitely recommend that you ask them to include their twitter id on the card. It will have benefits, especially at a social media event.

    Or you can write it in or write yours on there if you are making a connection that may want to get to you.

    But there is also nothing wrong with having a personal card as well. I have a card that just has my name on it and all my social media connections. (twitter, facebook etc..) That way people can get a hold of me on one of those sites. That card gets attention everytime I give it out because it is simple and they can find everything they need to know with what I put on there.

    I also have a business card for my company which I own. On that one I also have my Twitter id not a corporate one but if I had created a corporate one it would be on there.

    The point David is trying to make is that it is an amazing tool for connecting with people and would increase the effectiveness of your business cards if it was on there. If your business is on Twitter they should be letting people know every chance they get.

    It's just smart ;-)
  • Yeah that is amazing. It is probably the absolute best way to connect and find all about someone now. But many still do not have it on their business cards.

    I also cannot believe that I meet people who are "bloggers" or "social media gurus" who do not use Twitter! My dad has an account!!

    Oh and one more thing, QUIT USING VISTA PRINT! Nothing says "clueless" more than when you hand me a flimsy card with Vista Print written on the back. Especially from a business.
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