Why Musicians Should Use Business Cards

Business cards, we’ve all had them. Some of us use them, others say “neh” and delete them. Whichever type you are, I’m sure someone has given you one at some point. And you probably thought, “what the hell am I supposed to do with this?” Or maybe you said “sweet friend, I’ll call you right away.” Either way, it probably got you thinking. You may have thought, “wow, this person really comes prepared.” I seriously doubt you thought, “heh, look at this guy, what a dinosaur, he still uses business cards.”

In this article, we’re going to take a look at a few things you can do with business cards to stand out from the sea of ​​musicians out there, and why musician business cards can still be used today.

Tangibility

Okay, it’s interesting that in 2018 we’re still talking about them. I mean, we’re supposed to have hoverboards, flying cars, self-tying shoes, and time travel should be a thing of the past. Sorry, Marty, we’re not there yet.

As the world becomes more and more digitized with things like SoundCloud, Spotify, and Facebook, it can feel like business cards for musicians are a little old fashioned. But are they really? Well, we’re human, so it’s natural that we like the human touch. Delivering something that is tangible to someone else has much more impact than another ‘like’ or ‘follow’ on social media. In 2016, paper books increased their sales by 7%, while e-books decreased by 4%. A great attribute of this was coloring books for adults and children who prefer paper books to a Kindle or iPad. What does this suggest? I think something is clear. We don’t like everything in our lives to be digital. We like things that have texture and that we can hold in our hands. Digital can get a bit too sterile at times.

Networking strengths

When you learn the knowledge of something for yourself, you take responsibility for it. Similarly, when you spend money on something, you are more inclined to use it. A Facebook page or Twitter account doesn’t cost anything. So it’s much easier to give him the old adage ‘oh, tomorrow, tomorrow’. It doesn’t feel very good to spend money on that New Year’s resolution exercise equipment only to have it sit there, gathering dust. But what happens when you actually use it and start seeing results? You probably feel like a million bucks. Well, when you’ve spent money on some business cards, I’ll bet you feel pretty good when you start using them and start meeting people. All the while putting you in the right mindset to get it off your butt and get to those networking events or develop the courage to talk to that one person who could make a difference.

What to put on them?

Your basic setting should be quality paper (paper = paper type). A good 16 pt stock or 38 pt triple layer stock works great. Avoid basic, pre-made layouts or images. Make sure your business cards include the following:

• Your name
• Services provided
• Phone number
• SoundCloud, Spotify, Facebook or YouTube
• Email
• URL of your website

Don’t overwhelm people with every social media account you have. Provide the ones you use the most and that best exemplify
you.

be creative

Your card is a reflection of your art to some extent. So I should speak for you. Are you a simple and boring person? So your business card should be plain and boring. Are you a simple but modern person? Then your business card should talk about it. Try things like colorful backgrounds or follow the trends of modern artwork and try to incorporate it into your design. You don’t have to stop there either. Why not have some fun quotes or descriptions of your services? Don’t settle for ‘guitarist’ or my favorite ‘pianist’. Make the line about who you are. Just don’t overdo it.

Finally

Business cards are not the end of everything. When you have them, you’re not going to start booking exceptional performances and getting more work (maybe you will). They are simply a way of having your information well placed so that your prospect is interested in what you have to offer. So that can lead them to your website or demo reels. A good business card is just the first step, the rest is up to you…

I ask you this

How many of you musicians still use business cards? What are your thoughts on them as we move further and further towards digitization? Do people really care about tangibility? For my networking musicians, if there was a website that would help musicians by taking the frustration out of designing business cards and other paper promotions, would you use it?