I’m sure you’ve seen the lists… “50 places (or 100 places) to leave your business cards;” they are often posted on WAHM message boards and discussion lists. These lists recommend that you leave you business card everywhere you go…. laundromats, ATM machines, doctors’ waiting rooms, in the magazine racks at stores, and even in the books at libraries and book stores.
Is dropping business cards and effective marketing strategy or just plain littering?
The proponents of this marketing method would argue that the minimal cost of the practice is worth the occasional customer or prospect you may reach.
But the financial investment is rarely the only cost of anything. Are you risking leaving a less than professional appearance along with the business cards you drop everywhere? How do you think the people that are cleaning up after you feel about the practice? Surely they consider it littering.
And consider this… if you were looking for a professional to do business with, would you choose one whose card you found in a bathroom stall? How did you find your lawyer, doctor, accountant, therapist, hairdresser, or dog groomer? Probably not by finding her business card in the video you rented last Friday night.
If you feel compelled to leave your business card around town, leave it where you’ve been invited to leave it. Many businesses provide bulletin boards for that purpose and if you ask, some will allow you to leave a stack on the counter.
Some local lunch spots have a monthly drawing from business cards left in a bowl and you can drop your card there. Of course, they’re using a much more effective marketing strategy… they’re collecting contact information and will likely market to the entrants.
Your business card can be an effective networking and marketing tool, especially when placed in the hands of someone who is interested in your products or business or who might use it to refer people to you.
But remember……. it’s always much more effective to gather contact information from potential customers and prospective team members so you can market to them again and again over time.
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