Square business cards: good or bad idea?

Every day, entrepreneurs, job seekers, freelancers, employees, and executives hand out business cards. It happens in offices and on the street… during chance encounters and networking events… between friends, new associates, or newly bonded strangers.

With all of these trading cards, it’s so important to have a business card that stands out from the pack, one that commands attention the instant it’s placed in someone’s palm. After all, there’s nothing worse than making a first impression with a boring and monotonous card.

Perhaps the easiest way to stand out is to have a business card that doesn’t look or feel like all the others.

Enter the square business card.

Square business cards instantly stand out due to their shape. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to receive a square business card and NOT look at it before pocketing it. That alone can make it a better marketing tool than more typical cards.

Another benefit of square business cards is that they offer additional space for content. Considering more content equals a greater opportunity to sell yourself to prospects, employers, or referral sources, which can be a huge advantage.

So are square business cards any good? Are they an automatic bright idea that anyone and everyone should use?

Of course not.

The thing is that it sticks out visually can be achieved in many ways. There are 3D cards, plastic cards, translucent cards, metal cards, edible cards, die-cut cards, embossed cards… and a host of other eye-catching possibilities that catch the eye. Square business cards are only ONE way to go, and what’s right for one person is certainly not right for everyone.

If you find that the unusual shape may make it difficult to store your square business card (in a stack of others, or in a business card book, for example), it may not necessarily be the most convenient. And as for the benefit of extra space to tell your story… well, fold-over cards offer that benefit too, but they can also retain a typical shape.

The bottom line is that square business cards will be a great way to stand out for some, and not the right thing for others. It really depends on what you do, where and to whom you distribute your cards, and what concept you have in mind. If a square layout sounds right to you, go for it. It’s sure to stop your recipients in their tracks, giving you plenty of time to make that big, lasting impression!