A well-designed business card can start a conversation. Plus, it’s an opportunity to share links to your social media accounts. If you give others memorable stationery, people will be more interested in learning about your company and becoming part of your mission.

Your custom stationery can encourage customers to get to know you better and connect with your business on a more personal level. If they know your company’s story and see the humanity, passion and values behind your brand, they are more likely to engage with you and use your products or services. Consider this: 67 percent of people are more likely to buy from brands they follow on Twitter.

Be more than just a brand to customers. Show you care and you’re part of something greater. They’ll want to join you on your journey.

A good business card or piece of stationery will help open up a channel for communication, too. If you can make customers feel respected, appreciated and valued by encouraging conversation and feedback, you will have a big advantage over competitors. People are 105 percent more likely to make an online purchase when visitors can interact with reviews and customer questions and answers.

However, you don’t want stationery that’s overloaded with too much info, either. You want to keep a clean, simple look that attracts the eye, not overstimulates it. Only include the most important contact information that serves a purpose. Know how you want people to contact you, whether it’s via phone, email or social media.

Next time you’re at a gathering or business meeting, have creatively designed business cards handy. You never know who you’ll run into, and as a business owner, you always want to take advantage of the opportunity to network and strengthen connections.