Printed business cards were once used by professionals and entrepreneurs to share their contact information. However, as digital technology advances and almost everyone has an online presence, having a digital business card makes sense.
But, exactly, what is a digital business card? And what exactly does it do? Continue reading to learn why you should have a digital business card ready to share with your contacts.
1. Share Contact Information Quickly and Easily
Business cards are primarily used to exchange information. Printed calling cards were previously used, and all you had to do was pull one from your breast pocket or card carrier and hand it to someone.
While handing out your card is a quick process, there is always the chance that the recipient will misplace it. Furthermore, your business card will almost certainly get lost in a stack of other business cards. After all, if they are in need of something, their first thought is to pull out their phone and Google it.
Send your contact a digital business card instead of a printed one. Some smartphone users will automatically add you to their address book if you share a digital card with them. This ensures that your contact’s contact information is always with them, rather than collecting dust in their office desk drawer.
2. Expand Your Connections
When you make a business card, you usually only include your name, company, position, email address, and phone number. It may contain one or two links directing your contact to your professional social media profiles. But that’s pretty much it. If you try to include more information, your business card will become crowded and less presentable.
This is not an issue with digital business cards. Instead of listing links one by one on your card, you can share all of your profiles by using a QR code or URL that leads to your Link in Bio page. As a result, your contacts will be able to add your profile to their preferred social media platform.
3. Have All Your Details in One Place
You can use digital business cards for more than just expanding your social media connections. Because you can put almost any link on these cards, you can use that feature to add all kinds of details to them.
If you own a restaurant and want to direct customers there, you can include a Google Maps link on your digital card. When your contacts are looking for a place to eat for lunch or dinner, all they have to do is look at your card and tap the link that will take them directly to your dining area.
When zoomed out, you can even create a large digital business card that shows your general information. When the person looking at the card zooms in on the image, they will be able to see details such as your portfolio. There is no limit to the amount of information you can include on your digital business card, as long as you can do so neatly.
4. Instantly Update Your Information
Another advantage of digital business cards is that you can update your information instantly without having to print new ones. If you have a digital business card app and need to make changes quickly, you can do so from your phone, and it will update all contacts who have a copy of your card.
Assume you lose your phone and need to get a new phone number. Naturally, you don’t want any of your professional contacts calling the old number. Simply updating the contact information on your business card will ensure that calls are routed to the correct number.
5. It’s Cost-Effective
While many people still value elegantly printed business cards, they are quite expensive to maintain. You pay for your card every time you hand it to a contact—after all, you have to pay for the card as well as the printer.
Worse, any changes you make to your information invalidate your current batch of calling cards. So, if you change offices, get a new professional phone number, or get promoted, you’ll almost certainly need to get a new set of business cards. If you have a digital business card, however, all you need to do is make a few changes to the details and you’re ready to go.
You are not required to visit the printers and request a new batch of cards. Furthermore, if you’re using a Linked in Bio page or a link shortener, you only need to make changes to the links in the affected pages; you don’t need to change anything on your card.
6. It’s Better for The Environment
Going digital not only saves money, but it also saves a few trees. You don’t have to buy paper stock, which is usually made from freshly cut trees if you don’t print your business cards. And if you were using a plastic-based material and stop printing cards, you reduce plastic waste.
If you look at the office desks of many corporate professionals, you’ll probably find stacks of unused business cards somewhere. These cards are just collecting dust, and when they move on to another industry or retire, the cards will most likely be discarded.
Consider the millions of trees that have been felled and all of the other resources that have been depleted in order to provide tonnes of paper stocks for business cards. We can cut down on waste by reducing our use of printed Every Business Plan.
7. More Creative Leeway
With a printed business card, you have limited space. The 3.5 x 2-inch size of these business cards can only carry so much information. Even if a card has two sides, you are limited to 14 square inches when designing it. Furthermore, it can only be used to display text and images.
But if you have a digital card, you’re only limited by your imagination when designing it. You can add rich media to your calling card in addition to links and QR codes if you wish.
You’re also not limited by space because you can easily add minute details to your card using the zoom feature on your smartphone. You can, for example, design a large, high-resolution business card that displays your general contact information when zoomed out. When you zoom in, you can use that space to display your portfolio, complete address, or whatever other information you want to include.
Conclusion:
With all of these benefits, it’s time to get a Digital Business card. It’s simple to make, and you can create unique designs that reflect your company and personality. Your creativity is not limited by the physical realm when using digital cards.
A printed business card may still be worthwhile; reserve it for VIPs who appreciate an elegant and well-made card. However, for everyday use, a digital card is an excellent way to stay in touch and make new connections.