A business card is one of the first impressions of your brand.

The other is your website.

Many business owners underestimate the importance of business cards. They do not merely hold contact details such as email address, phone number, website address, and others.

Business cards are part of the branding exercise that marketers use to help you stand out from the competition and make your brand memorable.

The way you share your contact information with people will form a first impression within seconds of receiving it and it could have the potential to make or break a business deal.

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The Pros & Cons Of Paper Vs Digital Business Cards

Paper Business Cards

Pros:

  • Professionalism

    When you have a business card, it signals to people that you have experience with networking and you are prepared. It also demonstrates that you believe in your business and have given thought to the image and branding of your business.

  • It’s Much More Personal

    When you hand out a business card, you’re handing out a physical extension of yourself and your business. It’s something a person can hold onto, touch, and feel.

    Using your smartphone to swap contact information right there on the spot is convenient, but it’s not personal. You can’t get to know someone or have a conversation when both of you have your heads buried in a phone.

  • Help People Remember You!

    Let’s face it, in our information overload world, we can only remember so much. Whether you work in a profession where you do or don’t meet many people on a daily basis, it can still be a challenge for some of us to remember other people’s names and faces.

  • Grab Attention Quickly

    Paper-based business cards can instantly make an impression the moment a client touches it. If your business card really stands out, people will look at it several times and ask you about it. It becomes a conversation topic and it’s a great way to engage people.

  • It’s A Marketing Tool

    Your business card is a small piece of advertisement that travels with the person who carries it. Business cards often do end up being passed around.

    In coworking spaces especially, business cards tend to be passed around a lot because everyone is always looking for help from someone.

  • You Can Leave Them Around Everywhere

    You can’t leave your smartphone at a small business and ask for the receptionist to get the word out. What you can do is take a handful of your business cards into a shop and ask them if they will display them at the front for you.

    Business cards are convenient in that they can be left anywhere you want.

Although business cards have been around for many years, they do not show any signs of stopping.

In fact, in certain professions, business cards are a way to display status and success.

Paper Business Cards

Cons:

  • Number One Reason People Throw Business Cards Away?

    People live in the moment. They throw business cards away because they don’t need the service now.

  • Need A Professional To Design Cards

    Not all small companies can afford to hire a professional graphic designer. Only a designer with experience can create cards that make a memorable first impression.

  • Remembering To Keep Them On You

    Just another thing to remember to take with you when you go about your daily business.

  • Not Environment-Friendly

    Millions of business cards are printed each year and unfortunately, a lot of trees are cut down to make paper.

A Tool to Help You Succeed

To make the most out of your business cards, you need to take the time to learn when is the best opportunity to hand out your business card.

Learning how to identify the correct people to connect with, is the key to creating meaningful conversations and improving your chances of them keeping your business card and doing future business with you.

Did you know?

The most common business card mistake is…

Cheap Paper!

People judge your business on your business card. It’s often their first impression of your business.

If you choose low-quality paper, they may assume you provide cheap quality products/services.

Digital Business Cards

Pros:

  • Convenient & Cheaper

    Using your smartphone to swap contact information right there on the spot is convenient and it doesn’t cost you anything.

  • Stand Out

    Since not everyone is using digital business cards, you can easily impress clients and stand out with these digital formats.

  • Attach Your Social Media Platforms

    A significant advantage is that digital business cards can link a variety of media. They can have links to videos, social media platforms, subscription lists, etc. This is useful in many ways. to help you promote your business.

  • Updating is Easy!

    The problem with paper cards is that whenever you update information, you need to redesign and reprint the cards. 

    A digital business card design lets you automatically update the information.

  • Great For Contact Management

    So much easier to manage all contacts. Some apps have an optical character reader (OCR) that can scan a business card.

    The scanner gets the contact details converted into digital text. The app either saves the information or syncs the details with your CRM program.

Did you know?

New innovative business cards have a tiny near-field communication (NFC) chip embedded in them.

By tapping the NFC-equipped card to a smartphone, you can transmit contact information, links, social media pages, videos, and more straight to a client’s phone.

Digital Business Cards

Cons:

  • Swapping Contact Information Digitally is Impersonal

    Networking is all about making genuine connections. Sending contact information via text or email on the spot is convenient but it is also extremely impersonal.

  • Not Accessible To All

    A significant disadvantage of digital business cards is that not everyone is equipped to access these cards. They are simply not accustomed to getting the cards digitally.

  • Software Issues

    As we are all aware software can sometimes cause us headaches. Not all digital business card applications can be easy to set up or use, it can cause some issues when sharing the card with your clients and others. Leaving you looking unprofessional.

Our Conclusion

Both Paper and Digital Business Cards are excellent when it comes to sharing your contact details and making a lasting impression.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages for businesses. Their use will depend on your branding strategy and who your target market is. We recommend using both types to gain from their advantages.

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