Business Card - Card or Digital?

In a recent beBee article Brand Clarity. Say What? Jerry Fletcher makes the observation:

I’ve heard every argument you can imagine from the adherents of the digital world about why those little bits of pasteboard are obsolete.

He makes the case against the “adherents of the digital world” yet does not address the benefits of digital alternatives.

Below I will look at both sides of the business card digital divide.

Disruption to the Business Card Industry

Digital Disruption has occurred in a number of industries over the last few years.

Photography

Taxi

Hospitality

Printing

And now, a subset of the printing industry, Business Cards.

Jerry, in his article, makes some valid points for traditional card based business cards.

He included these points:

It must answer the contact questions, sure, but look at what else you can glean from one:

• The company name may be well known, memorable or ho hum
• The logotype may tell you if the company or individual is inspired or insipid
• The title will tell you whether the person or organization is imaginative or ordinary
• The weight of the paper can influence your perception of how strong the business is.
• The colors will indicate how approachable they are
• The address, if you know the area, may tell you how solvent they are
• The positioning/tag line should tell you what they do, how they are unique, and who their product or service is for

My Cardboard Business Card

Whilst I cannot hand you my physical business card, I can show you the graphics of my cardboard card and you can decide, on face value, if my card measures up.

Front

Back

Old form business card challenges

In this digital age, often swamped by business cards after a networking event, seminar, conference or exhibition, we often place those cards in a drawer with an elastic band or bull dog clip around them. Our intention is to process them into our computer in the next day or so.

Does that happen?

All the time?

What happens to our cards given to others?

Of course there are Apps now to scan the card into our phone or computer such as Evernote.

What about the Digital Option

In June last year (2016) I was referred to an Australian entrepreneur, Adam Taylor who has developed CARDSITE a digital business card.

As soon as I saw it, I was in, and soon had my own CARDSITE with links to my most used sites and social platforms.

I joined beBee the next month, July, and after a period of testing and analyzing beBee’s potential, I contacted Adam had the beBee link and icon added to my CARDSITE.

CARDSITE on My Phone

As you can see from the graphic, as well as links to email, phone, web and social platforms, I also created a YouTube video and have it visible and playable on my phone and if I text the details from my phone to a person’s phone I have just met, they can play the video on their phone when they receive it digitally from me.

Currently, my video is an explanation of how my CARDSITE works to help promote Adam's technology. I will, at some stage in the future, produce a different video for my own services and have Adam replace the video in my CARDSITE.

CARDSITE Viewed on a Browser

As well as phone interaction, you can refer people to your CARDSITE via email signature, websites blogs, social media platforms and postings.

Check out my CARDSITE here: http://www.mycard.site/LANCESCOULAR

Here is the YouTube video currently embedded in my CARDSITE:  Run Time 2:12 min - Click to play

So, Business Card - Card or Digital?

I would suggest both.

Why?

Different situations and different demographics will be better for one or the other.

Example 1 Digital Card

I have been to a number of networking events where I have shown people my CARDSITE on my phone and instead of sharing my physical business card I have asked, “Would it be OK with you if I text you my CARDSITE ?”

If they answer, “Yes.” I then ask for their mobile phone number, press a tab on the CARDSITE screen on my phone, add their number and press send and voila! They have my details on their phone within seconds. They can then visit any of my links on my CARDSITE with a swipe or the press of a finger. Too easy!

Example 2 Traditional Card

I gave a Social Media for Florists presentation to the Professional Florists Association of NSW (New South Wales – Australia) on 1 February 2017 and before the dinner commenced I placed my business card and a small brochure for my business at each place on each dining table.

After my presentation, I only was able to meet a small proportion of the audience and only one text message was sent from my CARDSITE on my phone. So, at least each person at the event had my traditional business card to take away with them.

Some Final Thoughts

In a recent article Never put all eggs in one basket - Keep LinkedIn but Explore beBee, Javier Cámara Rica explains why beBee members should not ditch LinkedIn for beBee. The same principle applies to business cards, use both formats, at least at this point in time.

In my article Social Media Cross-Pollination Enhanced with beBee I discuss not only beBee in this process but also CARDSITE.

That being said, and the points discussed above, I believe we should use both digital and good quality cardboard business cards for Successful Personal Branding.

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beBee Profile https://www.bebee.com/bee/lancescoular

beBee Producer https://www.bebee.com/@lancescoular

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LanceScoular

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lancescoular

Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/LanceScoular

Check out my digital CARDSITE: http://www.mycard.site/LANCESCOULAR

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