How the Use of Business Cards Have Changed in the Last Decade

While there was a time when it seemed like every person couldn’t hand out their business cards fast enough and everyone had a collection of various cards gathering dust in their wallets, it seems that the popularity of business cards is finally starting to wane. While the explosion of business cards a decade ago was at times overwhelming and oversaturated, by no means are business cards dead today. In fact, there are many situations, settings, and cultures where business cards are still relevant. The way society uses business cards now, however, has slightly evolved in the past ten years.

Businesses are choosing quality over quantity of transactions. 

A decade ago, entrepreneurs may have handed out their business cards to every person they met in hopes that a few of them would convert. After years of trying this method, it’s apparent that a one-dimensional card isn’t the only factor that potential clients or network partners use to determine whether or not they will work with you. Today, a personal connection is often made before a business card is ever passed off. People who have experienced a positive interaction with someone are more likely to keep the card than those who haven’t. 

Creative designs are helping businesses stand out.

Business cards used to be quite basic. After collecting a myriad of similar looking white cards, they all start to blend together to a potential client. To stand out, businesses are now getting creative with the design and look of their business cards. Not only is color a big deal now, but different shapes, interactive cards, and even see-through cards are more popular now than ever before. Unexpected and creative touches to a business card help clients remember the giver and can help promote a brand even further. Especially unique cards may even get shared dozens of times on social media, furthering brand promotion.

Information shared is evolving.

Most business cards contain basic contact information such as phone number and email, along with the name of the person, the name of the business, and the website. However, with the rise of social networking, professional social media accounts are a must-list for modern business cards. People are more likely to find a company on a social media channel than keep a business card anyway, so many businesses are using their cards to bridge this gap instead. Professional headshots and calls to action are also commonly included on business cards today, as they are still widely used in a business’ marketing plan. 

Touched on above, handing out business cards to everyone and anyone is no longer considered an effective strategy. Businesses are now focusing on creating personal connections before passing off their contact information to a potential client or network partner. Instead of having a business card be the beginning, middle, and end of an interaction with someone, they are saved for the good-byes after a conversation has been had if the person wants to keep in touch. A decade ago, business cards held little value because everyone got one. Now, business cards are mainly given to people most likely to keep them and use them. 

Business cards are still viewed as the most professional hand-off of contact information, and it can be embarrassing to a business owner when they are caught without one when asked. Even with digital sharing of information, business cards are still the quickest and easiest way to exchange information, especially with certain audiences and in certain settings.

Business cards are used within rather than outside of a company. 

In large companies, employees are often given their own set of business cards. This can be helpful for promoting the business when they are off the clock. However, they are also helpful for a quick exchange of information with co-workers in other departments. Increasingly, it is becoming common for employees to utilize their business cards this way, especially if they are somewhere away from their computer or phone.

The way business cards were used in the past is certainly dead, and we are probably better off because of it. However, today’s adaptive business cards are still very much useful, especially when a unique element is incorporated into the design or they are given to the right people. If business cards aren’t working for a business, it may be time to update them!

Four Unique Ways to Integrate Business Cards into Your Marketing Strategy

You just bought a box of 10,000 business cards (because that’s what all business owners do, right?), but now what are you supposed to do with them? Some entrepreneurs feel awkward handing out their business card at networking events, while others are naturals at it. Are you supposed to give your business card out to everyone you meet, or should you target certain audiences? If you aren’t sure how business cards can be implemented into your marketing strategy, take a look at four unique ideas below to help you get started.

Partner with Related Services

The easiest marketing is when someone else does it for you, right? If you have worked with partner companies in the past, and they aren’t direct competition, it may be worth contacting them about displaying your cards for customers in need. For instance, a web design company can display cards for an online marketing company, and vice versa. If you’ve already built a trusted relationship with the company, they will naturally promote your business anyway. Give them a stack of cards to make it easier!

Include Special Offers or Discounts

When designing your business cards, think about who you will primarily be handing them to. Will they be new prospects, repeat customers, potential network partners, or perhaps all three? You may consider including a promotion or special discount on a percentage of the cards for potential customers so they are more likely to keep your card for future reference. People love saving money and finding a deal. Give them a reason to hang on to your card rather than toss it in the trash. 

If you want your discount to be flexible based on seasons or holidays, you can include a basic discount code (such as the name of your business) that customers can enter and you can change depending on what you want the discount to reflect. If the discount always stays the same, such as 10% off for every new customer, then the clarity can help customers remember exactly what they are keeping the card for. Punch cards or referral discounts can also be applied to the back of a business card, and be all the more reason for a customer to hang on to the card.

Include Landing Page Link

As part of your marketing strategy, you may have already created a landing page that is designed specifically to draw new customers into your brand and lead them to conversion pages. Instead of listing the basic home page of your website on your business cards, why not perform double-duty and list the landing page instead? As long as the landing page has a readable URL and easy for customers to type in (especially think about mobile users!), then this can be a great way to integrate in-person and online marketing strategies.

Get Creative with Placements

Not every business owner has time to attend a dozen networking events, conferences, or trade shows every year. Instead, they may have to find other creative ways to get their business cards in the hands of target prospects. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities in every day life to strategically place a business card. 

Community boards at coffee shops and grocery stores are easy and free ways to market a business. You can also head to a local bookstore or library and stick your business card in a few industry-related books (as long as the people in charge are cool with it). Or, you can hide a few of your business cards around town and make a scavenger-hunt type game out of it where the customer gets a discount if they find all of them. 

There are tons of creative ways to get your business card out there rather than spending hours talking to strangers at an event. The four ideas listed above are a few of the more unique ones to get the creative juices flowing. Business owners can also utilize friends and family, friends, neighbors, past clients, and co-workers to pass out cards, or include their cards in a mail marketing campaign. While in-person connections are always the most effective when it comes to a business card exchange strategy, it doesn’t mean you can’t get your information out there even when you can’t be physically present!

Seven Business Card Designs of the Future

Nearly every modern business utilizes business cards to promote themselves, yet they are often tossed in the trash by their recipients by the end of the week. While business cards continue as a staple in the business world (and it’s nice to have one available when a client asks), businesses need to adapt their cards to fit ever-shifting trends and stand out amongst the competition. Otherwise, the expense and hassle of creating a business card is a total waste. 

What inspires a client to keep your card in their wallet rather than toss it when they get home? For one, your business card must be eye-catching. You can achieve this through fonts, brand-colors, phrases, imagery, or even the shape of the card itself. Of course, the most important goal of a business card is to convey useful information to the client, such as name, email, website, and professional social media pages. If you aren’t sure where to begin in your business card design brainstorming session, take a look at the top seven on-trend business card designs of the future below to spark an idea or two.

Minimalistic

A business should convey some information on their business card, but overstuffing and overwhelming a card can be overkill. A customer doesn’t need to know details about specific products or services on a business card. They do need to know your website to find that information, however. Keep it short, sweet, and simple when it comes to how many lines of text you decide to include on your cards.

Along with the amount of words on the card, minimalistic amounts of color, fonts, and images are also on-trend right now. A single-color background with just the business name or logo on the front can help a card look clean, fresh, and professional. You can play around with foiled lettering or different textures to make it unique and un-boring. The important business information can be listed on the back without cluttering up the simple and bold advertisement on the front.

Transparent

Another interesting design idea that has been recently floating around is that of transparent business cards. A specific brand color or pattern can be applied to the transparent paper, but the uniqueness of the see-through design can help it stand out amongst competitors. Of course, transparent cards don’t work with every type of business, especially since transparency conveys a certain message. For instance, a data privacy company may not want see-through associated with its name. However, it may fit the theme of a window company. The takeaway is that businesses are no longer limited to traditional cardstock for business card backgrounds, and they can experiment with different types of material.

Out-of-the-Rectangle

Businesses are no longer limited to the traditional rectangle shape for business cards either. To stand out, some businesses are experimenting with different shapes and sizes for their business cards. Of course, business cards should still serve the practical purpose of storing until future need and easily fit inside a wallet or card carrier. 

Interactive

Depending on the type of business, interactive cards can be a fun way to hold the attention of a client or future client. Cards that fold into different objects or have hidden pull-and-slide messages are unique and fun for clients to fidget with when they are familiarizing themselves with your contact information. If anything, these types of cards will definitely be remembered for their distinctive designs.

Social

Just like other types of marketing, business cards should display professional social media accounts as a way for customers to connect with a business. Even if they don’t use the services or products right away, they may want to connect digitally before tossing a card. If a business spends a lot of time marketing and/or selling on social media, this is essential information to include.

Humorous

Humor is a universal language, and it can stand out and intrigue just as much as a color scheme, font, or design. Humor, puns, and sarcasm especially resonate with younger target audiences. Whether it’s through clever imagery or a play on words, many businesses are now incorporating humor into their business card designs to help make a lasting impression with their clients.

Multi-Purpose

A business card can serve two or more functions if you get creative. Instead of handing out multiple cards for different purposes to potential clients, why not just hand them one? If you offer 10% off to new clients, you can include this deal on the card. Or, if there’s a page on your website specifically created for potential clients, you can put this URL on the card in place of the standard homepage. You can even turn a business card into a “frequent customer” card and offer a free product or service for every 10 punches on the back. Businesses are consolidating some of this information onto one card that increases the chances that a customer will keep it longer than a day or a week.