How Technology Is Transforming Business Cards
10 billion business cards get printed in the United States every year. Of that, 88 percent of these get thrown out after the first week, according to CNN. This might lead some to wonder whether business cards have become a wasteful relic in an age of smartphones and social media when everything is going paperless. The fact is, they still have a role to play, though that role is changing. Here’s a look at how today’s technology has spawned digital and high-tech alternatives to business cards and how this is transforming the industry.
Digital options
With 433 million registered users, including 13 percent of all people aged 15 to 34, LinkedIn has become one of the most popular digital alternatives to the traditional business card. 40 percent of LinkedIn users check the site daily. they spend an average of 17 minutes a month browsing. LinkedIn enables you to include all the same contact information you would put on a business card, along with additional details about your work-related history, education, professional credentials and other items that would traditionally go on a resume. You can also use the site to network and promote yourself and your business by publishing content.
Another popular digital alternative is apps that enable smartphones to serve as means of exchanging contact information. Bump was the first to launch in 2008. It was successful enabling iOS and Android users to exchange contact information as well as photos and other files. Bump became so popular that Google bought the company and then shut it down in 2013.
However, Bump spawned a series of similar apps. These include Prestoh, CardFlick, CardCloud, SnapDat and Intro. One of the more recent apps, Haystack, allows users to scan both physical and create digital business cards.
High-Tech Business Cards
Other alternatives to the card include embed technology in physical cards. Some cards have QR codes that direct people to your LinkedIn profile or a page on your website.
Other business cards from providers such as MOO can embed near-field communication (NFC) chips that enable you to transmit information from your card to another NFC-equipped device by simply tapping your card to the device. With more and more smartphones such as the LG G5 coming equipped with NFC capability to support mobile payments, NFC alternatives to traditional business cards are bound to grow in popularity.
The Role of Paper
With the arrival of digital and high-tech business cards, that doesn’t mean traditional cards are going away. Traditional business cards remain a powerful tool in the business owner’s arsenal because they are effective. For every 2,000 business cards a company hands out, sales increase 2.5 percent.
In fact, today’s printing technology makes it easier than ever. You can print cards with designs more creative than ever before. Digital printing providers such as Avery have begun offering on-demand business cards. A business owner can print in small quantities rather than in the large amounts. Other providers such as Overnight Prints let you create business cards from online templates. They will then physically deliver to you.
With the arrival of high-tech printing and 3-D printing, business cards you can print them from an increasing range of materials in a growing variety of shapes. For instance, Paper and Packaging Board provides its staff members uses material with texture, corrugation, and paperboard paper with a colorful font on one side and a stamp foil on the other. Today business cards can include a shape with charts, yoga mats and even LEGO figures. Its incredible what you can do so your brand stands out.
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