As a graphic designer who started in the world of print, I love my colorful, paper business cards, printed on heavy stock with orange edging, and I remember the days when I handed out hundreds every year.
I still use paper cards, as do most of my professional service firm clients, albeit in lower quantities. Now, with so much happening online, many of my clients have asked questions about digitally sharing their contact info. Here are a few ways to make that happen:
vCards
vCards are easy to generate and email to people. They work pretty seamlessly, so recipients can add your contact info directly to their address book. You can include a link to your vCard in your email signature as well as on your bio page on your firm’s website. We typically code websites so that vCards are dynamically generated, saving a significant amount of time and minimizing upkeep.
QR Codes
There are several ways to leverage a QR code to share contact information. You can print a QR code on a business card, typically in addition to the standard contact info that you share on the card. The QR code can then do one of several things. It can (A) be generated to contain all of your contact info and directly download the vCard. It can (B) link to a vCard that is hosted on a server. Option (A) takes fewer steps, but the QR code will be much larger — approximately an inch or more square, compared with option (B), where the code can be about half an inch in size. Considering that a standard business card is only 2″ x 3.5″, the larger code takes up a lot of real estate. A third option (C), that I prefer, is linking the (smaller-sized) QR code to your bio page on your firm’s website. There, people can find contact info and read more about you and your areas of expertise. Option (C) drives traffic to your website, where visitors can continue exploring and learning more about you and your firm. Of course, this requires that you have a unique bio page on your firm’s website.
Occasionally, we get asked about including a QR code in email signatures, but this is generally not recommended. If someone receives an email with a QR code in the sig, they’d need to hold their phone up to the computer screen to scan the QR code to access the vCard (which is unlikely). And if they are reading the email ON their phone, then what? It’s better to use a vCard in the sig.
If you’ve never created a QR code and are unsure about the different types and how to get started, here’s a good place to begin. If you use Adobe InDesign, you can make QR codes right from there.
Digital Business Cards
For in-person networking, a newer solution is a digital business card. These are typically sturdy, one-of-a-kind cards (like a credit card) that often have a QR code printed on them and/or use NFC (Near Field Communication) that ties to your contact info. How they work, exactly, varies a bit by company. When interacting at a networking event, rather than handing a prospect a paper business card, they scan and download your contact information directly to their phone. Many systems also let you share your photo and other information. It’s nice that your contact information is immediately in the prospect’s address book, and you’ve avoided wasting paper. Personally, I enjoy reviewing paper cards after an event, as it helps me remember who I’ve spoken with. Do some research before you dive into investing in digital business cards for your firm. There are a number of options out there, and all have their pros and cons.
Are Paper Cards Over?
I love designing printed stationery and business cards and hope they do not go the way of the dodo. For me, beautiful cards are like little gifts. I love touching the paper’s texture and admiring the colors. But many get tossed away, and there are, of course, environmental concerns. So, what do you think? Should we retire the printed business card? Let me know your thoughts!
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