Digital Business Cards  Vs  Printed Business Cards

Digitization is a word people are throwing around loosely these days. Digitalization starts in your mind. Cloud, Digitization, Sustainability and Automation tools are trends driving companies and professionals in achieving their business objectives by driving costs lower.

Digital business card is a modern way to share your contact information.  Paper business cards are the preferred global business etiquette. However, in the current one-device-fits-all world where smartphones are taking over everything, printed business cards’ importance is slowly diminishing.

Although paper business cards are great but are “one time” use products – people look at the card for 2 seconds and then put it in their pockets.  When they return to their office it ends up in a pile on the desk, soon to be forgotten or lost.  90% of printed business cards are lost or thrown away.

In this modern digital age, they don’t particularly enhance one-on-one interactions. Besides being a convenient way to share your contact information, what else do they do? How to save the other person’s contact information?  Can you easily Share with colleagues?  Do they integrate with calendar software so you can quickly follow up with people? Unfortunately, the answer is no. In this digital age, you want a business card that is fully functional, provides connectivity and integrates with the way you manage your contacts, such as LinkedIn.

If you agree, we have a solution that is perfect for you: ShareEcard

ShareEcard uses OCR technologies to convert analogue business card information to digital, thereby ensuring that business connections are available at your fingertips.

In China, many people just exchange WeChat contacts, and in Silicon Valley many people just connect via any mutually useful messenger service, social network, or email address.

You should have great Digital Business Cards so that your Prospects choose you over your competitors.

You can even get You can even get custom napkins with logo printed on them. printed on them.

Finally, ask yourself the question:  Do you want to create “Carbon footprint”  or a “Digital Footprint”.   Digitalization starts in your mind

Business cards are printed to be thrown away. I know they can look really cool — metal, gold-leaf, embossed, magnetic, doubles as a bottle opener, etc. However, if you’re anything like me, your post-network event timeline goes something like this:

·        Get back to the office.

·        Throw them in your Desk drawer or add to an existing pile in a rubber band.

·        Or Scan them using a free App and never look at them again.

·        Or simply throw it away.

Sound about, right?

Don’t get me wrong, contact information is incredibly important — office number, cell phone number and email address — but we’ve moved beyond the traditional business card, especially now that nearly all of us carry around a Smartphone. Your smartphone provides an even better opportunity to connect with people beyond a 3.5” X 2” piece of paper.

You should be proud of your Digital business card’s appearance and aesthetic. There is something special to ‘being different’ and presenting your credentials and contact information in a highly unique manner. So don’t downplay any aspect of your Digital business card. Never apologize for your irreverence for convention. Think of yourself as a trailblazer and thought leader who is not afraid of being innovative. So, when someone asks you if you have a business card on-hand, respond ‘no. I have something better’. Then present your digital business card. This style of response intrigues the other party, is a definite conversation starter, and boosts your image.

When the obligatory, “Do you have a business card?” question comes up, answer back with, “Yes, a Digital Business Card — can I share with you via SMS, email or do you want to scan using QR code”.

Instead of handing out business cards (which inevitably head for the recycle bin), take the opportunity to digitally connect with someone at your next event or conference.

It might feel weird going to your next networking event without printed business cards, but it’s worth a try with just using Digital Business Cards.

When you hand over that printed business card, who knows where it might end up. With a Digital Business Card, you will help make yourself more memorable and your contact data is sure to be preserved.

Do not look down upon those who lack a Digital Business Card. If you meet someone who hands you a traditional business card, do not criticize them or make any sort of joke about their lack of tech prowess. Some people either prefer to see others making the transition first, or just still trying to finish off a pack of thousands of traditional business cards they printed 8 years ago. Your digital card will prove quite memorable and might even inspire them to take the digital route.

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