Are Business Cards Still Relevant In 2020?
Out with the old and in with the new. It's 2020, and virtually everything has gone digital. With that said, however, business cards are still just as important as ever before.
I have been caught out a couple of times when potential customers have asked for my business card, and I haven't had one on me!
Ever since COVID-19 introduced worldwide lockdowns, more and more business networks have been established and maintained through LinkedIn, Zoom and Google Hangouts. Networking events have gone digital, and there is sufficient evidence to suggest many of these events may continue to remain digital, in full or in part, even after the lockdown is lifted.
With these digital communication tools, an obvious networking question arises: are business cards still relevant in 2020?
The short answer here is yes; business cards are definitely still relevant in 2020. But how and when they are used has undoubtedly seen a change.
Branding
Most of us in business are aware of the importance of branding and consistency across our marketing channels. Everything from your logo and colours to fonts and writing style should remain consistent if you're going to be even somewhat successful at building a brand. Your business cards are no different.
You'll most likely be giving out your business card at networking events or even to strangers you meet by chance at both business and non-business events. Because of this, your business card will often be the first glimpse someone catches of your brand so portraying your brand accordingly through your business card is essential.
I'd advise hiring a designer to help you with the creation process. Good designers are skilled in being able to portray your brand in the right and best possible way. I'll pop some recommendations for designers at the bottom of this article.
Professionalism
A 2017 Forbes article asked business experts to share their thoughts on the use of business cards. There's a real mix of responses here, but one thing that comes to light is the professional benefits of an old-school business card. You don't want to be the only person to show up to a networking event without their business card!
Digital Business Cards
The rise of digital business cards is seemingly unstoppable. The point of an e-business card (or digital business card) is to create a single, simple, shareable file with all of your contact details. They are usually clickable, interactive files rather than PNG or JPG images which can't contain links (note, PDF files can contain links so consider this as an excellent go-to file type.)
My advice; get yourself a digital version of your physical cards too!
An aid to digital media
Having a business card alone just won't cut it. You need to be on social media (we usually recommend Twitter and LinkedIn for B2B services) and you need to be online in the more general sense with a website and visibility in the search engine results. Just with any form of marketing, taking one and only one route, just won't cut it.
Having a physical business card to take to events is far more professional and far more personal than just asking someone to add you on LinkedIn while you're speaking with them. Don't forget to add your social information to your card though so your potential new connection can "internet stalk" you when they're back in their office!
Personalisation
Make your business card your own! Don't overlook the point we made earlier about branding, but don't forget to make your business card your own. Where possible, try not to choose a generic template that might leave you with a card that looks exactly like someone else!
Take a look at our recommendations for designers below to find a top-notch designer for your business card needs!
Recommended Designers
Hello I’m Nik Design provides unique design services for businesses both big and small. Skilled in design, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and more, Nik is the perfect candidate for all things design! Nik is also a keen photographer now regularly undertaking photography work for Unsplash.
The Design Bunch work closely with both startups and established businesses big or small, creating engaging and well-researched design solutions at affordable prices.