Whether you’re at a conference, trade show, or client meeting, giving a business card is still the easiest way to make a connection and exchange information.
However, did you know that 88% of cards get lost after a week? People either misplace it, forget it at the bottom of their bags, or even accidentally trash it. That’s tons of wasted networking opportunities or lost potential business connections!
The solution to this dilemma? Digital business cards. It’s your modern, tech-savvy alternative for a more convenient, accessible, and smarter way to exchange contact info.
In this article, let’s explore what digital business cards are, how they can boost your sales and marketing strategies, and how you can create one for your business.
Let’s get started!
What Are Digital Business Cards?
Digital business cards are paperless versions of traditional business cards.
Instead of being printed on a physical card or paper, it lives online. It is then shared via links or QR codes that you can scan on your phone.
Some digital cards are also near-field communication (NFC) enabled, which means you don’t even need to scan them; you just need to tap them near your phone. How convenient, right?
Digital business cards can contain the information you typically see on physical cards (such as name, contact number, email) and so much more. As these are digital, you can include interactive content like video introductions, product demos, 3D maps, virtual try-ons, and more.
You also have more "space" to put information, as you don’t need to squeeze everything into a small card. You can just link to a landing page, which can link to your website or product demos.
Unlike paper cards that can get lost, crumpled, or forgotten, digital business cards are inherently "sturdier." After all, we imagine losing your phone is harder than a tiny piece of paper!
7 Benefits of Digital Business Cards in Sales and Marketing
Benefits of digital business cards
Here’s how digital business cards can help you level up your sales and marketing game:
1. Instant updates
Need to update the information on your card? Maybe you changed your phone number or had a new job title. Maybe your office has moved to a new location. Or maybe your company did a complete rebranding.
With paper cards, this means redesigning and reprinting your cards all over again. That’s a huge waste of money, not to mention the time and effort spent on redesigning.
Plus, it’s not like reprints can be done instantly. You’ll have to wait for the updated card to be delivered before you can use it. So if you have an event coming up, you either won’t have a card to give away, or you’ll use your outdated card. That’s a lot of wasted networking opportunities!
But with digital business cards, this is not a problem. Updates can be done in real time. You’ll just need to update your digital business card maker or app with the correct information, and everyone with your link or QR code will instantly see the latest version.
This means your business card is always accurate, up to date, and consistent, which is essential when presenting to new leads or clients. You don’t want to give a negative impression by giving a card with your new number hastily scribbled on top, or have them not be able to contact you since your info is wrong.
2. Can be integrated with CRM and marketing tools
Most digital business cards can now integrate directly with CRM, email marketing, or lead-nurturing platforms.
This means that when someone scans your card or clicks your link, you can automatically add them to your email list or sync their data to your CRM platforms. This reduces time spent on manual data entry and reduces the chances of human error when transferring data.
Your leads can also be automatically segregated into different sales funnels or email segments based on their data and behavior. This makes it easier for you to send them personalized and targeted content, which gives you better engagement.
Digital business cards also streamline follow-up processes. This is because you can set triggers on your card based on interactions. For example, you can automate it so that when a prospect views your digital card for a second time, they will be sent an email about your service. You can also set a reminder email if they haven’t viewed your card in five days. And so on.
3. Can be tracked with analytics
Identifying the success of your networking efforts is difficult to do with paper cards. After all, you have no way of knowing what they do with your card after you’ve given it away.
But with a digital business card, you actually have access to these insights. You can track data like:
- How many people viewed your card
- Which links they clicked
- Where the traffic came from
- What device they used
- What time they are usually active
All this data can help you understand how your prospects are interacting with your card. This information can help you plan your marketing accordingly and identify what you need to change or focus on.
For example, you may find that most people click your calendar link. This means you can emphasize booking a meeting in your next pitch. Or if you find that your LinkedIn profile gets ignored, you can try revamping it or removing it altogether.
4. Better conversion opportunities
Most of the action that happens after you give a paper card relies on your prospect.
You need to hope that they won’t forget your card, that they’ll make an effort to search up your website, or that they’ll actually explore your social media profiles.
Luckily, digital business cards reduce this long journey between connection and conversion. Since they can be embedded with CTAs like "Book a Call" or "Watch our Demo Now", you can A) subtly persuade your prospect to take the next step, and B) guide them to the next action without having them work for it.
Most information is also just directly linked and readily available on a digital business card. Your prospect just needs to click, which again reduces friction.
5. Easier logistics for your team
If your team is spread across cities (or even continents!), ordering, printing, and distributing paper cards can be a logistical nightmare.
Digital business cards eliminate this problem, as one can easily create or update their card even while sitting at home.
Digital business cards are also more convenient for team members who are always on the move, like your sales reps, account managers, and consultants. They won’t have to worry about running out of cards or forgetting them at the office. And since it lives on their phone, they can easily exchange information during networking events.
6. Wider networking opportunities
Paper cards are physical items, which means you can only exchange them in person or at face-to-face events. This means your networking opportunities are severely limited.
This is not the case for digital business cards. As these are just links or QR codes, you can have them anywhere – your email signature, website, portfolio, pitch decks, and even your Google Wallet. This can help expand your networking reach.
7. More features and interactivity
Digital business cards go beyond the typical information shared in a paper card.
Instead of just listing down your name, phone number, and email, your digital business card can now directly link to your:
- Website
- Portfolio
- Social media accounts
- E-commerce store
- Campaign landing page
- Webinar
- Contact form
- Calendar
- Product demos
- Case studies
- Embedded maps
- Downloadable resources like ebooks, whitepapers, or presentations
And so much more!
As you can see, your cards are not just a simple container of your contact information. They now serve as a mini marketing page for your business.
Digital also means that there is no limit to how your card can look. Want to add an animated logo? Want to add a glittering effect when someone clicks your link? The sky’s the limit.
This makes for more eye-catching and unique cards, which makes you more memorable to your prospects' minds.
How To Create Effective Digital Business Cards
Ready to move into digital business cards? Here’s a quick guide on how to set up yours:
Choose the right platform
The platform that you choose will dictate the features of your digital card.
For example, Design.com and Canva can give you visually stunning designs, but have limited features or integrations compared to others. But if your priority is design or if you don’t need intensive analytics, these are great choices.
If you’re looking for more advanced cards with integrations and team features, consider Blinq, HiHello, or Beaconstac.
And if you want NFC cards, check out Wave, Popl, or Mobilo.
Design your card
Include essential info like:
- Your full name
- Your professional title
- Company name and logo
- Email address
- Phone number
- Website
- Social media profiles, but only add the ones relevant to your business
These are your must-haves. If you don’t have a logo or a proper brand name yet, make sure to use a logo maker or business name generator tool first. Remember, you need to get your branding right before you even start networking.
Done with this? Next is to add other info or features.
Now, this doesn’t mean adding all that you can just because it's possible with a digital card. For example, a calendar link is great for consultants or sales reps since they are the ones who usually do pitches. But it doesn’t make sense for an in-house web page developer to have that on their card, right?
Only add the ones relevant to you. For example, an embedded map is great for businesses with multiple locations, while a portfolio is great for freelance artists or writers.
Distribute strategically
Last is how you can make people actually see your cards.
For online distribution, make sure to link your digital card to your email signature, social media profile, and website. Add them to the end of your presentations or pitch decks for easier follow-up. You can even share it in your LinkedIn messages to turn your casual chats into potential leads.
How about in physical events? You can add your QR code to your brochure, flyers, or posters. If you have a booth, you can display it there or on your signage for easier access.
Adding some context can also help. A short message like "Here’s all my info in one link" can subtly direct their attention to your QR code while not feeling forceful or sales-like.
