Paper business cards were once the eminent method of networking. You could share your contact information and highlight your brand on a palm-sized rectangle of cardstock. However, digital transformation has rendered physical business cards obsolete. Brands embracing digital business cards (DBCs) gain a competitive advantage by providing customers with a unique, seamless, omnichannel experience that won’t fall out of a purse or pocket and be lost forever.
The DBC market is growing and is projected to reach $242.3 million by 2027, but most people have yet to take advantage of this technology.
The Technology Behind DBCs
powered by dynamic QR codes — DBCs safely store your professional or personal contact information online in a virtual contact file (.vcf). You can share DBCs via digital wallets, email signatures, social media sites and other online platforms.
You can also embed your DBC’s QR code on a single, physical paper-based card that each new contact scans to save and access information on their mobile device. This ease of use is just one of the many benefits of a DBC.
Benefits of Digital Business Cards
Using a DBC is advantageous for many reasons, including:
Convenience – Unlike traditional business cards, users can share DBCs through contactless email or a digital wallet. In the era of video calls and virtual meetings, contactless sharing offers a major benefit over physical cards requiring face-to-face contact for distribution.
Unlimited storage – A paper business card has limited space. Multiple phone numbers, social media handles or website URLs may not all fit – or may feel crowded. A DBC never runs out of room.
Editability – If you’re using a paper business card, any change in your information — a promotion, a new phone number or a different email address — requires you to print new, updated cards, wasting the originals. You can update your information on the spot with a DBC, knowing it will immediately reflect the change for everyone who scanned the code.
Reliability – People discard almost 90% of physical business cards within a week of receipt. Kept cards still risk being damaged, lost or forgotten. DBCs eliminate these risks and also offer a reliable solution for sending your contact information to geographically-dispersed people via the connected QR code.
Data collection ability – DBCs gather first-party data like total scans, the number of unique clients reached, best-performing cards and card engagement. Marketing teams can leverage information to develop or adjust marketing initiatives.
Lower costs – The average annual cost to print paper business cards can soar up to $194 per employee. An organization with only 10 people still spends nearly $2,000 every year just for business cards. Investing in DBCs will significantly lower the cost per person. With some DBC subscriptions costing as low as $5 per person per month, you can save over $74 per person annually.
Environmental impact – Paper-based business cards consume over 7 million trees annually to meet demand. In a business landscape increasingly focused on sustainable solutions, introducing DBCs demonstrates your company’s commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.
Best Practices for Leveraging Digital Business Cards
Organizations pivoting to DBCs should stick to the following best practices.
- Showcase your brand identity through your DBCs. These highly customizable cards can include your company logo, brand colors and relevant CTAs.
- Beyond basic contact details, you can link DBCs to customized landing pages optimized for mobile display and that feature product deals. A well-designed landing page full of relevant information ensures your brand will make a positive, lasting impression.
- Share your DBC everywhere! Put the QR code in your email signature, in social media posts and on physical collateral. Sharing it in multiple places also reinforces the omnichannel experience consumers seek.
DBCs provide flexibility and ease of use for organizations and teams of all sizes. In the face of the ongoing push for digital transformation in the business world, DBCs will drive the future of professional connectivity.
Author
Get our newsletter and digital focus reports
Stay current on learning and development trends, best practices, research, new products and technologies, case studies and much more.
