Business Cards: Fast Becoming A Luxury And Why You Need Them In 2020
In this day and age where everything is digital, carrying a business card surely looks rudimentary. However, make no mistakes; these 3.5 x 2 inches piece of paper can be the only point of contact the way one will remember you and your brand.
In the contemporary world, business cards are a sine qua non (essential) for branding and spreading brand awareness. Keep business cards is subjective to businesses and to people using cards for connecting in 2020.
In the modern world, where everything is contibuously evolving business cards keep us grounded with roots way deep in glorious past.
A Business Card Is A, “Sine Qua Non,” For A Positive First Impression
A Glorious Transition From A Necessity To Luxury:
Business card history can be traced back to 17th-century Europe. While some of the claims link business cards to 15th-century China. During these early days of their existence, they were visiting cards. Like literal visiting cards.
They were used to announce the arrival of aristocrats or someone of the same stature. Now coming back to the modern-day where tech dominates are day to day lives. A phone number or email address are more important than having crucial contact information on a piece of paper.
The business cards are jumping the societal strata again. Now they are no more a necessity like the olden times. It is more of a luxury in the current time. Everyone carrying one has reasons to keep business cards. Some of them are illustrated down below:
Do You Need Business Cards In Modern Times?
For the majority of the public answer should be a definite “No.” But for people with significant business movites. Business cards are still relevant in the modern-day. Especially to quickly share business information is very important to anyone and everyone you meet. It is crucial for business awareness and creating new prospects.
Thus if you carry business cards, they won’t harm you. So if something is not causing you trouble, it’s okay to bring them with you—one more significant reasons to keep the business cards with you.
Low Cost For A Long-lasting Impression:
The more people know about your business more prospects you have. Additionally, if you can imprint a lasting impression with a very inexpensive piece of paper. There is nothing likely to replace it at least for a couple of more years.
Printing business cards will cost pennies compared to other known means of branding or paid advertising. With such nominal investment, you even don’t have to think about sneaky ways to find out the return on investment. There is nothing cheaper than printing an army of business cards to spread your brand.
Nothing Can Beat The Portability Of A Business Card:
They are created in a pocketable size for easy carrying and comfort. These pocketable cards are the perfect way one can distribute relevant information about your business to potential clients. The portability also means you can distribute business cards to anyone and everyone you meet.
As there is no harm in distributing business cards to every individual you meet. You never know when it lands with someone who can really benefit your business. And business card exchange is the fastest way to exchange information if you don’t get time to confabulate.
Business Cards Are Consequential For Branding, Even In 2020
Branding refers to the visual identity created to create a brand. It plays a crucial role in building a brand and provide visual meaning to the brand. This visual story created for the brand also helps to convey the brand’s personality, message, and values.
Branding is a long term brand awareness strategy. It helps a prospects or customer to remember the services and products your business offers. Now we are trying to understand branding briefly here because business cards are an essential part of branding material built to create brand awareness.
Impactful Design:
In a world where every business is trying to stand out from one another, design can be a decisive factor for differentiation. Therefore spend significant time improving the designs of your branding material and especially business cards. Think about the colors and their psychological impact on consumer behavior.
Select a bold font to exaggerate the design and stand out from other business cards. The design will ultimately provide face to your blank canvas of a business. Take examples from the book of most recognizable brands across the planet. Study their design ideologies before you plan branding and design for your business.
A Creative Business Card Is More Likely To Be Shared:
Business awareness is the chief purpose and an end goal for any business existing on this planet. As more recognition drives more customers and vice versa. A well designed, stylish business card is likely to gain a lot of attention even in a stack of business cards.
Then your card has succeeded on its journey to spread the glory of your business across the intended group of people. Things should be well defined on a creative business card. Information about your business and whereabouts should be precise and correct.
Business Card Is Vital To Do Business In Japan:
In the land of the rising sun, you cannot complete a business meeting or establish business relations without exchanging a business card.
All you need is a robust attendance management system to manage your business and employees. The Japanese businessmen are very keen and particular about exchanging business card custom. If no business cards are exchanged, it is said to be disrespectful and unprofessional.
Thus if you ever land in Japan for business, do remember to carry loads of business cards with you, “No Pun Intended.”
Exchanging Business Cards Is Culturally Appropriate:
Not only in Japan…
Exchanging business cards has been a long-lasting tradition or custom in formal business environments. Thus people expect a business card when they hand theirs. There is an enormous amount of people following this custom in a business settings.
Whenever you face such individuals, you should be ready to hand over or exchange business cards. And make sure your business card looks good and stands out from the rest of the cards. Because for him, your business card is the only point of interaction with your business.
Quintessential Business Card Elements:
- Brand name with the logo.
- Colors are a visually represents your brand and its core values.
- Use bold and dark fonts for your business card to stand out.
- Shape and orientation of your business cards.
- Type of paper.
- Negative space on a business card is important too.
Summing Up
Business cards still have a lot of relevant time ahead before they become obsolete. Compare it to paper document vs. the digital documents. The majority of our documents virtually exist, but with them, we still are using physical papers.
This co-existence will always be there till the foreseeable future. Same for sharing contact information, we’ll either use a business card or any other digital medium. These small pieces of paper will keep on communicating and spreading our businesses until the end of time.
About the Author!
Divyang Metaliya is a Business Consultant at FactoHR Attendance Management System, based on India. He is a creative business strategist with more than 8 years of experience.
Yes, I agree business cards are an essential part of branding. Thank you for sharing quintessential business card elements. I will create my business card according to this one. Do you have any idea about digital business cards? It is in trends. Can you tell us something about digital cards or from where can we get it?