Digital Business Card; All You Need To Know and Steps to Create One

Share The Knowledge

As the saying goes, there’s always that one last step that precedes the point of success or the point of backing-out. This is true especially for startups and young entrepreneurs alike. A single change of decision can turn things around for your business. And that is exactly why life is too short to not stuff a mushroom. And speaking of mushrooms, your business card is one of the most underrated sources of potential customers. How about you leverage it by learning how to create and use digital business cards?

“Digital business card, huh? What does that even mean?”

I hear you say. In this article, I’ll take you through everything you need to know about electronic business cards. I’ll show you how to create one for your business and how to effectively use it for your campaigns. Drill in.

What Is A Digital Business Card? Get In The Known

To simply put, a digital business card, aka e-card, is the virtual representation of your physical business card. It is like creating an online presence and bringing your brick-and-mortar store or your physical business location online where 76% of your potential customers spend 86% of their day. But not only does an e-card connect you to more customers, it equally serves as a brand awareness tool, and an automatic lead generation magnet. Note that a lead may include new coworkers, new business partners, and more. These have never been achieved before with a business card.

Before recommending the tools you need to create one for your ventures right now on your mobile phone, let me expand upon why using a digital business card is the next available option.

Why Use A Digital Business Card?

Tap into the market; in this digital age, a brick-and-mortar business that has no online location or an online presence is long dead and forgotten. In the same light, without getting digital with your business cards, you’re missing out on untapped markets where your business would strive with less competition.
Video Embedment; as far as I know, it’s presently impossible to embed videos on paper. And since videos are the most digitally-consumed contents, the possibility of embedding a video in your electronic business card cannot be overlooked. First and foremost, videos are an effective promotional strategy and a potent way to advertise the bigger picture.
Calendar Software Integration; calendar software is a cost-effective way to create reminders for the deadline of offers, alert customers of new developments, and keep your clients posted on their work progress. Luckily, e-cards offer calendar software integration at no or less cost.
Multiple Business Information; e-cards are like a micro-website for your business. You can stretch-out chunks of information about your business on a single one since they offer unlimited space.

While you don’t want to miss out on all of these opportunities, you also want to debate paper cards and e-cards to see which is better. Right?

The Pros And Cons Of Paper Versus Digital Business Cards

Advantages Of Paper Cards

Easy to grab attention; paper-based cards are bolder. They can be seen, touched, and felt. With the right graphic design and paper size, you can grab your client’s attention faster with a physical card that speaks volume of your company.
Easy to hand out; you can dispense papers easier and share them with a total stranger on the road without asking for their contacts.
Personal connection; since paper-based cards are shared physically and not behind a screen, they offer the opportunity to create a first impression and develop a personal connection with a client on the spot.

Disadvantages Of Paper Cards

Updates Cost Money; as your business grows in size and locations, there’s an inevitable need to update your card with new information. A new update requires a complete design and that wastes the pre-printed cards away.
Discarded Faster; according to studies, 88% of paper cards end up in the trash can every day. Bad investment, right?
Massive Production Cost; the cost of creating a paper-based card may create a monthly budget. For one, you need a professional graphic designer. Also, there’s the printing cost that can’t be avoided.
Not Environmental-Wise; hundreds of trees are sliced down annually in the name of papers that end in the trash cans. Huh!

Advantages Of Digital Business Cards

Fast and simple sharing; no need to shake hands or interrupt passersby. Just send your card out to their social media handles, their mails, or their phone numbers.
Easy updating; you can update an e-card a thousand times a day without spending a dime. I’ll teach you the process later on.
Cost-effective; no monthly budget on papers and printers.
Media pages attachment; you can attach all your business social media pages and make yourself more available to the world.
Unique; e-cards are yet to gain attention and can be a unique way to get ahead of the competition secretly.

Disadvantages Of Electronic Cards

Lacking in personal touch; since sharing is done behind the screen, an electronic card may not create a physical connection like a paper would.

10 Best Applications For Creating Digital Business Cards

Note that while some of these apps are free to use, most of them require a plan subscription.

HayStack
Switchit
Inigo
Clinck
OneCard
SnapDat
CamCard
L-Card Pro
eVaunt
Knowee

How To Create And Use A Digital Business Card (Step-by-Step)

The process of creating your e-card depends largely upon your designing application of choice or your platform. Some platforms offer free tutorial videos to subscribers. Regardless of the case, here’s a step by step process on how to create a digital business card on iPhone or Android phones.

Step 1; the very first thing to be done is to brainstorm on business card ideas. You may browse through the existing business cards of the businesses in your industry to have an idea of what your card should look like.
Step 2; sketch your imagination on paper and show it to a business friend or a partner.
Step 3; determine the size and layout out of your design. Play with color palettes to come up with something meaningful and eye-grabby.
Step 4; signup and download your designing software on your phone.
Step 5; follow your sketch in step 3 and flesh out your imagination step-by-step.
Step 6; include videos, your business logo, phone numbers, and your business social media handles.
Step 7; edit your design and send out as many copies as your platform allows you to share with your customers.

Conclusion

If you can’t wrap your head around designing a professional business card, you may decide to hire a professional graphic designer online. Either way, the goal is to have your own digital business card that you may send out at will.

Digital Business Card; All You Need To Know and Steps to Create One

Source