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Freelance Switch recently published a post about creating memorable business cards, and it got me thinking about my own business cards, which I just reordered through Vista Print a few months ago (see above). These are not drastically different from the business cards I had before (which, admittedly, I still had a few hundred left), but I wanted to make a few little tweaks and decided that I could justify that small extra expense for branding purposes.
While at the writer's conference back in October, I exchanged business cards with at least a dozen other writers and noticed that little variations (for instance, a vertical card instead of the usual horizontal) made a big impression. I thought I'd experiment with using color and copy on the back of the card to be a little different. (For some wackier ideas for business cards, read this post from QuickSprout.)
But here's the thing.
We already had a booklet listing all of the attendees and their contact information, so while exchanging cards was a nice symbolic gesture, it wasn't really necessary. I don't have a good system for organizing physical cards, and I suspect that most people are in the same boat. My Rolodex is already overflowing, so I tend to search my email account before I'll flip through a stack of cards.
Nowadays a lot of people just whip out their BlackBerries or iPhones and add you to their contact list (or Facebook friends or Twitter account) on the spot without exchaging any paper products. And while face-to-face networking is certainly valuable, you can cast a wider net by networking online. The online equivalent is your Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn profile, and those are a lot easier and cheaper to update.
All of this begs the question - will we still be using paper business cards five years from now? How about 10 years? And can anyone help me find a better system for organizing business cards until then?
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Comments
03.10.09
Until we're all sporting some sort of blue tooth chip that beams our contact info to other people, business cards are probably here to stay.
Sounds like you need a business card scanner for quick processing and easy searching of your card catalog.
03.10.09
Hey there-
Very interesting post. Part of me feels behind the curve, as I just recently posted on networking and included (what I thought was) the most necessary item: business cards!
I definitely agree with the expanse of online networking and its myriad advantages. But I also feel like that physical reminder is a good one--even if it means That Future Contact you met at the conference only refers to your card to find you online. If nothing else, it is another foot in their door, which as we know, is the door we want to eventually walk through.
Thanks for these ideas--and all the best-
Andrew Stuhl
03.10.09
Very interesting post. In some ways it's logical to think that business cards will go the way of newspapers as the Internet develops even further, but I agree with the other commentors that they'll still be around for a while. Take your example of the writer's conference. You said you got a booklet with everyone's names and info, so why exchange cards? Sure, everyone in the booklet was there, but you probably didn't meet them all. The cards were likely from people who you made the effort to speak to personally, and therefore having their cards shows you who made the same effort.
03.10.09
It usually takes a very long time for generations to adapt to the newest technology. I don't foresee business cards going anywhere for quite some time. They are a lot quicker to hand out than to open your electronic devise and punch in contact information.
03.10.09
I have to totally agree with your question. I rarely carry business cards, but I have noticed that when I'm networking with those people who are older than I am, I am often at a loss for passing something on. The other thing I wrangle with is how to manage business cards for my professional life and my personal life. Are both necessary? Interested to keep up with this post.
03.11.09
I don't think business cards are passe at this point. I've used mine to include links to my social networking profiles (and my Visual CV) that wouldn't be included in the traditional listing of conference attendees; plus, I meet more people outside of conferences anyway. I always make it a point to make notes on business cards about the people who gave them to me - where I met them, what we talked about, etc. The notes are then much easier to keep track of compared to writing on a piece of paper or elsewhere.
I feel you on the organization question. One suggestion that I implemented recently: I asked around to my friends to see who wanted to make a few bucks and found someone almost immediately. I paid her $10 an hour to data enter my contacts into a spreadsheet that could be imported to outlook, my phone and various social networking sites. I know it seems kind of condescending or something, but she didn't mind doing it, she got paid and I got my contacts entered without paying hundreds for a scanning system. (Afterward, I threw the cards out - now if someone has a suggestion on recycling or reusing these, I'm all ears).
03.11.09
As for organization of business cards, this has helped me immensely.
03.13.09
Thanks for all the tips on organizing business cards! I think they are still a necessary prop for networking events and conferences, but I suspect we'll begin to see some kind of shift over the next several years. Perhaps a way to micro-target the messaging on your cards to the person you're talking to? Right now that's another issue I have with biz cards in general.
03.13.09
Interesting discussion.
I was at a networking event just a couple of days ago and because we were with Boomer generation folks, people did have business cards.
I suspect that until Gen Y and younger Gen X people become the leaders and executives, business cards will still be a necessary accessory.
Having said that, I tend to agree that it is tough to keep them organized! I need to get a rolodex or business card organizer rather than just keeping them in my briefcase.
I also do what one poster does - write on the back of each where and when I met the person. It is much easier to then stay in touch. I do transfer contact info from business cards to outlook, address books on my email accounts as a means to simplify life so I don't have to hunt down business cards when sending emails.
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