Here are five reasons why the old school business card is still important -- and why you should have a pocket full of them at all times.
Thursday, April 02, 2015
5 Reasons Business Cards Still Matter
Here are five reasons why the old school business card is still important -- and why you should have a pocket full of them at all times.
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I was recently asking myself this question about if business cards really are as important as they've always been. Because it's very true that everything is digital now, so why exactly would we still need them. I really appreciate this article because it shows why exactly it still matters. Even though it's pointing out very obvious answers that we should already take into account, they are answers we look over because they don't seems as important that they really are. However, networking is one of the most important things to consider. Everyone wants to be in the entertainment business and everyone wants to become leaders in this field. But without your networking and connections, there is no way you'll get there. I also love the idea of having something that in tangible. I hate that technology is not tangible. It's easily saved, but it's not personal. So business cards are definitely a must do when you get a job.
I 100% agree with Hannah. Although everything is now digital, you have the power to connect with or research anyone whenever you want just because technology is so advanced nowadays. However, I do believe that business cards still matter. Yes, the entertainment business is booming and everyone wants to in on it but how can you truly make it in this field if you do not have connections. That is something I think about everyday as an actor. Before I even graduate CMU at my senior showcase, I hope to make connections in every city that i travel to with my class. In this business its all about connections. You may have the talent and the drive as the person next to you at an audition but would set us apart is if I know who I am auditioning for on a personal level. I feel that would play a huge factor of whether ill book the job or not. So I feel that I rather have a business card than an email because it would be more on a personal level. A little more... old school 54102 <54-102> <54102>
I have very mixed emotions if on the topic of if business cards still matter or if they do not. Part of me believes that they do still matter. This is because business cards have always been used to share contact information easily. What is so much fun with business cards is that you are able to stylize them to fit the aesthetic of your own branding. However, I also believe that the only reason that we still use business cards is simply because we have always used business cards. On the other hand, I have had very good luck using social networking to keep in touch with people. It allows us to know what is going on in each other’s lives without being too stalker like. Personally, I think that Facebook and liknked in are the future of connecting professionally because everyone uses them, but that is just what I think.
I think business cards are still very important. Leaving a meeting with a business card will definitely help you remember the person you met with better. If you are at a conference and are meeting a lot of people, it is a good idea to bring business cards and take them from whomever you talk to. There is a good chance that you will not remember every person you talk to and what you spoke about. If you get their card you can write down a few facts about them and what they looked like on the back of their business card, so you will remember them better later when you look at their card. If you just got their phone number there is a good chance that you will forget about them and only notice the number if you are looking at your contacts and randomly see their name. At that point you would have probably already forgotten who they were. Business cards are very good for remembering people and leaving a good impression.
I like business cards because they are a tangible piece of paper usually with a memorable picture or something on them so you remember who the person was. It is a lot easier to remember the people you met if you have a little packet of all their buisness cards rather than having to scroll through your phone to see which people are friends and family and which people are contacts and connections. So in that way they are really good. I liked some of the points that this article made, especially about sharing cool business cards. If I get a card that looks super cool, I’m going to show it to my friends and make them see how cool it is. Especially that lazed-cut one they showed. How cool is that.
In the end, I agree with this article, though I think they might be a bit too optimistic with the longevity of business cards. While they will be around for a long time, no doubt, there are many ways that technology is growing to the point where we will probably have apps that let you virtually share a business card just by bumping phones with someone else. That would be interesting- having it all virtual. The phones could save them in a separate area that is different from your contacts along with putting the info in as a contact. That way you can scroll through the cards you’ve gotten and remember who you’ve met.
I think that as long as face-to-face contact with a possible client/customer/etc is seen as necessary and important in the business world, business cards will be as well. I agree with all the reasons the article stated. Sharing information digitally has become the norm, and many quickly dismiss the use of non-digital communication as a thing of the past without really thinking about how great of an impact they have. No matter how digital our world gets, I will always have hope that face-to-face communication will never become something of the past; and as an extension of that, business cards will also be something that will hopefully never die off.
In an ever-growing digital world, we tend to hang tightly onto the physical parts more than ever. Business cards definitely fall under this umbrella. I agree with Paula, that as long as we have in person interviews, business cards will always be in style. When I was reading this article, I was surprised to see that some possibly employees would give their boss their phones. Personally, phones are not a professional way to show yourself. My iPhone screen is shattered and I would never want my boss to get the wrong impression that I couldn't handle equipment. I just had a bad encounter with the phone screen and the ground one day. And okay, if you're the guy with a metal business card, you're gonna make an impression. You're also going to make an impression when I throw your card away because it's too heavy for my wallet. If we're talking about remembering people though, why not just put a picture of yourself on your business card? Some people struggle with remembering faces and this may be a way to help with that.
Business cards won’t end anytime soon, and I agree with how vital they are to have, for you never know who you would be coming up upon. I think the hard part about business cards is making yours stand out from others’ cards. You want something that will make them remember you by. In this fast pace world we live in, sometimes writing down your contact information just isn’t the best way to go about passing that out. There are multiple companies that can create business cards for you, of course if you want that “hey that’s different” conversation to happen, you’re going to have to be willing to put in a little more money. Hey there’s a reason that the phrase goes, a little goes a long way. Well the same thing holds true in this type of atmosphere. I haven’t been in the business world too long, so I haven’t seen a big need for them as of yet, but that time is fast approaching.
I rally like business cards, and I’m glad they aren’t going to be disappearing anytime soon. At the end of my job last summer we all sat around and our bosses explained to us the importance of marketing ourselves. They gave us their business cards, some of which were really good looking, for inspiration and told us that we should try to come up with unique business cards that represent us. I have yet to create a business card unfortunately, but I do have a plan (sort of). I haven’t gotten around to it yet, but I hope to make my own cards by actually block printing them. It’s going to take a bit of time to design them, and then even more time to carve it. It’s also going to be really annoying to print a bunch of them and I’ll probably hate myself during Showcase. But I think it’s the kind of thing that could set me apart and that shows an attention to detail. I also really like block printing and haven’t had a chance to do it in such a long time.
I do strongly agree that the business cards are an old style tool that the digital world we live in can not replace. There exists within them one of the most creative and powerful networking tool to come out of the business world. They still allow for a stronger impression of what your business stands for and what makes you and your company unique. When you leave blank space on the card it really allow people to jot down the things from your often times short interaction that stood out for them. The one thing the digital age hasn’t taken away from us is our inherent nature to be materialist. Everyone to this date still carries around a wallet because it’s still safe and has it’s place in society. So as long as society calls for a wallet there will still be a place for business cards.
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