Have you ever looked a business card, and wondered why they’re still around? It seems outdated in today’s digital world. While most business transactions today have shifted online, there is still a viable reason to have business cards on hand. First and foremost, it’s still something that makes you look professional, and leaves a physical reminder of you with the person.

Why Business Cards Are Still Needed

In the day and age of the internet and social media, business cards can seem pointless. Why would we still need to use this antiquated piece of paper when we have the world at our fingertips? It’s mainly because our memory is not always great. We meet someone, have a great conversation, and you want to follow up, but you can’t remember their name to save your life. That’s where the business card comes in handy. Handing off the card is a quick and easy way to spark someone’s memory and give them your contact information all in one fell swoop.

Yes, we could look them up as we are speaking to them, but that disrupts the conversation. There’s the pause, taping on the phone, and break of eye contact. All of those things can ruin a great networking opportunity. Keep the energy following by not breaking the personal touch with technology. Instead, grab a physical card that they can keep with them to access you whenever they want.

What To Put On Your Business Card

Keep your business card free from excess marketing. Only keep critical information like your name, website, contact info, business name, and logo. Other than that, they can find everything else that they need to know from the website. Leave lots of blank space on the card to make it easy to read.

Professionals suggest leaving the back blank so that you can write little notes on the back. It can be a great way for the person to remember what you discussed. If you do have both sides designed, then have the back be a clear image that isn’t visually distracting.

How to Hand Out Your Business Card

There’s an art to handing off the business card. You don’t want to seem too pushy, but at the same time, you need to be assertive. That doesn’t mean that you toss your business cards around like confetti. You want to build a reputation and a brand image with your card, not litter people’s pockets. Reserve handing out your card for genuine conversations, rather than shoving it in someone’s hand as you walk around the room.

At the end of your talk, let them know what you want them to follow up on, hand them your card, and tell them to contact you. By giving them a specific directive, they’ll have an action item to address when they contact you next.

Keep your cards on you at all times, and use your judgement to know when to hand them out. Business cards are affordable, so by spending a little extra on your card, you can make a big impression. Business cards work when you build a connection, and follow through by leaving someone with your contact.