Business Cards –Declining in Use, but Not In Value

 I love business cards. I love to give mine out. I love to receive one in return (or not).  I love to place select ones in my handsome business notebook.  For me, I think people make a stronger impression on me if I get a business card.

Business cards offer a clue or two about the individual and the business.  Examples for the business, are the letters raised? Is the card stock thick? Can you write on the card?  Is the logo prominent?  Is the card one or multi-colored? 

For the individual, do they use a formal name?  Do they include certificates earned? Is the title prominent?  Does the title make sense to people outside (and often inside) an organization? 

One interesting question. Is a cell phone number listed? A few years ago, most people chose not to include their cell phone number.  I think today almost everyone does. I say that with this in mind.  In reviewing cards from staff with Prince William County government departments, very few include the cell phone number. That is a question for another blog.

From my observations, business cards are declining in use.  I recently attended a new advisory board meeting. Except for me, no one had business cards readily visible or gave one out.  Instead, the staff of the advisory board included LinkedIn profile links as part of the welcome package. 

This is a link to an article about business cards and how to design it for maximum impact.  The author and I agree on the value of a business card and he includes points I missed.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/379699

As noted above, I suspect that business cards are on the way out.  The main reasons are in an increasingly paperless society, they simply take up room. It is far easier to maintain a contact list in Outlook. Finally, I think LinkedIn is the new business card, even though it can be too much information. 

Yes, I do and will miss business cards.