Marketing and Networking with Business Cards

Marketing and Networking with Business Cards [Tips and Tricks]


Abhinav Girdhar
By Abhinav Girdhar | Last Updated on April 20th, 2024 8:58 am | 5-min read

2020 has ushered the decade of digital marketing all the way. You may think that business cards are too passé and that they don’t hold the “magic” they used to in the roll-a-desk days. However, that is farthest from the truth. Marketing and Networking with Business Cards

Are Business Cards Worth The Work In the Digital Age?

According to market research, personalized print like business cards is an effective business networking and marketing tool. They hold more power than emails and push notifications. Handing over a business card to a prospective investor or customer you meet at business networking events has more impact than passively airdropping your digital contact or sending an email the next day. One reason is that only a few veteran entrepreneurs use business cards and it is much easier for the tech-savvy generation to ignore push notifications and emails than physical business cards. Here are a few points you should remember to create maximum impact with your business card marketing and networking –

  • You and Your Business Card Should Stand Out
  • Your business card should be eye-catching and almost impossible to forget. However, looks alone won't ensure that your business card doesn't end up in the trash. Your demeanor will create a significant impact on the future of the business card you hand out.

    You can also look at multiple design templates for business cards, to shave off precious time, and find one that looks just right for you.

    (Above video is a part of a more elaborate course on Academy by Appy Pie. To access the complete course, please Click Here, or continue reading below.) You need to master positive body language. Your positivity will inspire confidence in your potential client or investor. Believe it or not, confident body language can convince the recipient to take an interest in what you are saying and in your business. Moreover, make it a practice to hand out two cards at a time. Giving two cards to one person might seem like a waste, but, your confident body language and one-minute sales pitch might inspire the recipient to share the card with prospective clients.

    Here’s a great video that talks about how you can use the right body language for successful networking.

    (Above video is a part of a more elaborate course on Academy by Appy Pie. To access the complete course, please Click Here, or continue reading below.)

  • Think About Creating Trackable Business Cards
  • Earlier it was impossible to track a business card. You may find old business cards under the couch at home or under a pile of untouched paperwork at the office. However, you can track your cards by using SKU or QR codes. Offer incentives to your potential client/customer like free gifts or discount offer when you hand your card. Apart from effective marketing, this strategy accelerates a potential buyer’s journey through the sales funnel. Both the QR code and the incentives will enable you to track how well the card design is performing and how your business card marketing and networking training is helping you in acquiring new customers.

  • Your Business Card Should Make The Recipients Stop and Think
  • Your card should paint your brand in a positive light. You can think about standing out from the crowd by including interesting and lesser-known facts or riddles on your business card. It challenges the recipient into thinking. The moment a person spends time on a riddle consciously they are bound to remember you and your brand for at least a while. The same principle is at play when entrepreneurs opt for business cards made from leather or jute, or design cards that transform into puzzles. The willful effort the recipients have to put in can help you build a lead funnel that actually converts.

  • You Need To Blend Print Networking With Digital Marketing
  • When you are already investing time and money in creating new business cards, you might want to take a break from social media promotions! Well, that is a mistake you cannot afford to make. Revisit your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter profiles. Delete old posts that don't add value. Set up a LinkedIn profile that lists your education, experience, previous ventures, and endorsements.

  • Direct Your Prospective Customers Towards Your LinkedIn Profile
  • Apart from adding QR or SKU codes on your business cards, you should think about adding your Instagram handle and a link to your LinkedIn profile. Adding another scannable code that takes the user directly to your professional LinkedIn profile is typically a good idea. Apart from confident body language in communication, you will need a strong professional profile on at least one social media platform. LinkedIn feed and profiles are typically easy to manage, it can help you build a trusted network, and you can manage your contact details directly on the same platform.

    The video below tells you how LinkedIn can help you in reputation management on online resume.

    (Above video is a part of a more elaborate course on Academy by Appy Pie. To access the complete course, please Click Here, or continue reading below.)

  • Learn how to manage your LinkedIn profile for business
  • Designing a kick-ass business card is not an excuse to slack off on social media. Your LinkedIn professional profile should become an instrument of online reputation management for your brand and business since the recipients of your card will want to check out who you are and what you do.

    Watch the video below to find out how you can professionally brand your LinkedIn image.

    (Above video is a part of a more elaborate course on Academy by Appy Pie. To access the complete course, please Click Here, or continue reading below.) Prospective clients and investors will look at you and your brand up everywhere possible, and you need to ensure that they see what you want them to see.

  • Know When To Promote Your Business and Distribute Your Business Card
  • There's just one point of advice – don't be that guy, who goes around handing out business cards at their kid's birthday parties, adult pool parties, and neighborhood barbeques. Running a new business can be tough, but you should also know where to pitch your business and where you should just sit back and relax.

    Did you know that you can use a pitch effectively to spark interest in your network? The video below tells you how to draft a short pitch under 30 seconds.

    (Above video is a part of a more elaborate course on Academy by Appy Pie. To access the complete course, please Click Here, or continue reading below.)

    Here’s an interesting video that tells you how you can make people want your business card and be fascinated with you!

    (Above video is a part of a more elaborate course on Academy by Appy Pie. To access the complete course, please Click Here, or continue reading below.)

  • Perfecting The Art Of Business Card Networking and Marketing
  • Just in case, you are confused about where you can whip out your super-stylish business cards, you can check out courses on business card networking! If you have no experience in this field, you should definitely consider joining a short-term training course on business card networking and marketing. A wholesome course will not only tell you how to come across as a confident and successful entrepreneur when you hand out your cards in any situation, but it should also tell you how to design your card, how to pitch your business, how to endorse on LinkedIn and how to market your brand online. Handing out business cards is an art. You need to find the right opportunity to present it so it makes a positive impact on the recipient.

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Abhinav Girdhar

Founder and CEO of Appy Pie

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