When was the last time you shared a printed business card in order to introduce yourself? The printed business card is a dinosaur and, much as the printing industry may wish things were different, I figure I’ve probably printed my last batch of business cards, forever. Why swap cards when you can swap Twitter handles? In March I was attending a conference and printed up a new batch of business cards (complete with my twitter address) to take along. I think I handed out 2! The rest of the dozens of contacts I made, I made on Twitter. (Twitter was used throughout the conference to allow audience members to journal/share the highlights from each of the workshops – and in turn those people whose posts interested me I followed and similarly, I got a swag of new followers who found what I posted interesting). Within weeks of printing my new cards they were obsolete, as I changed my title to Community Director!
Old networking habits… Last week I attended a meeting with a major Australian bank. Those in the meeting exchanged business cards, but it was almost pointless. All those in the meeting had previously exchanged emails and therefore had each other’s information electronically.
Business Card Swap – The 2.0 methods
Include Your Social Networks on Your Card If you’re going to use a business card, then be sure to have it include the ‘spaces’ you hang out at most. e.g If you no longer use a fax machine don’t include that info. If your blog is where you communicate most, then be sure to include your blog details on your business cards. Make the Most of Virtual Business Cards Maximise the effectiveness of your social network’s business-card style functions. e.g. Have you customised your Twitter background to include the contact details that you want people to have? Do you include the key contact information (website, office number) in your profiles on LinkedIn and Facebook?
This wasn’t going to be a ‘green’ message but honestly, do we really need to print paper business cards when a contact can send you their v-card from their phone to your phone, which you then synch to your computer, into your contacts. Voila… not a tree damaged in the process!
TODAY’S TASKS Update your social network spaces to include the contact information you’re will to have followers/friends/contacts see and use. And, next time you run out of printed business cards consider whether you really need to print more!
