Prospecting for potential clients, and partners becomes easy with a business card. With digital innovation technology, there are several alternatives available for business cards. So, what are the alternatives? What are people using instead of business cards? No doubt, digital business cards are also becoming readily acceptable for use and are strongly considered as an eco-friendly alternative. Digital business cards are also sometimes referred to as virtual business cards.
However, we will explore more acceptable ways to share your contact information. In this blog post, we will take a tour of some modern alternatives for business cards. In this digital era, we are switching to using more sustainable and carbon free products and services.
Most companies prefer to invest in sustainable products and services. Here is the list of the most sustainable alternatives for business cards.
Are business cards environment-friendly?
Well Yes or No. Confused? Let me be clear, most paper business cards are not environmentally friendly, on the other hand, Digital business cards are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Millions of people in the global workplace are reducing the use of paper business cards and moving on to innovative and sustainable alternatives. Deforestation is running at 4 million trees every year and that’s the main driver behind this trend.
Are you looking for environmentally friendly business cards? Go with SharEcard’s digital business cards.
What are people using instead of business cards?
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Digital business cards (ShareEcard)
The best alternative for a business card is a Digital business card. Digital business cards incorporate useful information about the brand, products, and services. It can be used, edited, and shared instantly with anyone and anywhere. We recommend ShareEcard, the leading digital business card company right now. ShareEcard welcomes new customers with a seven-day free trial offer.
The ShareEcard digital business card subscription is 10$ for a year with premium design, custom features, easy to share, and many more.
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Plant-based business cards.
Trees and plants are worth more than any treasures on our planet because they reduce carbon dioxide from the air. Some companies offer plant-based business cards that are made of seed paper. It can also be referred to as Seed plants. When your business cards become of no use, old fashioned or outdated then simply they can be planted rather than wasting or throwing them away.
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vCard (Electronic business card or Personal business card)
Have you ever noticed a vCard attached to an email? A vCard is an electronic business card that helps to send your contact information in a format that can be easily attached to the email. A vCard is saved as a .vcf file. A vCard can also be a good alternative to business cards. It's not only free to use but also very convenient to share contact information. To share contact information, you just show the QR code to the receivers and they can scan & save your information on their phones instantly.
By using the default camera that is common on almost every phone, it is really easy to scan, share, and read information. Now you might think about OCR! However, let me inform you, the accuracy of OCR is not as accurate as QR code, and it will waste your time retyping and correcting the results most of the time.
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NFC business cards
The use of NFC cards is now in high demand because it is a contactless business card. It uses NFC and QR code-enabled technology that uses the smartphone to scan the QR codes and scan out all of your business details. It's a one-time investment only. You can customize the cards, like the business logo, social links, and business name in just a few clicks.
Here some reasons are given below why smart NFC cards are better than paper business cards
● Smart NFC business cards can share messages at any time with just a single tap.
● Smart NFC business cards are cost-effective with endless usage.
● Smart NFC business cards stock their information online and keep the data secured.
● Smart NFC business cards are also eco-friendly since they are made of PVC which is up to 8 times more recyclable than other cards.
● Contact information stored in Smart NFC business cards can be customized instantly.
● A smart NFC business card can build a strong presence for your company.
● Paper business cards have restricted information
● Nearly 90% of Paper business cards get thrown away or lost.
● Millions of trees are cut to manufacture paper which is used for creating paper business cards.
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Edible business cards
Edible business cards may sound weird to some readers but the market for edible business cards is still growing. The segment of edible business cards is more likely to focus on the food industry. Go for edible business cards if you want to make delicious statements. It is a unique strategy to make your customers closer to your company. letting them eat your business card sounds good! Just don’t forget to put some physical and non-consumable material with your edible cards to give people something to keep for later consumption.
Some popular edible business cards are edible cookie cards, edible meat business cards, edible peanut business cards, candy cookie business cards, and many more to mention.
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Tea bag business cards
It is an environment-friendly business card used for sharing your information with a batch of delicious drinks. I mean, aren't you going to throw it away once you drink it? Lol! Jokes apart, it is also a popular segment of sustainable business cards among Tea lovers. If your business is related to tea just go for it. If not, it isn't particularly relevant.
Many people don't drink tea (at least in the US, maybe not globally). Business cards are designed as small cards because they are easy to store - distribute and read. You can't slip a tea bag into your wallet easily and if the tea is used it will be thrown away with your contact information. Interesting right?
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Keychain business cards
A keychain business card can be referred to as a small ring or chain of metal that is supposed to be used for sales purposes. Most of the time people use them for party favors. Let's say your daughter graduated from kindergarten, so we put her cap and gown picture in there. Had them printed at Walgreen, then you put them in and snap them together inside a pendant. The segment of Keychain business cards is focused on wall-sized photos. A little hard business card but still a growing marketplace.
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Cotton business cards
A cotton business card is a combination of pulp paper with cotton fiber that is generally used to produce a pillowy texture that suits letterpress perfectly. Cotton business cards use an identical non-laminated approach to other similar cards such as soft pulp paper, textured quality that’s pleasing to your hand and your eye. They are a bit luxurious, so the overall quality and price of the cotton business cards are higher than other general paper business cards.
Do people need a business card?
With the rise of global working opportunities business cards are still a great networking tool for business professionals. Business cards allow business information about a company or individual to be shared. Indeed, a company’s existence cannot be appreciated until business cards are exchanged. Nowadays Business cards are not only necessary in business networking, but they are also used ceremoniously in some cultures as a mark of respect. One of the most significant advantages of electronic business cards is that it is a convenient way to store as much information as you want in one place.
Technology has transformed the process of business communication. Even written communication has transformed to be paperless through the use of email and the internet. It is important to always carry a business card for making a favorable first impression because they are part of the introduction, and your business card should be attractive and eye-catching.
A business card helps to establish a business brand, which makes the company more easily identifiable by including the company's logo and advertising slogan on a business card.
Conclusion
The evolution of business cards has faced a lot of transitions in the past few years. When the covid pandemic hit, everything in the work environment changed and people shifted to online workplaces. We turned on zoom meetings and shifted to remote based online operations. With all these changes as part of digital transformation, it becomes important for business professionals to be smart and safe. ShareEcard makes your business smarter than ever before.
Try our digital business for just 10$ a year. Don't forget to visit our gallery section to choose your business card.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do people need business cards?
Yes, people aren't just using the business card for business networking, but also for ceremonial purposes as part of the local culture.
2. Are business cards environment-friendly?
Yes, ShareEcard digital business cards are completely environmentally friendly to use.
