Why Every Freelancer Should Have A Digital Business Card

Did you know that the days of business cards are we know them are slowly coming to an end?

Though there are still people who hand out physical business cards to professionally network, the use of digital business cards is become more popular.

And why wouldn’t it?

With the advantages and benefits it provides, it’s not surprising that a lot of people are adopting this new and innovative way of sharing one’s contacts.

Keep reading to learn about the benefits of having a digital business card.

What Is A Digital Business Card

Since the concept of a digital business card is still quite new, it’s important to establish what a digital business card is and what it really does.

Also known as an electronic or virtual business card, a digital business card is a means of sharing contact information.

Unlike your traditional physical business card, a digital business card has no space constraints which means you can add as much information as you possibly can depending on your preference.

Apart from the basics like your name, email address, and phone number, You can enhance it even more by adding a logo, a photo or a video, and your social media profiles among others.

The best part is they can easily be created whether, via an iPhone, Android, or personal computer and it only takes a couple of minutes to complete one.

If you’re wondering how it works, then it’s really quite simple. Think of a digital business card as something similar to your traditional business card. The only difference is that you distribute a traditional business card physically, while a digital business card is distributed electronically.

It can be something that is stored in your phone, on a community platform, or any of your social media platforms for that matter. It can also exist via its own app that you can install either on your phone or your computer.

They can then be shared in a variety of ways. You can let people see them by sharing a link or via a QR code, depending on what you find more convenient.

There are also digital business card apps that come with additional functionalities like the ability to scan physical cards that you can then save on your digital Rolodex.

How a Digital Business Card Can Benefit Freelancers

Using a digital business card comes with a ton of benefits especially for freelancers like you, and below are some of them.

Convenience

It’s safe to say that the biggest benefit one can get from using digital business cards is the convenience it has to offer.

By having one, you don’t run the risk of forgetting to bring them. as long as you have access to a phone or a computer, you’ll always have a business card on hand that you can share anytime.

You also need not worry about printing additional copies soon because you’re running low on supply. Unlike physical business cards, the digital version doesn’t run out of copies. You’ll always have something to give no matter how many people you’re looking at.

Digital business cards are also quite flexible. Getting an updated phone number, making a typo, or switching jobs shouldn’t be something to worry about because you can easily update the information without having to reprint the card.

That being said, it’s easy to keep everything updated anytime you wish to do so. This would also save you a lot of money from having to reprint every time you need to change any of the information on your card.

Cost-Effective

Paper costs money and the same can be said with the ink that would be used to print a traditional business card, something you don’t have to worry about with a digital business card.

Let’s be honest, paper cards can cost you hundreds of dollars and the worst part is they almost immediately get thrown away. Can you imagine what that money can do if you can allocate them in other aspects of the business like marketing perhaps?

Not only will you be saving a lot of money, but you’ll also be able to use it more efficiently and economically, something every business strives to achieve.

It’s also worth noting that getting a designer to come up with a business card design can be expensive too unless you’re okay with using a simple design.

Easier Follow-Ups

What do you normally do when someone gives you a business card? Do you actually keep them in your wallet or do you just throw them away?

Chances are we throw them away, don’t we? This means it gets totally forgotten and takes away the chances of a follow-up.

With the digital business card, you don’t run the same risk because they won’t end up in the trash bin much like gum wrappers and old receipts do. Instead, they end up in other people’s inboxes, allowing the recipient to later integrate them into their workflow.

This makes the follow-up process easier and more efficient which also improves your chances of building stronger connections with other people.

Contactless

The recent pandemic has given rise to a lot of online and virtual events easily becoming the norm with how we do business these days. It’s going to be difficult to share a physical card with this kind of setup, right?

With a digital business card, everything becomes much more simplified. If you want to share your contacts with all of the meeting participants, all you have to do is send them the link to your card either via text email, or social media.

You can even hold up your QR code during one of these online meetings so everyone In attendance can simply scan your code and get access to your business card.

And even if everything goes back to normal again, digital business cards would still be more efficient because they won’t require physical contact which can help transmit the virus.

Eco-Friendly

Lastly, a digital business card can help you save the environment. Can you imagine the volume of paper that is simply thrown away?

We can be saving millions of trees by going paperless while reducing the volume of waste that gets accumulated every year.

How To Make A Digital Business Card

As mentioned, creating a digital business card is fairly easy. you can even produce one in a matter of minutes depending on how familiar you are with the application you use to create the business card.

Choose an Application

Speaking of which, this is probably the most important step because the application of your choice can decide how easy or hard it will be to create a business card.

The good news is there are lots of options to choose from and it doesn’t matter whether you use an iPhone, Android, or computer.

You need to sign up for the service just like you normally would when creating an email. After that, you will get access to dozens of templates which you can then use to create your business card.

Decide What to Include

Since a digital business card doesn’t have space limitations, you can practically add anything that you consider relevant to you and your business.

There is of course information that you can’t afford to omit and below are some of them.

Your name should definitely be part of the card. Make sure to include your first name, last name, as well as any important prefixes or suffixes that go along with it.

Don’t forget to include any accreditation if you have one.  If you have a PhD or if you are an Adobe Certified Expert, for example, make sure to mention those right next to your name.

Your title, company, and contact information should also be present. If you prefer to be contacted through other means apart from email and phone, like WhatsApp or Viber for example, make sure to include those too.

Location can be optional Unless your physical address is crucial to the business. You don’t have to include your entire business address though. Adding a generic region like Los Angeles or Phoenix should be acceptable.

Including a photo or a video is extremely important because it helps connect the name to a face, allowing people to easily recall you. Which business card would you be more interested in? one that doesn’t have a photo or video or one that does?

If you have a logo, make sure to include that too because it legitimizes your brand and it makes your profile look more professional. Just make sure to use a high-resolution image for aesthetic purposes.

Final Thoughts

There’s no doubt that we are now living in the digital age where everything is done in an easier and simplified manner. While it pays to be a traditionalist, it’s not a bad idea to be up to date with the latest trends especially when it comes to technology because that’s where everything is headed, at least in terms of doing business.

It’s fine to keep your paper business cards but now is the perfect time to make the transition to digital because pretty soon, everyone will be using virtual business cards and you wouldn’t want to get left behind.

The information provided should give you a headstart so you can begin creating your digital business card and start distributing them to your contacts and effectively help grow your business in the process.

For more tips to help you be a successful freelancer, check out our blog post on writing a great personal brand statement.