I’m as guilty of this as anyone. You meet someone at a conference, you find a real connection – be it personal or business-related – and you exchange cards.
But as you hand yours over, you yank it back. “Oh, sorry,” you say, and fumble for a pen – “I just changed cell numbers. Let me just write in the new one… Hmm, you can’t really read that, can you?” (Of course they can’t, because you’re trying to write it on a little card with a big thick Sharpie, the only thing you could find in your bag.) “Do you have a pen? Or just some pointed instrument I could use to draw some blood?”
So if your business cards are out of date, set aside some time today to get some new ones printed in time for BlogWorld. (I promise: I’m doing just that as soon as I finish writing this.)
And if you want to stand out a little, here are a few ideas for business cards that make sense in for a social media conference:
- Chris Brogan goes with a minimal card, giving only his preferred means of contact, along with his name, how he thinks he could help you, and – maybe most critically – space to write things on. He also has a business card on his site.
- Maybe you want to join the cool kids and have a QR code on your card. (I’m using a distinctly self-serving definition of “cool” here, I’ll admit.) To link to the contact page on your blog, just use Google’s URL shortener, goo.gl. It not only spits out a handy shortened URL, but a QR code to boot. (This is what my cartoon’s link looks like.) (And for a rundown on how people used QR codes at SXSW this year, have a look at Gina Trapani’s report.)
- You could always just go completely paper-free with a service like card.ly or chi.mp, which create attractive-looking single-page sites with your contact details and social media links.
- And if you have an iPhone or Android, you’re going to want to be able to Bump. It doesn’t get more fumble-free than that.
Just a few hours ago I spoke with my printer to have a brand, spanking new business card printed for BlogWorld Expo.
I’m going with a “flip” card that is essentially two business cards in one. It gives you almost a mini-blog-of-a-business -card effect.
But I really went the distance with finger-tip-activated URLs. If someone touches our key URL with their finger tip, a gorgeous 24 inch hi-res LCD panel springs out of the card and the viewer can surf our site with unlimited bandwidth for thirty minutes at a time. It was pricey, but it should steal the show.
Wow, Stan. That sounds… wow.
I had mine hand-carved by Tibetan monks from fossilized mammoth ivory mined from the Russian tundra. They were ruinously expensive, and now I have to throw them out because next to yours… pfft.
No, Rob, keep yours! They sound divine and if we meet at BlogWorld, I’ll gladly overlay my finger-activated URL-strip on your card. Shoot, I just realized that will mean my URL will pop up on your ivory cards. Hmm. Let me get back to you on this.
I just ordered some cards that I designed over the weekend, specifically for BlogWorld. Nothing as fancy as Stan’s hi-res LCD panel enabled cards, though, because I’m on a more limited budget. 🙂
Instead of my regular business cards, the ones for BlogWorld just have my blogs, email, and social media links.
Barbara,
I like your minimalist approach. Sooner or later I may just hand people a blank card and say, “My fingerprints are on file.”
HAHA Stan and Rob, you guys remind me of this scene from American Psycho:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y
I just KNOW I can get a watermark into my cards… but it won’t be easy. First I have to invent time travel, THEN I have to tranquilize a mammoth, THEN I have to genetically modify –… and hell, we only have a week. Time for a few all-nighters.
You’re right, there isn’t a great deal of time left even with all-nighters.
How about a Vulcan Mind Meld Business Card? During the mind-meld both parties would ONLY transmit the information they would normally have on a business card. Melds of this kind would be very short, maybe 4-5 seconds long. (Flyer and brochure mind melds would drag on for 12-15 seconds)
OMG. That’s EXACTLY the technology that Bump was showing me in private beta last week. The idea is you shake hands with someone, you both twitch a little, and you come away with their contact deets seared onto your frontal lobe – along with a few martial arts moves (for premium users).
I had new cards designed this summer and took off most of the common information found on business cards. I deleted title, address, and multiple phone numbers. I left my name, email, and my cell phone number on the front. I used the back of the card to create of list of the services I provide. That way, no one has to (hopefully) feel the need to write on the card with relation to what I can do for them.
Interesting idea. When you hand people your card, which side is up? The contact side, or the services side? I’m wondering which makes the strongest impression.
I personally hand them the card with the services side up, as it seems to get more people to flip the card over and see the actual contact information. I just received the cards in July so, I am still waiting for a good ROI.
Biz cards always need a revamp it seems! I just ordered cards this morning with a 24-hour turnaround and 2-day shipping…So I will have them for blogworld. I got cards made from 100% post consumer content. 🙂 Just another tip.
I can still remember the days when “T:” and “F:” on your business card meant “Telephone” and “Fax”…
Now of course it’s “Twitter” and “Facebook” IDs 🙂
Andy