Are business cards still relevant? All the ins and outs

Once, business cards were all but mandatory for business professionals who needed a quick, easy way to give associates their name, profession, and contact info. As of 2023, business cards aren’t as mandatory as they used to be thanks to computers and smartphones. That said, they’re still very relevant and worth investing in if you’re a working professional!

This blog, written to explain the ins and outs of business cards and why people still use them, covers these topics:

• Origins of business cards

• How technology changed business cards

• Who should get business cards

• What to put on your modern business card

How did business cards become fashionable?

Each time a society developed a printing press, business cards were quick to follow. In 15th-century China, they took the form of “名刺” or “name cards” that aristocrats would send to households as advance notice of their arrival. From the 16th century onwards, European gentry started swapping “calling cards'' or “visiting cards'' with their peers, while European entrepreneurs started handing out “trade cards'' to promote their businesses.

The etiquette of business cards varies with the culture and times. From the very start, though, business cards were made to be conversation starters and meant to accomplish these goals:

• Help people remember your name and contact information so they can contact you later

• Invite people to collaborate with you soon

• Make you look professional and refined through the card’s elegant design

• Promote your personal brand and business to the receiver of the card and others they might talk with

Has modern tech made business cards obsolete?

At first glance, modern technology seems to have put business cards out of a job. Professionals trying to expand their contacts can swap info via smartphone, while profiles on websites like LinkedIn let recruiters look up job seekers and their backgrounds by name. Despite this, well-made business cards are still a great way to get the professionals you meet to remember you, especially when they’re used in tandem with modern digital media.

Most modern physical business cards list email addresses alongside the professional’s phone number and job title. Other modern business cards might have URL links or QR codes that lead to the professional’s website or social media profile. Some cutting-edge professionals save on cardstock by using “digital business cards” that can be carried on a smartphone and shared with others through texting, Airdrop, or applications like Zoom (if you’re attending a virtual hiring event, for instance).

If you’d like to make business cards, check out these popular business card design websites:

• Canva.com is a website with free business card templates, premium design services, and cardstock made from recycled materials.

• Moo.com has options for designing card templates online, purchasing professionally designed business card templates, and using cardstock with silver foil and other finishes.

Who should send and receive business cards?

Business cards can be a great tool if you’re searching for a new job, attending business networking events, or need to charm clients as part of your current job. The careers below in particular give you lots of chances to hand out business cards to people who’d gladly take them:

• Authors who’ve published a book can design business cards to promote their literature, handing them out to literary agents or readers at conventions.

• Artists/illustrators can hand business cards to potential clients and owners of art galleries.

• Business owners who’ve just opened a store in a specific neighborhood can hand out business cards to potential customers, display them in local cafes, and so on.

• Job recruiters who talk with job candidates at hiring events can hand out cards to promote themselves and the company they’re recruiting for.

• Realtors and other real estate professionals can use cards to grab and keep the attention of house-hunting families, businesses that need office space, etc.

• Suppliers who need to promote their goods and services at exhibitions, trade shows, and seminars.

What do relevant business cards look like?

A modern business card should have elegant colors, a fascinating logo graphic, and cardstock that is easy and fun to hold, texture-wise. More importantly, business cards should always have legible fonts, intuitive layouts, and characters with sizes and colors you don’t have to squint to read.

If you’re interested in printing out a box of custom business cards, pick the card stock size that’s most popular in your industry or country of residence (most business cars in the US, for example, are 3.5” x 2”, while business cards in Japan are 91mm x 55mm). Also adjust the visual design of your business card to match your career’s tone (business executives, for example, should use sleek, somber-colored business cards, while creatives might be better off with brighter colors, rougher cardstock, and quirky business logos).

To create good photos for your business card or social media profile, check out Career.io’s professional headshot tool!

Key takeaways

1. Business cards have taken many shapes and forms throughout history, but have almost always been used to give strangers good first impressions and invite them to collaborate.

2. Even with modern technology and social media, business cards are still worth having if you’re a professional who needs to socialize and self-promote a lot.

3. Any physical or digital business card you design should have easy-to-read lettering, eye-catching graphics, and colors that match the mood of your business.