Social networking means getting and staying in touch with others has never been easier. We pack pocket-sized electronic devices that should help. So you might expect the days of printed paper business cards to be numbered.
They are not. At least not yet.
My collection continues grows at the same steady rate it always did. I understand it is the same for others.
There are two reasons they will not disappear in the immediate future.
- Paper is universal. You don’t need the right hardware or operating system to read business card data. The batteries won’t run flat and paper technology will never be updated to the point where old cards are no longer readable.
- Business card etiquette has yet to transfer to the digital realm. Think of the polite bows and protocols that come in to play when exchanging business cards with the Japanese.
Business cards are a metaphor for other printed media.
Despite this, the technology surrounding business cards has changed in recent years. I scan cards and send the data to an electronic contact book. I’ve known others to use their phone cameras to shoot business cards and store the images. This makes it easier to find contacts later.