Photo Marketing 101: Step one (Old School)

Even if you are still in school the business card is one of the most valuable Old School business tools you can use. If you are in school the goal is to get a job and you need to start now networking and the business card is one of the most valuable tools I use.

What is shocking to me is how often I go to meetings and people do not have business cards. Usually these are the same folks saying they need to learn more about business practices.

How they are used

You never know when you will need one, so I always carry a stack of them. Networking is happening at any moment and not necessarily just for those planned networking events.

When I meet someone at a meeting I like the Old School way of getting their business card and writing a note to myself to help me remember them on their card I was given by them.

If I am at a conference for a few days I find that those really unique size cards are more annoying than unique and helping them standout. 

When I meet someone at the event I think it is important to see if I can get an appointment with them later.  I find that once we find something in common I like to say how about we get together later and have a cup of coffee or lunch to talk more about it when we don't have any other distractions.

This is when I typically get their card and say I will be in touch later to schedule some time together.

Accuracy

If someone doesn't have a card I have to pull out a pen and paper and write the information down or put it on my phone.  This takes some time to do and sometimes in loud areas very hard to hear them talking.

When it is so critical that the difference of a dot when you are trying to find someone on the web is important, don't you think it should be important enough to be sure they can find you?

This is the QR Code for my website http://www.StanleyLeary.com

QR Code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and large storage capacity compared to standard UPC barcodes.


If you want to generate a QR Code to put on your business card or create stickers then go here http://createqrcode.appspot.com/.  

What should be on a business card?

While many are starting to ad QR Codes to their business cards here is some other basic information

1.     Full name

2.     Email address (Use your domain to host email@YourDomain.com)

3.     Website/online portfolio (register a domain name www.YourDomain.com)

4.     Phone number

5.     Social Media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)

6.     Blog

Some things you can leave off today

1.     Street Address

2.     Photograph

Electronic Business Cards

http://www.CardCloud.com

You may want a virtual business card. One of these examples is the CardCloud.  Unlike traditional cards they never run out. You can share it with anyone; they don't need the app for you to use it. It lets you track whom you gave your card to and therefore helps you to reconnect easier in the future.

CardCloud is a digital business card application that is looking to replace the traditional printed business card. Rather than trading contact info by passing out a printed business card, CardCloud allows you to share your contact info directly from your iPhone to anyone in the room which is then stored automatically through .vcf or .vCard format. Alternatives to CardCloud include contxts, dub, Bump and BusinessCard2.

vCard is a file format standard for electronic business cards. vCards are often attached to e-mail messages, but can be exchanged in other ways, such as on the World Wide Web or Instant Messaging. They can contain name and address information, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, URLs, logos, photographs, and audio clips.

With LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other ways to connect on the spot when you meet someone what good is a business card? I can tell you from being a journalist for more than 30 years when someone tells me how to spell their name many times we still get it wrong due to the accent or lack of articulation by some folks.

While many in sales are saying the business card maybe on the way out—I think it is here to stay.  I think the difference is now in what information you put on your card.

www.Sharpdots.com is where I get my business cards printed.  You can get 2,500 business cards with 4-color on the front and back for only $35.

Do me a favor and send me your vCard so I have your business card.