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Business Cards: Still a Valuable Networking Tool

December 1, 2016 Advertisting & Marketing / Branding / Technology
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photo credit: Walnut Studiolo ErinBerzelPhotography-4428 via photopin (license)

photo credit: Walnut Studiolo ErinBerzelPhotography-4428 via photopin (license)

The way we network and connect may have massively changed in the past few years thanks to an explosion of social networking tools and apps, all ready to help us collaborate with a single tap, but one staple of old business practices remains: the humble business card. A simple, elegant slip of paper featuring a person or business’ name, branding, and contact information is still a very common tool for making important business contacts and establishing potentially fruitful relationships.

Business cards have evolved in the last few years. On the one hand, there’s a nostalgia for the elegance of old. Lately we’ve noticed a trend in letter press business cards, which have a sophisticated, textured presentation. There are also a wide range of different sizes and formats, and special die cut shapes and effects like foil stamping, or super thick cards made possible with new printing technology.  On the other hand, business cards have also gone digital, and some of them offer digital engagement features like QR codes that you can scan with a smartphone to download contact info or visit a website.  There are also several apps out there to help you scan and organize the business cards you receive, some of which sync with popular cloud-based contact databases you may already use, and startups are busily creating apps that all hope to become the digital business card of the future.

If you’re looking to shake up how you make business contacts, drop us a line! We also create unique and memorable business cards, and we’re here to help.

QR Codes Get More Creative

August 4, 2011 Advertisting & Marketing / Cool / Technology
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The folks over at Mashable have a nice slideshow of QR (quick response) codes that break the mold and show just how much flexibility there is in the form.
We have mixed feelings about QR legibility.

On the one hand, it is sort of exciting to point your reader at an image without any idea where you are going to be taken. On the other hand, inserting something recognizable into your symbol might be the very thing necessary to get someone interested enough to scan.
qr code, Japanese Red Cross
Following the installation of a QR billboard advertisement for TIME Magazine near Time Square in New York City last winter, self-proclaimed Captain of The QR Code Galaxy, Nick Ford, reported on some issues between unfriendly designer codes and code readers, as well as questioning the quality of some of the linked content.

source: qranywhere

Incompatibility issues and the “gee whiz” factor of technology trumping content…do these issues sound familiar to anyone?

If you are new to QR codes and want to know more about them, check out 20 Interesting Things: QR Codes by the folks at the Lucky RethinkTank.

qr code cut into agricultural field

  Hello, World

QR Codes: Scavenger Hunts

March 25, 2011 Technology
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By now you probably already know that Quick Response codes are two-dimensional codes similar to traditional bar codes that, when scanned by your mobile phone’s camera, can be decoded using downloadable software. We’ve talked about some basic ways you can use QR codes to promote your product or business – or even yourself – and there are potentially countless other creatives ways to use this new technology. Spring is officially here, and who doesn’t love a fun scavenger hunt? In an eggshell, hunters can search for printed QR codes throughout a building, city or other location and redeem digital prizes for finding them. This is a fun way for a small business to boost its brand exposure locally.

Need some ideas for how you can use QR codes to boost your online presence, or got some ideas we haven’t thought of that you’d like to share? Let us know!

QR Codes: Advertising

March 13, 2011 Technology
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If you live in a metropolitan area, you’ve no doubt seen Quick Response codes on billboards, subway banners, and other highly visible advertising. You may have also seen them in those old fashioned things called print ads. QR codes are a fantastic way to translate your offline presence with your online branding plan. And like online advertising, QR codes are a great way to track the visibility and success of your print ads, though you should note that some users may have privacy concerns. Either way, not only are you communicating with present and prospective consumers, you’re gathering data to determine the most cost-effective way to reach them. Whether you’re a local business or have a more national presence, using QR codes are a great way to expand your reach!

Read about more way to use QR codes here.

QR Codes: Business Cards

March 4, 2011 Technology
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We’ve been talking a lot about Quick Response codes, two-dimensional codes that direct users to an online location with more information about a product, company or individual. Well, remember things called business cards, little pieces of paper with your contact information on them that you pass out to new people you meet in real life? Well, adding a QR code is a more up-to-date way to send people to your official website, Facebook or Twitter page.

Need some ideas for how you can use QR codes to boost your online presence, or got some ideas we haven’t thought of that you’d like to share? Let us know!

QR Codes: Boost Your Social Network Presence

February 18, 2011 Technology
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We recently introduced you to Quick Response codes, two-dimensional codes similar to bar codes that send users a website or direct information about a product, company or individual. One way to use these codes to boost exposure of your brand, company or product is to send users to your Facebook or Twitter page rather than simply direct them to your website. Users can then “like” or follow your page, which means you’ve got a direct line to a potential new customer. You can even use QR codes to automatically generate a “like” for your Facebook page!

QR Codes: Boosting Online Traffic

February 10, 2011 Technology
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Last month we introduced you to Quick Response codes, two-dimensional codes similar to bar codes that, when scanned by your mobile phone, send users a website or direct information about a product, company or individual. Sending users to an official website is one of the more obviously practical but incredibly effective ways to use QR codes. Imagine someone’s walking down the street and they see an ad or billboard promoting your product or business, or even an actual item for sale with a QR code prompting them to visit the official website for a special promotion. Rather than write down a web address and visit it later, which we all know is unlikely to happen, the consumer can gain access to all kinds of valuable information immediately, right at their fingertips. This is a great way to interact with current and prospective new customers in real-time!

TIP: Don’t simply direct customers to the main page of your website. Be creative, and link them to promotional giveaways, surveys, and detailed information that helps them better understand your brand.

QR Codes: The Future Is Here

January 28, 2011 Technology
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In the future, we will all be branded with individual bar codes on our wrists or the backs of our necks. At least that’s the popular fictive prediction. Well, we might just be one step closer to that with Quick Response codes, which took off in Japan and are finally making waves on this side of the Pacific. QR codes are two-dimensional codes similar to traditional bar codes that, when scanned by your mobile phone’s camera, can be decoded using downloadable software, providing the user with a direct link to a website or more information about a product, business, or person. This is a fascinating new interactive marketing tool that can be used to provide consumers with up to date information and even help individuals market themselves more effectively (by, say, including a QR code on your business card or resume). You can even use QR codes to send private messages to individuals! Branding Ideas will be brainstorming new ways you can use these codes to enhance your business’s promotional efforts, so check back here regularly!