Business cards for the i-phone
9th May 2009, 07:40 pm by Charlie Osmond
Here’s an idea I’ve ignored for a decade – virtual business cards.
Mashable just posted a list of 7 fantastic iphone business card apps. I had almost forgotten how in the late 90s there was a big expectation among early adopters that we’d all be switching from physical business cards to electronic ones.
I remember learning how to exchange business card details using my Palm V5. But I never used it. I never used it because it made people think I was weird, it took ages to try to connect and was just far more complicated than handing over a small card with my details.
Occasionally I exchange phone numbers accross mobile phones, but I can’t see the good old-fashioned business card being replaced by iPhone apps. If for no other reason than most people don’t have iPhones.
Am I missing something? Are the days of business-cards numbered for a good reason? Is social media going to kill the card?
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Leigh F.:
I think you are right. The days of the business card are numbered – for some people.
A couple weeks ago, I went to a tech event in Seattle with only my iPhone and the Tweetie app open to the screen “Look up User”. I purposely took no business cards. Every time I met someone, I simply asked them for their Twitter user name. Out of the 10 or so new people I met, every one of them had a Twitter user name (although a few had to think real hard what it was).
This works at a tech event in Seattle. Not sure if it would have been nearly effective in most other cities or demographic segments. That said, even a year ago the result would have been far different – maybe only 3 or so would have had the ability to connect that way.
But I believe we’re moving in a direction where people don’t find much use in the presentation of a card, rather the instant access to the information contained on it.
9 May 2009, 8:39 pmCharlie Osmond:
Hi Leigh,
Thanks for the comment. And for the really interesting story – clearly London is behind Seattle when it comes to Twitter usage. Maybe you’ve seen the future, and we just have to wait.
You made me realise I was not clear enough in the post. I think the idea of electronic business cards is far-fetched. I think traditional cards are here to stay for a lot longer.
Changing people’s habits is very difficult unless the benefit in so doing is large and the cost/effort is low. I can see why it would be fun (and interesting) to carry out your experiment, but I’m not convinced that’s enough to make everyone do it.
9 May 2009, 9:57 pmBusiness cards for the i-phone | FreshNetworks Blog | TD Tele:
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10 May 2009, 1:19 amNick Coates:
Interesting question.
I think you’re right in terms of physically exchanging e-cards (i.e. face to face), but I do detect a rise in people finding you after a meeting on what is, after all, a giant virtual rolodex, LinkedIn or indeed other similar networks. These have, to some extent, removed the issues associated with NOT collecting a piece of card (assuming you remember names of course).
10 May 2009, 7:58 amAndrew T:
Re. the electronic businesscard vs the paper businesscard debate an important aspect is the cultural routine associated with the exchange of the tangible card. It may be that we start to develop new social rituals in exchanging electronic cards (and Bump, the iPhone app, slightly recognises this by making the exchange a physical process), but that hasnt happened yet. We don’t see ourselves being as ritualistic as, say, the Japanese, but nonetheless businesscard exchanges in the West are still an important social tradition.
On a separate point, according to an article in yesterday’s Sunday Times, apparently London is the Twitter capital of the world – not Seattle.
11 May 2009, 8:41 amKaira:
An Electronic Business Card is a view of a contact that holds specific information from the contact and allows sharing that information with other people in a highly recognizable form. Making contacts is very important in today’s life. A person who is a business man should consider every one as his potential customer and should give his card. This card lets them remember about him and they would approach only him when they are in need of such service.
8 August 2009, 3:22 pm