Are business cards still valued post-pandemic?
Prior to the pandemic, business cards were being printed around the world. One estimate put it at 27 million per day, or more than seven billion each year. The business card plays an important role in any business - it’s an established social building block of meeting new clients and building new relationships. One thing to note is the return of face-to-face meetings and events, which is why you should always have a spare few to hand - in case of an emergency. Here at Lanes Printers, we can not just provide business cards but now offer antibacterial laminate which can allow you to stand out from the crowd. Click here to explore our laminate range.
Is the shift to digital a way forward with business cards? The question is whether business cards will bounce back as pandemic restrictions ease, or be largely replaced by technologies such as QR codes. Yeong Lai Lai, who works in media relations, told the BBC she will continue to hand out business cards. "It still represents good business etiquette and professionalism." Mat Stringer, a UK-based operations manager, agrees and said he “Used to hand out 250 business cards a year. I would take a batch of 50 with me wherever I would go...It is just a quick and easy way to remind people of your details."
Even though there has been a spike in the use of QR codes, some are adapting to the digital world by incorporating them into print. Much like what Vistaprint international president Florian Baumgartner told Print-week - he said sales at the Cimpress-owned web-to-print giant had recovered following the initial pandemic-related slump with customers increasingly embracing the use of QR codes on their business cards to turn them into a digital contact.
Charlene Joss, managing director at Dundee-based Tradeprint, also owned by Cimpress, had noticed a lot of people had taken the opportunity to rebrand and refresh their logos during restrictions and the various lockdowns. So, it turns out that more people are investing in business cards, flyers and leaflets because the whole world has had the time to stop, which inevitably means focusing on rebranding their businesses. Lanes can help with sizing, designs, and rebranding your professional business card. You can also read our blog post about printed materials needed for an event.
When rebranding or recreating your outdated business cards you must reconsider the graphics and how the card will actually look upon the first impression. And we all know how important first impressions are - The First Impressions study, conducted by Censuswide found that almost three-quarters of UK adults make an initial judgement of a person within less than a minute of meeting them. Some studies suggest even less with a study from Princeton university revealing it only takes 1/10th of a second to form a first impression about a person. This is why the way your business card looks is as important as the content on it. Logo creation is critical; your logo should reflect a solid and stable business - that’s the impression you want to deliver. Try not to carry business cards with incorrect information on them as you could miss a big opportunity. Business cards and their creation are very affordable, you should aim to buy new ones when things change, even if something small changes like for example, your job title.
At Lanes Printers, we believe in investing in new technology in order to provide the best quality products. We look to continuously improve our facilities and the products we supply, investing in computer-to-plate technology to improve the resolution and auto plate on presses and thus improving efficiency and turnaround times. We also believe it is of high importance to act responsibly and minimise the effect we have on the environment, which is why only we use paper from responsibly managed forests. You can read our blog post about the Power of Print here.
We comply with the ISO 14000, which are standards related to environmental management; helping minimise a company’s effects on the environment, and ensuring they align with laws protecting the environment. We are committed to helping the environment, and you, the consumer, with top-quality, eco-friendly products.
If you would like to read more about our environmental message Lanes Printers click here to view our green printing page here. We can offer bespoke laminating, perforating, dye cutting and much more. Prices will be quoted upon an enquiry. Lanes Printers has been established in East Kent as a quality printing house for more than a hundred years and are always here to help and to trust with your printing.
If you are looking to get some documents printed, from letterheads and business cards, through to menus or photographs, then Lanes Printers are here to help. If you are unsure about your business cards and how you want them printed, then get in touch with our friendly team today here, or give us a call on 01843 861314.
Lanes Printers © 2024