BUSINESS CARD HISTORY: HOW THEY HAVE CHANGED AND ADAPTED?
Currently, we know business cards, or presentation cards -as they are also known-, as a marketing instrument that includes the professional contact details of a subject or a company and that serves to know their profile.
Personalized business cards have not always fulfilled this purpose. They went through various stages of transformation and adaptation to the society that prevailed at the time until they reached the way we know them today. Business cards in the 19th century had different purposes, learn about them below:
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF BUSINESS CARDS
As is often the case with almost any event or historical fact, there is no consensus on the place of origin of business cards and the time of their appearance. Many experts agree that in Europe they emerged in the 17th century and reached their maximum splendor in the 19th century. France was the first European country to use them.
However, there is a record and evidence that they first appeared in China in the fifteenth century. Since this is a time when strict protocol prevailed in every social aspect, personalized business cards were initially used to request a meeting or visit by citizens of higher social classes.
With the change in social characteristics and the needs of the times, photography business cards have covered different fields and fulfilled other purposes, transforming into free online virtual business cards, as we know them today. Initially, they only included a portrait of the person. Now, they include contact details, a brief business or personal introduction, and a logo.
SOCIAL CHARACTER
In Asia, they were used to ask for authorization. They were essential to be able to visit and were especially present in the higher social classes. It was a formality that always had to be fulfilled because it was part of the customs and codes that prevailed at that time. They were rules of courtesy and samples of education.
The treatment given in Europe to the personalized business card was similar. It was used to announce the visit when the owners of the houses were not present or to record attendance at an event or meeting. They constituted distinguished ways for the bourgeois to present themselves or to announce themselves.
BUSINESS PURPOSE
After those first social and personal uses of photography business cards, they evolved into the business world. Its usefulness was used to promote the businesses of those times because its potential to conquer customers and promote companies was precisely determined. Gradually this goal changed.
It even changed the format of business cards in the 19th century. They are very similar to how we know them today. Entrepreneurs began to use them to position their goods and services to potential customers and consumers. In them, they exhibited their products, usually, they were photographs.
WHY ARE BUSINESS CARDS STILL USED?
They still constitute a strong marketing and advertising tool. They have lasted for centuries, thanks to their practical utility and suitability for highlighting a professional or business profile, even in the face of advances in information technology. They are highly effective and recommended means.
The benefits of business cards are extensive and independent. Professionals and entrepreneurs who want their business to grow and prosper should have a card of this type because among other things it demonstrates professionalism. In addition, it briefly introduces a person’s business and contact details to build business relationships.
THE MOST COMMONLY USED FORM OF BUSINESS CARD IN TODAY’S WORLD
As the corporate world has become increasingly digital, traditional paper business cards have evolved into digital business cards. Many professionals have abandoned business cards altogether, relying instead on sharing their LinkedIn profiles.
Like paper business cards, a digital business card differentiates your position in the corporate world. Distributed as a single file, digital business cards make it easy to share critical information about you and your company and reach a wider audience than their predecessors.
While providing the basics (your name, title, and contact information), digital business cards can also include unique interactive elements to personalize your card and set you apart from the competition. This includes videos or other external communications such as surveys or subscription lists. This allows you to advertise your abilities and information more attractively.
Additionally, digital business cards act as an efficient cloud source of your personal information: it stores your contact information, social media accounts, and attached URLs or web pages. If any information changes, it is automatically updated on the digital card.
Compared to a traditional business card, this alternative saves both time and materials by digitally updating all the information in real-time. This element of digital business cards makes them an active platform for managing contacts; Most digital card makers include an optical reader that converts paper contact text into digital data.
Details about digital business card
A digital business card is a piece of information that deals with you and your company, including your position and all available social accounts. A digital design like this, which can be instantly shared online with just one click, makes professional communication a more efficient and affordable method.
Electronic business cards allow you to create a larger network than you have the ability to reach people regardless of geographical location and temporal differences.
Digital business card benefits:
- It can be shared instantly via email, SMS, or virtual environments including social media.
- Because they are more customizable than traditional business cards, they can include external links and other visual elements to promote their information.
- Back up all your data with automatic synchronization services to ensure all data is relevant and correct.
- Can be integrated with calendar systems and reminder accounts.
- A more ecological alternative to paper cards.
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