The practice of swapping business cards is one of the oldest and most activities common in business.
In Hong Kong the practice is extremely common.
In fact, in all the cities I’ve ever lived in, I see more people exchanging business cards in Hong Kong than anywhere else; I’d say that Tokyo was second-place.
Let’s admit it, many business cards would be thrown away or filed away in a drawer at home or at work, a drawer that has a similar function to the iconic cable drawer that we all seem to have.
Novelty and quirky business cards, such as origami designs, may pique the recipient’s interest in the goods or services you’re selling them here in Hong Kong, but I believe there are two main reasons to distribute business cards:
- To get in touch with the card’s receiver (best and desired case);
- To pique the recipient’s interest in learning more about you (second-best case)
This hack discusses how to unlock the second-best scenario, namely, how to redirect the offline receiver online, allowing you to persuade them to use your services.
Include a QR code on your business card with a printed URL (link) underneath it for a fun way to do this.
Simply visit www.qrcode-monkey.com and follow the directions to generate a QR code with your logo in two seconds.
And – make sure you test it before printing!
Save the picture and give it to the printers the next time you need business cards made.
Make sure the URL typed under the QR Code picture is as brief as possible to avoid typos. The relation should ideally include monitoring so that you can see how many times it has been clicked (use bit.ly or another tool like that).
The landing page is now crucial in this situation. A simple CTA must be present on the landing page on which the receiver is guided (Call To Action).
Remember that the individual who received your card has already encountered you, and if they’ve arrived at the page you directed them on, you can presume that they’re either about to contact you or are still unsure.
As a result, the landing page should have a discount deal that is only available to cardholders.
This is something I tried with a client who owns a pet shop in Hong Kong.
The URL and QR Code led the recipient to a website with an exclusive offer for a free sample of dog vitamins; all they had to do was enter the promo code “vitamincard” at checkout.
It was a huge success, and we gained at least a number of hundred new clients that year.
Finally, as with other online activities, you’ll be able to watch the success of this development hack.
In conclusion, if you’re going to give out business cards, make the most of them!