New Grads: Yes, You Do Need a Business Card!

Fortunately, with each new generation, we are becoming more environmentally aware and conscious. From recycling paper and other materials to reducing the use of hard copy documents, many professionals are looking for ways to “go green” and eliminate unnecessary paper use. For new grads entering the business world, it may seem that business cards are an unnecessary use of paper. According to a 2017 report from Statistic Brain, of the 10 billion cards printed each year, 8 billion will be tossed within a week. That's 88% of the cards printed. Not a good statistic. If this is the case, why would anyone want to use a business card? Here’s why, and why we recommend new grads use them without question.

Business cards have a strong conversion rate. An article from Small Business Rainmaker provides interesting information on the conversion rates of business cards compared to the conversion rate of website landing pages. Based on the report above, business cards have a 12% conversion rate (12% of business cards are kept, which means some people do keep your information) and websites have an average conversion rate of 2.35%. Looking at the data in this way, business cards have more than 5 times the conversion rate of your average website. This provides a pretty strong reason to use a business card.

Business cards are universal and are the most common way of exchanging contact information. At a networking event, many professionals generally will not have the time to take out their phone and write down your name, phone number, email, and address, along with any other important details. It’s much easier to provide them with a business card, where they can find all of your information, spelled correctly, along with your brand statement once the event is over. When meeting professionals from other parts of the world, for example, information may be shared in different ways, phone numbers are different, etc. While helping someone write down your contact information correctly, you lose valuable time that you could spend meeting someone else during your job search. The potential for human error is also greater (did he tell me 942 or 924?). Make sure you provide your information accurately by using a business card.

Yes, you can exchange virtual business cards through apps like Bizz Card, and we strongly recommend you connect with someone on LinkedIn right then at a meeting as well. However, a physical business card provides you with another way to stand out from the crowd. So we feel it’s worth it. It is something new contacts can view right then and there and can make a positive first impression on them, live and in person.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t take care of the environment and be careful of our paper use. Instead of ordering a high bulk order of business cards, choose a smaller amount to start. This is advantageous for a few reasons. Not only will you be mindful of the environment by only ordering the amount you currently need, as a new grad your professional details will change. You may decide to use a different branding statement as you start working. If you place a bulk order, you will likely end up tossing a lot of unused business cards.

Ordering a small quantity will also allow you to order a higher quality business card and create a better first impression. Using a good quality business card lets your new contact know that you care about small details and want to provide the best to a potential organization or client. Here are some things you want to include on your business card:

• Your full name, phone number, email address, and address.
• A professional-looking photo.
• Your branding statement. If you aren’t sure of a branding statement yet, try including your top 2-3 strengths instead.
• Include a statement to invite them to keep in touch, such as “Connect with me on LinkedIn!”

Finally, not every new grad will have a business card at all. So having one in the first place makes an incredibly positive first impression.

Note: If you need help creating your branding statement, join us for our complimentary webinar on May 30, “How to Build Your Brand for Greater Professional Success.” Register here!