Business Networking & How Digital Business Cards Can Help

May 08, 2023

Running a business is exciting and downright intimidating at the same time. There are so many aspects that require your attention with different methods of achieving different goals.

However, one aspect is constant for almost all businesses - networking.

It’s crucial for success, but getting better at it can seem close to impossible considering you’re running short on time - especially if you’re new to the business world.

Thankfully, by familiarizing yourself with the newest technologies that drastically improve how we exchange information and make contacts, the task ahead will be significantly less daunting.

Today, you will learn a bit more about business networking in general and how to use a digital business card to simplify the entire process.

Let’s go over the basics first.

What is business networking and why it matters

In simple terms, business networking is the practice of building and maintaining relationships with other companies and professionals.

The options for networking are limitless in the modern era. There’s the “traditional” approach which consists of meeting local business owners with similar values and trying to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. Additionally, you can also meet new professionals through trade associations, networking events, and such.

Today, you can also leverage social media and other online channels to connect with a wider group of people than was ever possible in the past.

Regardless of the method you choose, networking matters because it helps your company discover new opportunities - which is generally a way to acquire and attract new customers.

It’s not just about increasing your bottom line, though. Networking benefits everyone involved, including your entire community at large. By cross-promoting and making good use of existing networks, your business partners and customers will benefit. For instance, if you partner up with another company, you can promote them to your customers by offering prices or exciting giveaways. They can do the same for you.

It’s a win-win scenario for everyone involved.

How to put together a networking strategy

Before explaining how to use digital business cards for more efficient networking, you need to have a strong strategy first. Although seeing major successes in building connections takes a lot of time and effort, you can get ahead of the game early by establishing a clear set of goals beforehand.

Establishing a strategic approach starts by asking a set of questions:

What platforms and places does your target audience frequent (LinkedIn, business seminars, trade shows, etc)?
Which businesses are complementary to your own (for instance, if you own a gym, could your potential business partners be gym equipment manufacturers)?
Do your company values align with the values of the other organization?
What mutual benefit can you provide to one another?

Once you answer these questions, you can easily narrow down your search to target the right kind of crowd in your community, and consequently, unlock network opportunities that matter.

How to use a digital business card for networking

If you were just about to order a bunch of paper business cards, you should cut that operation short as soon as possible. Yes, swapping business cards is still a relevant practice, but it’s also experiencing massive changes, mostly through digitalization.

Electronic or digital business cards come in many forms and represent an easy way to share contact information in real time. For instance, physical NFC digital cards are quite popular as they function the same way as traditional business cards. The only difference is that once you tap your card on the recipient's phone, they can save all the relevant information into their contact app with one tap.

However, figuring out how to use a digital business card doesn't have to be strictly on the physical side. A digital business card can be shared online too. For instance, you can send a link to your contact or a QR code and it will take them to your customized online business card which may contain a variety of information. It will also allow them to save your contact details to their phone.

As you can see, while similar to the old paper card, the electronic version offers more functionality and versatility. In other words, you have a faster way of trading information in person, as well as an effective way to share crucial information even when you’re not present.

What is the best way to get digital business cards?

Now that you’re a bit more familiar with how to use digital business cards, you should consider how you’ll go about creating the card itself.

It’s possible to make one from scratch, but it will end up costing you more in the long run.

The fastest, and by far the easiest way is to create a digital card is with OamiiCards. We offer an online service where you can easily create a business card for free. You can customize your online profile to include your main contact information, photos, and external links such as social media handles.

The best thing is, you can share the card with anyone even if they don’t have the app as OamiiCards works natively in the browser of almost any modern mobile device. This is particularly important to highlight because what’s the point of using digital cards if they require an app?

With our platform, you can create and share a QR code that leads directly to your business card/profile. From there, the recipient can easily save your information or access your social media accounts. Furthermore, you can print this code out and use it in physical marketing materials such as pamphlets to increase the value further.

If you become a premium member (for a small fee of $4.99 per month), you receive a modern, high-tech physical NFC card that fits directly into your wallet. That way, you can have all the benefits of paper cards while also being able to use all the digital business card features.

The premium membership comes with nifty team management features so your entire team can create their own business cards, and you’ll be able to use your company’s branding on the profile.