Do people still hand out physical business cards at events or is it all digital now?

i should have asked before ordering 50, lol

EDIT:

Thank you for all the replies, I’ve got the answer I need but I’ll add some more information just in case anyone wants to know.

  • I’m based in Europe and not Japan
  • I’m working as a videographer and trying to build a film company
  • I plan on doing more event coverage so I’ll bring them with to quickly hand out my contact details.
  • The card has the following: Busines name, my name, phone number, email, and website.
  • I had thought about adding my social media but couldn’t find a nice way to do it that matched the rest of the card.

EDIT 2: just now realised I didn’t complete the last sentence of the last bullet point

  • SatansMaggotyCumFart
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    904 months ago

    Look at that subtle off-white coloring.

    The tasteful thickness of it.

    Oh my God, it even has a watermark

  • MudMan
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    4 months ago

    For a while I stopped bringing cards to situations where a card would be a thing and instead I put a QR code on a widget on my phone’s lock screen and told people to just scan that to add my contact info.

    Results were… mixed? For a few people it was a cool conversation starter. Others fumbled a bit with what to do.

    One guy, though? He was NOT amused. Apparently he made a big point of collecting all of his connections’ cards in binders, and cataloguing them, both as bragging rights and a hobby. I may as well have walked into his house and peed on his stamp collection. It was very awkward.

    • @wreckedcarzz
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      234 months ago

      “the future is now, old man”

    • thermal_shock
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      84 months ago

      when I was a designer and printer, I loved collecting cards to compare prints, designs, paper stock, etc.

    • @moistclump
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      44 months ago

      But that’s like a stamp collector being mad at email. Wait, are stamp collectors mad at email??

  • @PolydoreSmith
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    574 months ago

    I carry them because I’m a professional musician and I just get sick of spelling my name for people. It has my booking email, instagram, and phone number on it. Super handy.

  • @[email protected]
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    354 months ago

    Sure, if you deal with customer

    It’s still a nice way to get someone coordinates, like who is the sales person, or the tech support tech, or the researcher.

    If you go to conference/trade fairs people willstill exchange cards.

  • @NeoNachtwaechter
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    4 months ago

    It is about the act of giving that physical thing to someone, like a present.

    It helps with building a connection to people. It cannot be replaced by anything ‘digital’.

    (Even if everybody scans them or photographs them later, in order to bring the data into the digital address book LOL)

    • @w2tpmf
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      204 months ago

      QR codes on cards really bridge the gap between the physical card and the digital presence.

      • @wreckedcarzz
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        124 months ago

        “scan the one on the front for my LinkedIn, and the back for my OnlyFans” smirk and wink

        • @felbane
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          54 months ago

          Plot twist: They both go to OnlyFans.

  • @[email protected]
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    244 months ago

    I handed out 4 just yesterday. I guess it depends on the kind of work you’re doing. I’m a home improvement contractor and people often ask if they can give my number to their friend/neighbour etc. so I just hand them few business cards to spread around.

  • @Today
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    244 months ago

    I do. People usually don’t have time to chat when i stop by so i drop a card and ask them to reach out. I get them at Staples. Dony remember the exact price - maybe about $40 for 500.

  • @Skanky
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    214 months ago

    Our company recently switched from paper to digital (popl).

    It’s incredibly clunky and frustrating having to explain to literally every new contact that we don’t have cards and they have to use their phone to share info.

    So, yes. Please keep paper cards a thing

  • @aseriesoftubes
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    184 months ago

    If you do any business with Japanese or Korean people, then yes, definitely.

  • @[email protected]
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    134 months ago

    Yes. Not as important as they used to be, but they’re still highly useful in some situation. I use(d) them a lot in my current as well as my previous job. Long story short, these jobs involve showing up on site in the middle of nowhere, meeting someone who I’ve never met before. I then set up thingamajig A as well as fix thingamajig B. Before I leave I make sure to leave a card with my contact details in case they have questions or anything more is needed.

  • @Cryophilia
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    114 months ago

    Yeah, they’re really handy. I work for a big company who deals with other big companies, it’s often very helpful to get a specific contact person’s info so a future request isn’t filtered through layers of bureaucracy.

  • @j4k3
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    114 months ago

    Some people like to get super nerdy with them now. If I were in better shape physically, I’d probably etch my own out of some PCB copper clad and mix up some tinning solution.

    • @Lost_My_Mind
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      94 months ago

      Why does that require to be in better shape?

      • @j4k3
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        164 months ago

        Disability. Plus no reason to when I never leave the house or engage with others in meaningful ways.

        • @Lost_My_Mind
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          84 months ago

          Ooooooh…yeah, I read it as you saying it would be hard to do with no upper body strength, or if you were really fat.

          By “better shape”, you mean you specifically as an individual. Thats what threw me off. I know nothing of the process, and thought you were saying I couldn’t do it, being fat.

        • @CarbonatedPastaSauce
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          74 months ago

          Engaging with people on Lemmy is meaningful, especially if it makes you happier.

        • @wreckedcarzz
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          54 months ago

          Heya, I’m in a similar situation. Chatting with other people online is still a great way to learn and pass the time :)

  • @[email protected]
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    104 months ago

    I don’t need business cards, but I want to get some nice ones with just my name that I can write the information I want people to have.
    I guess it’s more of a calling card, really.

  • rasterweb
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    94 months ago

    Yes. I work for a small company and we do give out business cards at events if someone asks or if we really hope they’ll follow up with us later. To me they often serve more as a helpful reminder more than a device to convey contact information.