In the Gilded Age, society doyennes like Caroline Schermerhorn Astor and Alva Vanderbilt Belmont would leave a calling card when paying a social visit. These visiting cards were first used in 15th-century China, then later embraced by 17th-century British aristocracy. Leaving a calling card was an elegant way to announce an arrival to be seen by the hostess.
Trade cards—the 19th-century precursor of the business card—soon followed. Businesses used these small collateral pieces to introduce their wares briefly, and the modern business card evolved to listing a professional’s name, company, address, and contact details.
While business card printing declined 70% during the pandemic, sales of the modern-day calling card have since rebounded, with over 27 million cards being printed in the US daily. And now QR code and digital contact cards are all the rage. A recent Yahoo!Finance article states, “The digital business card market is set to touch $500 million by 2033.”
“ “Digital business cards to witness enormous demand growth due to their many advantages such as convenience, affordability, environmental friendliness, contactless functionality, and customization options.””
How to Leverage the Modern Calling Card
Test multiple different outlets to find the functionality that works best for your business needs. After doing this exercise personally, I landed on Tapni. This platform boasts simple creation, adherence to compliance and security regulations, and a multitude of options for utilization.
With its interface, I was quickly able to create my digital calling card, complete with a link for my recently updated one-pager. We’ve covered this handy document previously as a single page offering a quick overview of an organization’s or person’s solutions, value proposition, and contact details. At a glimpse, one can briefly gain insight into your brand and personality.
I highly recommend taking the time to create both tools for your professional use: the digital business card and the one-pager. If my team and I can be helpful, please do reach out. You have my number—and email—and LinkedIn via my modern calling card.