Skip to main content

With so much of marketing and business in general going digital, it’s natural to wonder whether business cards are still worth it these days. 

With options such as virtual cards and LinkedIn steadily gaining popularity, is it still a good idea to invest in physical cards? 

Short answer: in a lot of cases, yes!

In this article we’ll list the different situations and industries in which having business cards is the way to go. 

When Are Business Cards Still Worth It?

1. Attending Networking Events and Conferences 

If your job or business has you frequently mingling with industry peers in expos and conventions, it’s often a good idea to have some cards ready for when you’re being introduced to someone.  

The more tech-savvy industries (e.g., IT, fintech) might eschew it in favour of connecting on LinkedIn, but business cards still have their place in most other fields. 

Even though most of their work is digital, those in advertising, graphic design, and similar fields can still benefit from a physical card. That’s because a well-designed business card is a great way to showcase your design finesse. 

Think of your business card as a neat little canvas for showcasing your skills in typography, colour, and overall creativity and understanding of branding fundamentals. It’s like a preview of your work–one has your contact details, and which potential clients and business partners can keep for future reference. Win-win! 

3. If You Work With Business Partners and Clients From Certain Countries 

Here, as well as in the UK and US, there isn’t much ceremony when it comes to business cards; they’re just functional for the most part. 

However, in places such as Japan, China, and the Middle East, business cards play an important role in business etiquette. 

In fact, in Japan there are unwritten rules of etiquette specifically regarding the exchange of business cards

The exchange of business cards, called ‘meishi’ in Japanese, is an important part of Japanese business culture. Image source: JapanTravelTV (YouTube)

So if you are doing business with folks in those countries, you may want to get your own cards printed–and while you’re at it, do your research if there are any business card-related etiquette pointers that you may want to know about. 

4. If Your Business Is In Luxury

In an age when most popular media is now digital, the tactile quality of a business card can impart a sense of luxury and refinement. Handing a client a beautifully crafted card can make them feel part of an exclusive group. 

It also shows that you care about your brand and pay attention to small details—a big part of what the luxury industry is about. 

5. When Client Trust is Paramount in Your Industry

In a similar vein, in industries where personal connection and establishing trust is vital, business cards are always a good look. 


Perhaps you work in sales in fields that generally involve large sums of money, such as real estate, transport, or heavy equipment. Or perhaps you work in a field that deals with sensitive matters, such as family law, healthcare, or financial consulting. 

While it’s a small detail, a business card in these situations can give your potential client a little bit more reassurance that they’re speaking with someone legit.

6. If You Have A Local Service Business 

We’re a digital marketing agency; of course we recommend getting your SEO and Google Business Profile in tip-top shape so that your business has a chance of showing up when people in your locale look for you. 

However, in-person interactions—as in, getting in a conversation with someone at the gym or pub and mentioning that you bake custom cakes or do landscaping—can still be a big driver of business to small service or trade business that serve locally. 

When these interactions do happen, it’s not always convenient to ask them to whip out their phone and follow you on socials or check your website. Having a well-designed business card to give them comes across as professional, and makes it more likely for them to remember you. 

But since we’ve mentioned your website and social media… 

7. When Your Social Media or Website Aren’t Ready Yet

Your website and social media are of course very important. And like many things that are important, they take time.

You don’t want to just throw up any old website using a free website maker, or put together your social media profile in 15 minutes, then invite prospective customers to view them. 

A carelessly created online presence will do more harm than good. 

For your social media profiles, you’ll need to create, curate, and post high-quality content that show off your business, and do so fairly consistently. 

For your website, you’ll need to prepare the site content, build the site, and then make sure it’s working properly and optimised for Google Search

(Of course, you can always have our team do all of that for you.)

But the main thing is, all of that takes time to do well. Until you’re confident that your website and social pages are ready for show, a small stack of cards with your business name, number (and address if applicable), and quick summary of what you offer, will at least help in getting some brand recall. 

Need Business Cards Designed? 

You’re at the right place, because our design team can make great business cards for you!

Not only that, but we can also create everything from your logo, brand guidelines, website, social media pages… everything your business needs to make a good impression!

We also have SEO and online ads experts so that your business can be found by the people who need you (and be seen by those who need you but don’t know it yet!) 

Get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to jump in a call and discuss what we can do for your business. 

Leave a Reply