Business Cards: A Wealth of Information
My roommate and I recently went to the #140 Conference in Los Angeles to learn more about Twitter and to network with some of the leading names in social media. About a week before the conference we decided to purchase business cards to hand out. As students we didn’t have a lot of information to provide so we kept the cards very simple.
The back of the card had three lines, one with my Twitter handle, one my E-mail address, and one my phone number. Each option provided the recipient with a different level of engagement, allowing him/her to connect with me on Twitter, by sending me an E-mail, or by calling me over the phone. Each level of engagement is explained below:
1. The Twitter Handle
After meeting someone, you have a decent idea about what they do and who they are, but seeing their involvement on Twitter can give you an idea of their real personality. The most important part of receiving the Twitter handle is that you will likely find a URL in their bio, which will lead you to a LinkedIn or Facebook profile, or even a personal website or blog.
My Twitter page leads to a personal website/blog that gives more contact info, shows some of my interests, and has an “About Me” section, as well as a resume/recommendations section. This shows my social side along with my professional side, and with a few quick clicks, this person has found out a lot more about me than he/she knew from a quick conversation at a conference.
2. The E-Mail Address
The E-mail address may be the most obvious, but necessary piece of information on the card. E-Mail is a great way to get in touch with millennials, especially with the growth of smart phones within our generation. We check our E-mail multiple times throughout the day, whether it’s for class, work, or personal reasons. It’s the easiest and most convenient way to keep in touch, and allows for both personal and professional conversation.
3. The Phone Number
The last bit of contact information is a phone number. There has been a lot of conversation about millennials’ inability to talk on the phone. It’s true that we’re a text/E-mail-first generation, but this doesn’t mean that we’re immune to phone conversations. E-mail is definitely preferred over the phone because an e-mail can be sent from basically anywhere, while a serious phone conversation needs a quiet setting and more than one bar of service.
Note: If a phone conversation is necessary, we are happy to participate, but please forewarn us that you will be calling because we don’t tend to pick up calls from numbers we don’t know.
So why is there no Facebook URL on the card? Facebook is a touchy subject with a lot of millennials because of all the associated horror stories. We have all learned by now that future employers will be looking at our Facebook profiles, so keeping them private is now commonplace. I know a number of millennials that block their pictures and have made it impossible to search their names because they don’t want a few pictures from freshman year affecting their chance at a job come senior year. Facebook is definitely an invite-only site when wanting to contact a millennial, meaning the millennial should do the “friending.”
As you can tell, a business card can provide you with a lot more information than it used to, thanks to the Internet. What did your first business card say about you?
Photo Credit: systemonegang
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“Facebook is definitely an invite-only site…” I completely agree. I think there is a misconception that because we tweet what we’re doing and/or blog about our lives that millennials have no problem living our lives out in the open. There are different rules for the different channels/ spaces we communicate on/in. Facebook is for friends, LinkedIn is for work etc.–connect appropriately.
Great post! I’ve been out of college for a few years now, but it wasn’t until I secured my current position that I decided to join Facebook. I always feared that someone would find me!
With that being said, I just got back from a networking event on building your own personal brand. The first thing they suggested that we do is to Google yourself. Go on try it…see what it says about you. At the end of the day it’s not what you say about yourself, but rather what others are saying about you.
My dad asked me the other day what was the best way to get in touch with me and I didn’t even know how to start answering that question. It’s completely different depending on, first, the person: how well they know me, where they know me from, if they are a professional or friendly contact, and how tech-savvy they are. Then, it depends on the nature of the information: length, importance, and urgency. I never realized how complicated this was until I tried to explain it!
I agree that different online platforms are for different people and different purposes. Facebook is especially touchy because it contains every aspect of my life and I don’t want random people knowing everything I do without knowing me well enough. If you just want to connect with me, get to know me or engage in a conversation, use Twitter or Brazen. There are so many professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn, Zumeo, Xing, etc. and I do not understand why with all these opportunities people insist on using Facebook for professional purposes. It just feels like an invasion of my privacy. I know am aware of the privacy settings but still… Unless we are friends, classmates, collaborated or something along these lines, do not try to friend me on Facebook.
By the way, you should check with the career services center at your university for business cards. I know that many universities provide a limited number of free business cards for their students and alumni.
I just got new business cards that only have two pieces of information on them: my website, and my Twitter handle. Technically they don’t even have my name on it, but the Twitter handle covers it, I think (@CherylHarrison)
I seriously hate when people call me – if I really need to give out my number I carry a sharpie to write it on the blank side of the cards. The number is listed on my site, but really, who goes to a website to pull a phone number?
My outgoing voicemail message directs people to e-mail me too. Phones, ick.
Great article that really hits the nail on the head.
I’m happy to take phone conversations that are work related and necessary, but I much prefer a text message or an e-mail. The message will get to me just as fast as a phone call since my smart phone receives all three, but if I’m in the middle of another project I may not answer the phone; however, I will most likely shoot you back a quick text or brief email.
It used to be believed that the quickest route to a response was through a call – I mean calling was clearly faster than mailing a letter, but e-mail has revolutionized that process (thank God)!
I like the idea that the internet can be seen as an extension of a business card, opposed to banning the classic business card and replacing it by the internet.
I agree about the calling — I definitely do not pick up numbers I do not know, because the last thing I want is to have to either find an excuse to call back the employer or whoever (I think sort of rude, since I picked up in the first place) or awkwardly, yet politely, talk to them while I’m shopping, exercising, at a friends, etc. etc.
However — and I’ve been debating this for a while, since I’ve been thinking about ordering business cards — I think instead of my Twitter handle, I would put my website address on my card, because it’s a direct link to everything relevant to my professional life. My Twitter and other sites are linked off there.
I agree. I hate people calling me, especially when I do not know who they are or why they are calling. E-mail and Twitter are much easier because they allow for multitasking and I can answer whenever I have time or while I am in a meeting or doing something else.