Have you ever been in that dreadful situation in which you, the chamber employee, are caught without a business card? To be honest, it happens to me way more than I’d like to admit. The reality is, with all the credit cards, reward cards and insurance cards in my wallet, I have very little space for business cards. If I run into more than two or three people in a day with whom I want to share my contact information, I’m in that awkward position of not having a card to share.
Sure, there are social media options for connecting, but I am on a social diet of sorts. And, to be honest, do I really want to connect with people I’ve known for only two minutes? Probably not. Or to take it a step further, do they really want to connect with me?
Well, long gone are the days of embarrassment or fears of social media rejection. Meet the digital business card app, Haystack.
Up and Running in Five
This might be one of the easiest apps I’ve used in terms of setup. If it took me more than five minutes to create my first digital business card, I would be shocked. You literally enter your email address to create an account, then enter your name, position, company, phone number and website. By adding the website, it also automatically searches the web for your company logo.
The neat thing is, even on a free account, you can have multiple business cards for all you chamber people who have a side hustle these days.
At Your Desk or On-the-Go
Haystack is a phone app, but it’s also supported through a web browser. So whether you are in a coffee shop on your way to work or sitting in front of your computer in the office enjoying said coffee, you can still share your digital business card.
On your phone, just open the app and tap the “Share” button. You will have the option of typing a personal note in the message field before sending by email, text message or QR code. Through the website, you can access a link to share or you can capture a QR code that can be used in printed marketing materials as well.
Included for Free
By taking advantage of Haystack’s free account, you can create unlimited cards and share them an unlimited number of times to an unlimited number of contacts. You also have unlimited access to its business card scanner and the ability to add social media links and images to your digital business cards.
For a slight fee, you get everything the free account offers plus vanity URLs, smart email signatures, the ability to design templates for brand consistency amongst your employees and the ability to export your contacts or integrate them with your customer relationship management tool.
Let’s not forget about being on the recipient’s end of all those business cards at the countless networking events at which we find ourselves. Having to sort through the numerous cards in your drawer when you need one can be taxing. Or maybe you threw it out thinking you wouldn’t need the person’s card again. All good reasons to share this knowledge with your members and start living a digital life.
Haystack may not be a new tool, but it certainly is timeless for those of us who forget our business cards, are trying to go paperless or are joining the minimalist movement and don’t want to carry cards anymore.
For any of those reasons, Haystack is a lifesaver!
Russell Lahodny is vice president of W.A.C.E. and vice president of local chamber relations at the California Chamber.