According to a digital business card statistics forecast from Maximize Market Research, 23% of individuals use a digital business card app.
While they aren’t in the majority, this does indicate that printed business cards may be slowly becoming a product of times gone by.
Business cards are a networking staple and great assets for establishing a good first impression and rapport with clients. Going digital only further boosts your reputation, letting you stay ahead of the game in the age of contactless connections.
Here is a compilation of key statistics and trends on virtual business cards to help you upgrade your professional marketing collateral effectively.
What is a digital business card, and why are professionals using it?
Think of the traditional, printed business card with your name, company, contact numbers, and any additional information that fits. Now imagine it on the screen of a mobile device. That is what a digital business card is—and more.
A digital business card is a virtual way of providing your contact information professionally. It is also known as a smart business card or a vCard.
Thanks to their virtual nature, digital business cards allow you to include more information than printed ones can.
You have plenty of room to include a professional headshot that lets people recognize you immediately and offers a space for all of your websites and social media links where they can connect with you.
Lastly, you can include a list of the services you provide and a breakdown of all of your previous work, backing up your reputation even more.
Digital business cards are normally shared at the end of emails as a signature. However, they can be made using a QR code generator with logo integration, allowing for the efficient and convenient sharing of information with peers.
In fact, according to this QR code statistics report, networking with QR codes may be the best way to share vCards as they are compact and mobile-compatible, allowing professionals like you to connect with others at any time.
Key digital business card statistics you should know
Here are eight of the latest trends any professional should keep in mind when considering the use of digital business cards.
88% of all business cards are thrown away each year
This means that not only are most cards thrown out, but also that 8 billion business cards are disposed of every year.
According to Marcos Isaias, the main reason for throwing business cards away is that the services being offered weren’t needed at the time.
Other reasons why printed business cards are thrown out include:
Poor card design and quality
Too many business cards to hold onto
Lack of personal connection with the giver of the card
Tedious process of saving the contact information
The digital business card market size by 2032 is expected to be valued at US$ 389.3 billion
Data from Market Research Future states that this expected value will be reached as the industry’s market value continues to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.01%.
Demand for digital business cards continues to grow at a CAGR of 9%
According to digital business card statistics from 360 Market Updates, the market demand of the digital business card industry was valued at US$331.5 million in 2023.
At this rate, demand can reach US$611.1 million by 2032.
The largest share of the digital business card market belongs to North America
According to data from SourceWeb, three of the top 10 countries with a share of the market come from the region.
These countries are the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and when combined, they hold a total market share of over 30%.
Fortune Business Insights suggests that this significant share of the market is caused by the digitalization of businesses and the growing popularity of smartphones in the region.
The market share of other regions is:
Europe:25%
Asia-Pacific: 25%
South America: 10%
Middle East and Africa: 10%
Digital advertising expenditure in 2024 is expected to reach US$740.3 billion
With its ability to hold more information than traditional business cards, vCards are another means of digital advertising.
This report from this Statista tells us that brands are investing more and more in digital marketing. In fact, less than a third of this expected value will be generated by US business alone.
Digital business card statistics on their environmental impact
Cardstock, the material business cards are printed on, comes from trees. With the world cutting down over 10 million hectares of forests every year from 2010 to 2020, traditional business cards play a part in continuing deforestation of the planet.
Don’t get us wrong; paper-based business cards are still useful, especially since a percentage of the population prefers to use them to exchange contact details with others.
But with vCards, professionals don’t have to worry about printing costs and the damage to our world’s forests. Instead, the same “card” can be shared repeatedly at any time, anywhere.
And they have what it takes to be THE networking staples in the ever-high-tech and innovation-loving professional world.
Factors contributing to the adoption of digital business cards
Are digital business cards popular? Yes, they very much are.
But what exactly is the reason behind their popularity? According to Maximize Market Research, there are actually FIVE reasons that are driving the adoption of vCards. These are:
Convenience (45%)
Sustainability (20%)
Security (15%)
Personalization (10%)
Cost-effectiveness (10%)
Tip: With the many benefits of QR codes when it comes to sharing information, you can QR codes for more than just digital business cards.
Challenges slowing down the growth of the digital business card market
While the market value is expected to continuously increase over the years, there are still factors that hinder this steady growth. According to Verified Market Reports, these factors include:
Lack of awareness of digital business cards
Limited options for global payments
Issues with the regulation of data storage and privacy
High upfront costs of vCard creation
Non-existent standardization of digital business card formats
Tip: Despite the many hindrances to adopting vCards, this QR code trend report shows that vCards are the third most used QR code solution.
Are digital business cards effective? Why they’re worth the hype and your attention
Digital business cards offer a convenient way of sharing your contact information with your customers and other professionals.
They also allow you to add as many details as you wish to include. With this feature, you don’t need to cherry-pick any of your information. Your digital business card will tell your network exactly who you are and what you can do!
Using vCards to build your network further increases efficiency. With a simple scan of your vCard QR code, your connections can have all the information they need. You can also track the number of scans and other metrics.
vCards also don’t need to be printed again and again before each business venture, so you can save a lot of time and money compared to hiring a graphic designer and ordering custom ones!
How much do digital business cards cost?
While QR code generator statistics indicate the growing popularity of QR code solutions, many businesses are concerned about the cost of switching to digital business cards.
Fortunately, the best digital business card providers are affordable.
While there is a substantial cost to using digital business cards, one has to keep in mind the many benefits they bring to a business, particularly its convenient use and its contribution to sustainability efforts.
Digital business card examples with QR codes
Now that you know how easy it is to make a virtual business card, let’s take a look at how different professions use theirs.
CEO business cards
Networking remains essential to those at the top of the corporate ladder. Typically, CEO business cards are of high quality design and materials. They also contain key information to contact the head of a company, such as their office and mobile phone numbers.
A digital business card for CEOs has more information than this. A person in this position would have an impressive list of work accomplishments that can be included in a vCard. A professional headshot can also be added for instant recognition during events.
Lawyer business cards
For lawyers, giving clients a business card provides a means of communication and adds a personal touch to their relationship.
With a digital business card, lawyers can provide this and more. Aside from including phone numbers and email addresses, social media links can also be included. This allows clients to stay up-to-date with their lawyer, maintaining a strong working relationship.
There is also room for their office location for in-person meetings.
To make a strong impression, lawyers can also add a catchy tagline that conveys who they are as professionals.
Real estate business cards
Real estate professionals shouldn’t forget to connect with clients, whether they are buying or selling. With a virtual business card, this can be done smoothly and instantly.
vCards for real estate will always have contact information, but they can also include social media links for a more personal connection. An agent’s website can also be shared if they have one.
Financial advisor business cards
Helping someone with their finances requires confidence and trust between the client and advisor. Ideally, this should begin the moment they meet.
Business cards used by financial advisors will have the usual but concise information to help clients reach out to them. With a digital business card, advisors can connect their clients to a whole new side of them.
By linking their websites, financial advisors can instantly direct clients to their side of the internet. From there, clients can learn about their services, look at their history, and even read testimonials from other clients.
Marketing agency business cards
Agencies always keep in touch with their clients and are forever on the look-out for potential ones. Traditionally, this was always done with business cards but this didn’t give a lot of information.
Digital business cards for marketing agencies allow for the linking of every means of connecting with them. If the website is included, current and future clients can look into an agency’s history of successful campaigns.
People also ask
How big is the digital business card industry?
The digitalization of the business world has been increasing over the past few years as more and more brands consider the virtual world in their marketing.
Because of this, the market size of the digital business card industry grew from USD 164.95 billion to USD 181.46 billion between 2023 and 2024.
Are digital business cards popular?
YES. Digital business cards are becoming increasingly popular. The convenience they bring to networking makes them the primary means of information sharing for tech-savvy professionals.
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