It’s a story that dates back to the 19th century. A company invests in hundreds of business cards but struggles to quantify their impact on generating new business. The organization is left wondering if the investment was worthwhile, questioning these cards’ return on investment (ROI).

In the past, measuring the effectiveness of business cards was a daunting task, with few methods available to track their success. However, with the advent of modern technology, the landscape has changed dramatically. Today, you have access to numerous tools and techniques to monitor and evaluate the performance of your business cards, ensuring you get the most out of your investment.

Why track the effectiveness of business cards?

Having a business card that wows is great, but it needs to translate into actual engagement to be worth your while. After all, what good is a business card that’s been thrown in the garbage months ago?

This is where the value of tracking your card’s data comes in. The more you focus on your card’s analytical back end, the more your front end will care for itself. Strong engagement and high conversion show a card’s clean bill of health and lead to a more robust return on investment. 

Methods for tracking an effective (or ineffective) business card

To work for you effectively, your business cards rely on strong data tracking methods backing them up. Utilized correctly, these will measure a card’s effectiveness, what works and what doesn’t, what drums up engagement or scares people away, and what should be followed up in future generations of cards or hocked away like yesterday’s question mark lasagna.

Luckily, you’re familiar with many of these methods already. 

QR Codes  

If you’re tired of passing out that plain white business card of the 1970s persuasion, QR codes are an exciting and multi-functional powerhouse that stores additional information to what’s already on the card. Not only do they pique a sense of mystery and curiosity, but QR codes are expert “calls to action,” allowing you to track the number of people who’ve scanned the code and reached your landing page. 

Custom URLs

Have a website page about chunky cat apparel and another where the latest fashion can be bought? Custom or shortened URLs to specific landing pages are easily trackable with any audience metric website. URLs can be an excellent alternative to QR codes when card space is an issue, from social media plugs to personalized links with your company name embedded.

Coupons and limited-time offers

Like QR codes, coupons are promotional tools that lead customers to a designated landing page. Where they differ is in purpose: often, coupons have a time limit, urging cardholders to “buy, buy, buy” (or, in this case, scan) before the deal expires. These “blink and you’ll miss it” type deals can be printed on your latest business cards for an upcoming event or launch, then just as swiftly be removed preceding your next project. Best of all, you can measure the response rates of each campaign to find out which deals are worth your time in future prints. 

Call Tracking

The most ubiquitous feature on any business card is the phone number, so why not track the number of calls it generates? Dedicated “tracking numbers” work almost like an ordinary number, except every call is run through a tracking software capable of recording call volume and audio. What makes this unique is that every number through the software is customizable, offering anything from utilitarian “800” numbers to more down-home ones with local area codes.

Surveys and Feedback

Surveys are the biggest waste of time or a legitimate crowdsourcing technique – depending on who you ask. Still, Starbucks can build a coffee empire based on 14 years of customer surveys, so surely there’s a place for it in the land of business cards. Post-purchase surveys offer ways to touch base with customers who may or may not have used your business card as a reason for buying. Some businesses even offer incentives, like prizes or perks, to entice more people into answering questions about their cards. 

Social Media

As something always in the background of people’s lives, it’s surprising how many people don’t know how to sync social media with their business cards.

Social media is, and should be, one of the strongest tools in your marketing arsenal, with @handles and the everpresent hashtag capable of spreading your message farther than strict word-of-mouth outreach ever could. Merging social media with your paper business cards is like blending the best of both worlds – and certainly worth a try.

Website Traffic

When people visit your company site, you don’t always know what they’re looking for. Website analysis tools (of which there are plenty) can monitor traffic from specific links associated with your print campaigns. These same tools help site owners track their customer’s interactions and clicks, making it easier to determine if visitors are searching for anything in particular or simply dilly-dallying after following the print links. 

Here’s what else to consider

Tracking business cards is a process that has been made easier over the years. Next to the multitude of printing methods now available, it’s an area of the print industry that has hit a true renaissance. 

While the basics were covered, other tips include setting clear goals before your print campaign. Hence, you know how to track and compare different business cards to each other using A/B testing, pruning, and selecting areas for future print runs. 

Even if you only find one or two methods that make sense for you now, it’s enough to kickstart a real change in your business card model, ginning up potential sales and bolstering your return on investment.