At the TCEA 2023 Convention, attendees relied on digital business cards. These made sharing their contact information easy. Smartphone enabled, digital services like Popl and HiHello facilitated quick connection. Two TCEA Convention 2023 shared their experiences.
Colleen Terrill, a technology and digital learning director, highlighted her expertise. She relies on HiHello, a free digital business card and contact manager app. Ms. Terrill said HiHello made communicating her information with others and distributing her contact info easy. She then demonstrated her facility with the HiHello app.
“It was nice to meet you! I love always having my card on my phone,” Ms. Terrill said as she shared her information.
Another TCEA 2023 Convention attendee also shared their experience. Ronnie Seagroves, a coordinator of instructional technology, also relies on HiHello to manage contacts. He said he believes HiHello is available at no cost and is easy to use. Another workshop presenter introduced Mr. Seagroves to the digital business card service. He had relied on Popl before, but HiHello’s low-cost entry point made the difference.
“It’s [Popl] is very limited until you buy in,” he said. “HiHello seems to be completely free. I had everything created before I left the workshop session. Scanning physical cards was super-easy.”
Some potential uses of services like HiHello and Popl? Mr. Seagroves said, “Being able to network and keep up with your PLN. It’s an easy linked system to send and share information. You can also personalize quite a bit; it’s unique to you.”
“You can get some uniformity in the look of your digital business card. Create your card in Canva, then put it in your email signature, too,” said Seagroves.
Pricing and Options Available
Solutions like HiHello and Popl often come with a price tag. They offer premium services at a cost, while individuals get basic services for free. Both options have a “free for individuals” option worth considering.
Other digital business makers (all but one lacking an individual free option) include:
But if digital business cards aren’t your cup of tea, other options abound.
Alternatives to Digital Business Cards
Many TCEA 2023 Convention participants relied on QR codes to share a link to their website. Smartphones make it simple to scan QR codes from a distance. QRStuff.com’s blog reports the following:
For most smartphones the relationship between scan distance and minimum QR code size is approximately 10:1. A 2.5cm (1 inch) QR code printed in a magazine has a nominal effective scan distance of about 250mm (10 inches). A QR code on a billboard 20 metres (65 feet) from where a passer-by scans it needs to be about 2 metres (6.5 feet) across.
But what size should your QR code be for the best scanning? A simple formula to rely on is dividing the scanning distance by 10 to get the smallest QR Code size. You can also make the QR code easier to scan with a trick. Use a URL shortener (e.g., TinyURL, Bit.ly) to limit the total number of characters in the QR code link.
Here are two examples of QR codes. The first relies on a long URL:
This second QR Code uses a URL shortener. Note the density of the QR code.
QR codes above were created with Flowcode and QR Toon sites, respectively.
A Free-for-Educators Option
Looking to upgrade your paper business card option? Educators have free access to Canva. Try using Canva’s Free Business Card Maker. You can combine a Canva design with a digital card to get eye-popping results.
Feature Image Source
Screenshot by author, The Environmental Impact of Traditional Paper Business Cards via HiHello Blog