With social media’s growing influence, business cards are no longer as essential as they used to be for new businesses.
Many businesses people might never have heard of before can easily be found through Instagram searches or shared content.
As a result of this more efficient alternative to business cards, some skip the creation of a business card altogether and rely solely on the connectivity of social media to expand and meet new clientele.
Helen Nguyen, owner and nail tech at Valley Nails of Moreno Valley, said she attributes much of her nail salon’s success to the vast clientele Instagram has brought her.
“Many new clients find us from hashtags, and mainly by their friends’ Instagram stories when they tag our business in their ‘nail-files,’” Nguyen said. “Instagram has done nothing but benefit our business, which is to girls who love nails from all over the IE. Many women drive as far as 45 minutes or more to come see us every two to three weeks for nails and pedicures.”
With more than 6,000 followers, Nguyen’s business has been able to interact with far more clients than business cards would typically reach.
“Business cards and even our business phone don’t get used as often, as we run a large amount of our appointments through DMs (direct messages). Simple, easy, effective,” Nguyen said.
Samantha Emerick, junior business administration major, said Instagram gives customers more confidence in contacting businesses through direct messaging.
“In many cases, I’ve used the social media platform to reach out to businesses I’ve been interested in either based on their product or their strategy. It made it much easier to get feedback faster,” Emerick said.
Instagram has become a great source for everyday people to discover new businesses and stay up-to-date with specials or product releases much easier than before.
Jazmin Oseguera, junior biology major, said she has been able to discover all kinds of clothing stores, restaurants, museums, photographers, hair stylists and more with the help of Instagram.
“My friends and I always send each other different Instagram posts we like, whether it’s food or a new place we’d like to visit,” Oseguera said. “I’ve also been able to find a lot of my favorite clothing accounts just by looking through the Explore page.”
Oseguera said having Instagram is becoming such an essential business tool because younger generations are constantly using the app.
Unlike generations before, in which keeping business cards on hand held more value for new businesses, social media outlets have made it possible to expand and reach far more clients in a more efficient and cost-effective way.
