The standard paper business card has become an outdated relic – analog in an increasingly digital world. Beyond the sheer waste and impracticality, traditional cards simply fail to meet the needs of modern professionals.
But what if there was a solution that not only eliminated the physical waste of paper cards, but revolutionized the entire prospecting, networking and lead generation process for greater efficiency and results?
There is. Mobilo‘s innovative smart business cards provide exactly that – finally bringing business networking firmly into the 21st century.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore how Mobilo‘s NFC-enabled cards are transforming networking and sales, saving trees along the way.
The Shocking Environmental Impact of Paper Business Cards
Before we highlight the advantages of digital alternatives, it‘s worth scrutinizing the staggering environmental footprint standard paper networking cards leave behind.
- Over 500,000 trees are felled annually just to feed the production of paper business cards
- The average professional receives over 800 cards per year and hands out hundreds more
- A mind-boggling 10 business cards are thrown out per second – ending up right in landfills
- Large enterprises can spend upwards of $200,000 per year just printing cards
And perhaps most troubling of all – less than 2% of all cards received end up generating business value through further connections or leads.
Clearly the traditional paper approach is ripe for disruption on multiple fronts. Digital transformation trends are driving change across many analog business practices – and networking is no exception.
78% of businesses report making shifts towards digital-first networking and communications over the past 2 years. The companies realizing success today are those future-proofing processes to align with an increasingly online, mobile landscape.
Introducing Mobilo – Pioneering Digital Business Cards
Founded in 2015, New York-based startup Mobilo identified the environmental and practical pitfalls of paper business cards and set out on a mission to modernize networking.
Leveraging technological innovations in fields like NFC, Mobilo developed smart business cards based around digital chips and tap-to-transfer functionality. Their solutions didn‘t just replicate the analog cards electronically – they enhanced and upgraded abilities to provide value across various functions:
- Sales prospecting
- Marketing lead generation
- Recruiting
- General business networking
In just 7 years, over 25,000 brands have adopted Mobilo‘s offerings – highlighting the demand for digital networking evolution. Their customers span all industries and sizes – from enterprise giants like Toyota, L‘Oreal and Samsung down to specialized construction firms and creative agencies.
But how exactly does the technology work under the hood – and what sets it apart from paper-based networking?
Mobilo‘s Cutting-Edge Smart Card Capabilities
The core of Mobilo‘s digital cards is the embedded NFC (near-field communication) chip. This allows fast, wireless, automatic connections when the card taps any NFC-enabled mobile device.
The tap triggers a real-time sharing of the card holder‘s:
- Contact details
- Photos
- Social media profiles
- Websites
- And any other information stored in the Mobilo app
This means seamless, instant contacts and profile sharing – no manual typing of details required post-exchange.
But Mobilo cards provide much more functionality beyond just replicating analog cards electronically…
Four Core Networking Modes
The Mobilo app actually offers professionals four distinct modes to tailor networking and information sharing for any situation:
1. Digital Business Card
The most basic use case mirrors the standard paper card digitally. Share contacts, website, social media, imagery in one tap.
2. Customizable Landing Page
For more branding and value sharing, Mobilo cards can pull up fully customized landing pages on the recipient‘s device – showcasing company info, sales collateral, portfolios and more.
3. Link to Any URL
Skip the homepage and send people directly to specific assets – whether that‘s your latest case study, product launch presentation or website contact form.
4. Lead Generation Capture
This is Mobilo‘s pièce de résistance. When exchanging cards in this mode, customized lead gen forms automatically populate on the recipient‘s screen – with all submissions seamlessly flowing into your CRM, sales or marketing platforms.
"We built our lead generation tools to turn real-life networking conversations into trackable digital prospects." - Claire Lewis, Mobilo CEO This end-to-end capture and integration capability revolutionizes prospecting ROI and efficiency.
On top of the flexible modes, Mobilo also equips teams and enterprises to get more value from organization-wide networking.
Mobilo Teams – Optimizing Enterprise-Scale Networking
For companies coordinating hundreds or thousands of employees networking across various events, meetings and functions, Mobilo provides Mobilo Teams.
This centralized console allows businesses to:
- Manage and customize all employee smart cards from one portal
- Permission controls for different profiles by department/region
- Sales metrics revealing lead volume, conversion rates
- Sync with HR data to update profiles automatically
- Event tracking to accurately measure networking ROI
Whether an individual sales rep or a multi-national company, Mobilo scales to optimize networking productivity, branding and data-driven insights.
Thousands of well-known enterprises already adopt Mobilo for upgraded networking – including Samsung, Toyota, AstraZeneca, Red Bull and more.
But why exactly are digital smart cards superior to traditional paper from both practical and environmental standpoints? Let‘s explore those benefits more closely.
Why Smart Cards are the Future of Business Networking
We‘ve highlighted some of the staggering waste statistics around paper business cards earlier. But beyond just trees, Mobilo‘s digital alternative also comes out ahead across other parameters:
Cost
- Paper cards cost around $40 per 250 – and require frequent reorders due to changing details
- Mobilo cards starts from $0 for basic digital – huge savings vs paper
Brand Consistency
- Employees often print a mishmash of different paper cards
- Mobilo syncs branding, messaging and assets across the entire org
Lead Capture
- Manual entry of paper card details results in 95% lost prospects
- Mobilo securely captures lead details to central CRM automatically
Accessibility
- Paper cards lack capacity for info beyond basics like phone/email
- Mobilo allows extensive profiles with photos, presentations, videos etc
And those are just a few examples among many advantages smart digital cards unlock over antiquated paper options.
"By adopting Mobilo cards, our sales team saw a 37% increase in qualified leads captured vs paper cards in just 3 months." - Amanda Clark, Acme Construction CEOWhen it comes to prospecting and nurturing new business, Mobilo empowers professionals to capitalize on every new connection.
Mobilo Product Editions
While all core capabilities remain included for free, Mobilo offers several paid product tiers and premium card materials to suit different business needs and branding demands:
1. Classic Plastic Card
Durable and customizable plastic cards starting at $20 per user
2. Sustainable Wood Card
Eco-friendly wood card materials sourced responsibly
3. Refined Metal Card
Elegant stainless steel finish for high-end branding
4. Teams Package
Adds expanded team controls, permissions, analytics tracking and security
Various accessories also available like NFC key fobs, phone stickers and more. Bulk discount pricing applicable for over 100 units.
But how does Mobilo stack up against alternative digital card startups in this emerging space?
Comparing Mobilo Against Top Digital Card Competitors
While adoption grows rapidly, Mobilo retains strong differentiation as the most widely-used global digital card platform:
| Provider | Founded | Members | Lead Capture | CRM Integrations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobilo | 2015 | 25,000 Companies | Yes | Zoho, Salesforce + More |
| CamCard | 2017 | 10,000 Users | No | No |
| Swapcard | 2013 | 5,000 Companies | Contact Export Only | None |
With (+25,000) business clients globally, patented NFC card-to-phone tapping exchanges, and native integrations across customer management platforms, Mobilo leads the digital card landscape by considerable margins.
"We vetted all major digital card startups. Mobilo stood apart on lead capture automation and backend integrations essential for sales teams." - Jason Wu, Handshake Partnerships President For any company focused on boosting prospecting and networking productivity, Mobilo remains the top choice.
Realize the Future of Networking Today with Mobilo
In closing, existing analog networking channels fail to reflect business realities in an increasingly fast-paced and digital world. Relying on the same paper card systems as decades past hampers meaningful connections, lead capturing and branding potential.
As thought leader Simon Sinek famously said, "No one wants to do business with yesterday‘s company."
Mobilo presents today‘s professionals and enterprises with a solution fitting distinctly modern demands around:
- Flexibility
- Automation
- Data-driven insights
- Environmental sustainability
With innovative NFC-powered cards, customizable landing pages, and integrated lead capturing flowing into your CRM, Mobilo delivers networking and lead gen designed for the future.
The time for paper business cards has passed. Networking advances await at Mobilo – schedule your free demo and trial today!
