Welcome to this week’s Marketing By One newsletter. Amidst the cold, snow, and ice forecasts, it’s time to think warm thoughts: Networking with real people. Are business cards what they used to be?

And I’d love it if you could forward this email to a friend who's in business and interested in content to help their marketing. I would appreciate it. And if you’re that friend? Subscribe today.

— Ann Gynn

I was recently at an event where someone “gave” me their Blinq (digital) card. I hadn’t even heard of Blinq. It got me wondering: Do printed business cards still matter in 2026? Do I need a digital card? Or is LinkedIn (and a good follow-up) enough? 

Short answer: Business cards haven’t gone to the graveyard, but they aren’t what they used to be.

Let’s start with digital cards

Digital business cards are everywhere. Among the most common: Blinq, HiHello, Popl, and Mobilo. They offer tap-, scan-, or link-based cards that share contact info. 

All have free options. Paid plans — typically less than $10 a month — include features like customization, analytics, and spreadsheet exports. 

You can share digital cards:

Digital cards are especially convenient at conferences or fast-moving networking events. But they have the same limitation as printed cards: Giving someone your card puts the follow-up burden on them — and most people don’t follow up.

Caveat: Make sure your digital card service doesn’t require recipients to download another app.

Printed business cards still matter when used like it’s 2026

A printed card shouldn’t just say who you are. It should give someone a reason to remember you or take action. A few smart ways I’ve seen solos use them:

Think of a printed card as a conversation vehicle, not a contact database.

The most powerful move is …

Be the one who controls the follow-up. 

Whether you share a digital card or exchange printed ones, make sure you leave with the person’s name. You can take their card, snap a photo of their name badge, or just jot down notes (or use voice notes on your phone.) 

Then, you should: 

Now, you’ve already out-marketed 90% of the room.

That’s why, for most solo entrepreneurs, LinkedIn and a thoughtful follow-up beat any card — digital or printed.

Got a question you’d like me to answer in a future edition of The Hotline? Call or text Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.

This week: Create a digital or printed business card with a single promotion or call to action. Design it to make follow-up easier, not just contact exchange.

“When I first opened Attio, I instantly got the feeling this was the next generation of CRM.”
— Margaret Shen, Head of GTM at Modal

Attio is the AI-native CRM for modern teams. With automatic enrichment, call intelligence, AI agents, flexible workflows and more, Attio works for any business and only takes minutes to set up.

Join industry leaders like Granola, Taskrabbit, Flatfile and more.

👉 Start for free today

I’ve asked an AI agent to assess whether a piece of content sounds like AI created it. And it told me specific elements that read like it was created by AI. Ironically, they were words and phrases I had chosen. Given the value audiences place on originality, these checks (and subsequent revisions) can be helpful!

Have any AI tricks of your own? Hit reply, call, or text the Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.

Create a poll for your audience. Post it on social media, your newsletter, or send a separate email with it. Ask one question: What do you want to know about (your niche topic) in the next six weeks?

Use that data to inform a blog article, social media post, video, or newsletter — and don’t forget to mention the idea came from them!

🎬 Moving pictures
Jess Cook is a VP of marketing at Vector, but the story she shares in this LinkedIn post is practical for solo entrepreneurs, too.
TL;DR: $40 budget + 1 hour using Breakout Clip = big results.

🔁 Repetition isn’t redundant
Netflix deliberately simplifies dialogue. Podcaster Doug Downs shares the takeaway.
TL;DR: Don’t assume listeners or viewers understand something just because you mentioned it earlier.

🤝 Friends, not followers
Instagram is testing a switch from displaying follower count to friends count — accounts with a reciprocal content relationship.
TL;DR: Followers observe your content; friends let you observe theirs. That difference matters for research.

Not a subscriber? Join the Marketing By One community today. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter!

Got a question you’d like me to answer in The Hotline? Email me or DM me on LinkedIn. Even better: Text or leave a message on the Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.