Why Your Startup Needs Augmented Reality Business Cards Augmented reality offers the option to include multimedia - straight into your traditional business card. What're we waiting for?

Augmented reality is the live direct view of the physical real world through the eyes of a digital filter, where elements are supplemented with additions from computer generated sensory inputs like enhanced sounds, video and graphics. Augmented reality has taken several different forms these days and one of the most innovative trends yet to become popular in India despite being released since several years is augmented reality business cards. With minimal costs you can convert your existing business card into a smart card.

Converting your existing business card to include augmented reality is an easy process. All you need is one of the dozens of free/paid apps that let you download a code image that can be picked up by the scanners in your smart phone. The more popular your app, the more viewers will eventually end up scanning the augmented reality code. Traditional symbols can include a small pictorial sign along with eh text saying "Scan with ABC App to see more!". Once the user uses the free application to scan the code, it would instantly load the video/animation/audio right to the screen of the user, in a pop-up manner that you've pre-recorded. This gives the user a more personalized method of explaining in further details of your product, company, or yourself – right out of your card.

There are several reasons why you should consider using augmented reality cards:

The costs are almost nothing

There are practically no costs to utilizing augmented reality. Since the enitre content is based on the cloud or is digital, you can find tons of free applications that let you create augmented reality codes/widgets/images straight into a design logo which can be included in your existing card via a sticker or if you're issuing new cards, can be utilized within the design.

Contain immense information

The physical size of your business card is limited to a certain extent, and even within that limited space the use white space is necessary to maintain design integrity. Thus any valuable information you'd like to add to your card is limited to a large extend. However with augmented reality, you can add an entire video of a few seconds to your card, which will hover/pop-out in a real life fashion as soon as the user hovers the screen over it.

Impressive and leaves an impression

Have you seen any of the videos on the internet with those viral augumented reality business cards? They are spectacular and futuristic! An animated version of you can pop out of your business card and quickly make a pitch – or the real you can showcase your products and services in a few seconds. The effect is impressive even for the millionth time you view it.

Promotes itself

Since augmented reality is still an unheard concept for the most part in india, if your business utilizes such business cards they would be viral on their own accord. This is great for your start-up because you don't have to promote it on your own. By the sheer "cool' factor of the technology alone your card will become famous!

Option to include multimedia right on your business card

Few people will manually go through the effort of checking your website out, while a lot of people will happily just hover their phone over your card and see the augumented reality app. This means the option to showcase a few seconds long brochure of your products, lists and sales pitch is now included in your card itself.

Would you consider including augumented reality snippets on your business card? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments on our official Facebook page, Entrepreneur India