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I lost my voice today.
I was hoping that some kind-hearted members of the Martin Print team may have shown some sympathy, and perhaps even fetched me a hot drink or two to help ease my burning throat.
They all know that I’m trapped here alone in my office, croaking helplessly away to myself, and unable to even answer the telephone.
But no.
Every time somebody wanders past my door, I attempt to wave frantically at them or throw something soft in their direction in a desperate bid to grab their attention.
But it never works. Not even when I panicked and accidentally threw my chair at Old Bert.
No, everyone is always far too immersed in their own conversations which usually revolve around how particularly quiet and peaceful it is today.
Nice.
However, even a lost voice can’t dampen my enthusiasm too much this week, as I’m thrilled to report that the incredible new NFC Cards are now rolling into production right here at Martin Print H.Q.
These wonderful new Cards deliver an extra digital dimension to your savvy Small Business marketing, and can be used in all kinds of deeply funky and highly functional ways.
I’ve been excitedly babbling on about this dramatic new digitally-enhanced development in custom-crafted Cards to everyone I’ve bumped into over the last few days in all kinds of places – here in the office, down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar, even whilst waiting patiently in the queue down at the Sweet Pastry Shop.
Nobody was safe from my bubbling buoyancy.
Well, until I finally lost my voice and just ended up croaking into people’s faces and scaring them away.
Since that unfortunate moment, my burning throat has made it difficult to answer all the burning questions on new NFC Cards that continue to pour in from every direction.
I did briefly consider handcuffing myself to Old Bert so that he could handle all the queries on my behalf.
But I eventually decided that it would make far more sense to compile an ultimate list of the most frequently asked questions on NFC Cards right here on the Martin Print Blog!
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So here it is;
Everything you ever needed to know about this incredibly diverse new format for the 21st Century Small Business owner…
What’s all the fuss about?
NFC Cards present a wide new range of digital opportunities for Australian Small Business.
They may retain the reassuringly physical look and feel of a stunningly designed traditional card, but they’re also packed with hidden digital features and functions which can be unlocked with a simple tap from a Smartphone!
What does NFC actually mean?
NFC is an acronym for Near Field Communication.
Many new Smartphones are now equipped with NFC capabilities, which means that they can be tapped against your special NFC Cards to open up a whole new world of powerful extras to explore on the Smartphone screen!
How does it work?
Each one of your NFC Cards contains a tiny customisable microchip called an NFC Tag.
When an NFC-enabled Smartphone is tapped against the Card, the NFC Tag sends an instruction to the Smartphone.
For example, it may instruct the phone to open up a website or perform a very specific Smartphone function.
The most exciting aspect of all is that you are always in full control of this NFC Tag, and only you will decide the exact digital function that will be unlocked with a single tap!
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What kind of things can I make my NFC Card do?
Well, the possibilities are almost endless!
Recipients of your new NFC Cards could perhaps be directed to your business website, Social Media page, YouTube channel, Blog, special exclusive content, or indeed any slice of online material at all!
Or you could configure your Cards so that all your crucial details are instantly transferred into the contacts list of the recipient’s Smartphone with just one simple tap.
You might prefer the Cards to place an automatic telephone call or begin composing a text message to your Business.
Or you might choose to have the Cards load up an App, play music or video content, bring up a handy Map showing the location of your business, or perform just about any suitable Smartphone function that you can think of!
The list goes on and on and on…
Can you get me a Deep Fried Lemon Tartlet from the Sweet Pastry Shop? It’s your turn to go. I went yesterday.
Ah. Sorry. Not sure how this one made the final list. It looks like a question from Old Bert.
I don’t know how on Earth he expects me to ask for anything at the Sweet Pastry Shop in my fragile and voiceless condition.
Let’s skip over this one for now.
How do I encode my NFC Cards?
For a small additional fee and ultimate peace of mind, the Martin Print team will be happy to handle the encoding of all your NFC Cards, so that your order arrives fully encoded and ready to go.
Just let us know exactly what you want your cards to do, and we’ll see to the rest!
Alternatively, you can easily edit the digital functions of each individual card yourself using a completely free Smartphone App such as NXP Tagwriter.
Hang on, this Tagwriter App sounds complicated. Is it?
No, certainly not!
This free Smartphone App gives you the power to create, store, and edit your very own NFC Tags on the screen of your mobile phone. When you’ve created your Tag, simply hold your Smartphone over your new NFC Card, and the encoding is complete.
With the simple NXP Tagwriter menu screen, you can choose the exact function that each of your NFC Cards will perform.
Intuitive graphical user guidance is provided within this cracking App, so it couldn’t be any easier to get started with your encoding.
But don’t worry if you’d much rather not bother with an App. For sheer speed and convenience, you can just choose to let us handle all the encoding on your behalf.
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Can I write-protect my NFC Tags?
Yes!
Whether you’ve asked us to handle the encoding or you’re using the Tagwriter App, you have the option to ‘protect’ your NFC Tag so that the data on your card can never be over-written.
Alternatively, you can leave it unprotected so that your existing supply of NFC Cards can be updated and edited whenever you choose!
Is this format only really suitable for Business Cards?
No, far from it!
Whilst many Small Business owners will naturally be taking advantage of this amazing format to produce a stunning Business Card for the 21st Century, it’s worth bearing in mind that the NFC Card also has a whole stack of other potential uses.
Membership Cards, Staff Cards, Loyalty Reward Cards, Hotel Key Cards….
Okay, okay, I get it! Am I able to include any cool extras in the actual design of my Card?
Of course!
NFC Cards come with our typically huge choice of options and extras.
Silver and gold metallic foiling, metallic inks, glitter effects, signature strips, barcoding, hole drilling/punching…
Right. So what types of Smartphones have NFC capabilities?
Many new phones are now equipped with NFC capabilities as standard.
If you’re at all unsure, you might fancy taking a look at this regularly updated definitive list of NFC phones that are available to buy today, NFC phones which are no longer available to buy, and phones which do not currently support NFC.
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It all sounds good to me. Do you have any other advice and tips?
Yes.
Never tie your shoelace in a revolving door.
Oh, do you mean about the NFC Cards?
Right. Sorry.
The Martin Print team will obviously work closely with you on crafting the perfect product for your business, and we’re always here to give a helping hand with pointers and tips.
For example, we would recommend that you include a QR Code in your final design, so that your recipients with older phones will still be able to access your digital content.
Excellent! Have you got me that Deep Fried Lemon Tartlet yet? I’m starting to feel faint.
Hmm. I’m not going to get out of this one, am I?
Well, wish me luck as I attempt to place an order down at the Sweet Pastry Shop with no voice.
Maybe I can just write a note and hand it over to the guy at the counter…
But if you’re all ready to get your brand spanking new NFC Cards rolling into production, then I can assure you that no voices or hand-written notes are required.
Simply pop along to our new NFC Cards page and let’s start cooking up your new custom-crafted creations.
See you in the future…
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