For many small and medium-sized businesses, the basis of promotional material is still:
printed business card
promotional flyer
banner on the door
maybe an occasional post on social media
These pieces help, but have clear limitations:
they are static — they don't change when the offer changes
they are difficult to measure — you don't know how many people actually acted on them
they get “old” quickly — new address, new menu, new hours, new promotion
At the same time, customer behavior has changed:
they want to see real experience, not just promise
they want to arrive at a link that works, not a loose piece of paper
they want something easy to save, share, revisit
This is precisely where PicFlow's Energy Cards come in:
like a “living business card” for your business.
In this article, we will see:
what an Energy Card is in practice for SMEs
how to transform your business card into something dynamic
how to use Energy Cards for campaigns and social proof
and how to get started with a few clicks, without needing to be a marketing expert
What is a “Living Business Card” with Energy Cards
Think about the difference between:
a paper card with name + phone number
a digital card that:
shows your space or product
transmits the atmosphere of your business
has a button that leads directly to WhatsApp, reservation, or order
This second format is what we call, in practice, a business Energy Card.
A typical Energy Card for a small business can include:
Main Image
real photo of your environment
of your product in use
of the team serving
or of a satisfied customer (with consent)
Visual identity
colors of your brand
logo
styles that match your positioning (modern, classic, young, minimalist, etc.)
Straight-to-the-point text
what you do
for whom
with what differential
CTA (call to action)
“Order on WhatsApp”
“Reserve a table”
“Schedule an appointment”
“See full menu”
“Request a quote”
From PicFlow, you control:
the visual of this card
the content (text, links)
and how it is organized within your collections (by unit, by campaign, by service)
Why the Traditional Business Card is No Longer Enough
Paper cards still have utility, but suffer from some problems:
changed your phone number? the old card continues to circulate
added a new channel (WhatsApp, website, Instagram)? it is not printed
want to show updated photos of real customers? the paper doesn't keep up
In addition, after the card is delivered:
you don't know if the person actually saved it
you don't have data on how many people returned because of that card
you can't update the “message” it carries
With Energy Cards:
you update the content without reprinting anything
you can add and change clickable links
transforms the card into a clearer bridge between:
“I saw your business around”
and “I did some real action”
How to Create Your First Business Energy Card on PicFlow
You don't need to start with a big strategy.
A good first step is to transform your current business card into a living Energy Card.
1) Choose an Image That Truly Represents Your Business
Instead of using a loose logo on a white background, prefer:
a photo of the environment with customers (when it makes sense)
a scene that shows:
the most requested dish
the most desired haircut
the class happening
the product being used
The goal is that, looking at the image,
the person feels like they are already “inside” your experience.
2) Upload This Image to PicFlow
Inside PicFlow:
create a new Energy Card
send the chosen photo
test some visual styles to see which one best enhances your brand
From there:
insert your logo
adjust colors (to be consistent with what you use in other channels)
3) Write a Simple Text That Explains Who You Are
Avoid very generic phrases like “quality and excellence”.
Think of something that answers:
what you do
where you are
what is your main differential
For example:
“Hamburgueria X – smash burger on the griddle, crispy fries and cold draft beer in the South Zone of Rio.”
“Studio Y – hair, coloring and treatments focused on hair health, in São Paulo.”
“Espaço Z – pilates, functional and mobility for those who want to move without pain, in Florianópolis.”
This text goes in the Energy Card description field.
4) Add at Least One CTA That Leads Directly to Action
On the physical business card, you depend on the person:
save your number
look for the contact
remember later
On the Energy Card, you can already leave the button ready to:
open WhatsApp with an initial message (e.g., “I want to reserve a table”)
take you to the website with the menu
open a scheduling page
go to a quote form
This is one of the biggest gains of the Energy Card:
it's not just “contact information”, it's a clear invitation to act.
Where to Use This Energy Card in Your Daily Life
Once created, your “living business card” can appear in several places:
In physical communication
just print a QR code (on a sticker, table sign, counter, window)
whoever points the cell phone camera falls directly on the Energy Card
In digital service
send the card link when someone asks a first question on WhatsApp
use as a “presentation card” in emails and messages
On social media
put the Energy Card link in the bio
use the card as the central piece of a highlight (fixed stories, pinned posts)
In local partnerships
offer the QR of your Energy Card to partners (cafes, salons, gyms)
in return, you can also host their cards in your own collection
The point is:
you centralize the main information in one place,
and distribute accesses from wherever is most convenient.
Energy Cards Beyond the “Business Card”: Campaigns and Promotions
After having a main card for your business,
you can start creating specific campaign Energy Cards, for example:
Seasonal Promotions
weekend combo
holiday promo
dates like Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day
special events (jazz night, happy hour, trial class, etc.)
Each promotion can have:
its own Energy Card (visual + text + conditions)
a specific CTA:
“Book for today”
“Guarantee discount until Sunday”
“Schedule free trial class”
These cards can be:
linked to ads
shared in WhatsApp groups
accessed by QR in temporary physical material
Product or Service Launches
If you:
included a new dish on the menu
started offering a new service
launched a new class or program
Create an Energy Card for this launch with:
photo of the product/service
short explanation
main benefit
CTA (for example, “I want to try it”, “I want to sign up”)
And organize everything in a “Launches 2026” collection within PicFlow.
Energy Cards as Social Proof at Scale
A fundamental point for SMEs is social proof:
show that real customers have real experiences with your business.
You can use PicFlow to create Energy Cards of:
customer testimonials
before and after (in the case of beauty, renovations, health)
photos of happy customers using your product or service
prints of positive reviews (Google, WhatsApp, Instagram), carefully cropped
In these cards, you can:
put the customer's name or initials (with permission)
highlight the strongest phrase of the testimonial
add a CTA like:
“I want to have this experience”
“Schedule service”
“Order mine too”
Over time, this forms a collection like:
“Satisfied Customers – 2026”
“Results of our students”
“Before and after – Studio X”
This collection becomes a powerful asset for:
show to new customers
use in commercial presentations
feed other marketing channels with consistency
How to Start Simple (Without Reinventing All Marketing at Once)
If you are reading all this and thinking:
“Sounds great, but my day is already too busy.”
The proposal here is not to add complexity,
but rather to replace or elevate things you already do.
A simple way to start:
Create only 1 main Energy Card for your business
with real image
direct text
CTA for the channel you use most (usually WhatsApp)
Put the link/QR of this card in:
Instagram bio
signs in the store/office
ready-made answers on WhatsApp (“Can I send you our card with all the information?”)
After this is running, create:
1 or 2 Energy Cards of social proof (testimonials)
1 Energy Card of current promotion or campaign
Organize everything in a “Business – 2026” collection on PicFlow
Thus, in a short time, you will have:
a “living business card”
a small base of social proof
an active campaign piece
All with the possibility of quick adjustment
without having to go back to the printer with every change.
In Summary
Small and medium-sized companies do not need to compete with large brands in:
media budget
production of huge campaigns
giant marketing teams
But they can compete – and very well – in:
authenticity
proximity
intelligent use of simple tools
PicFlow's Energy Cards are a practical way to:
transform your business card into something modern and actionable
centralize important information in one place
create quick campaigns with consistent visuals
show social proof in an organized way
You don't need to become a digital marketing expert to get started.
Just:
Create your account on PicFlow
Transform your business card into a living Energy Card
Put this card to work at your business's points of contact
The rest comes with time, as you:
create new cards
organize collections
and discover, in practice, how your customers respond to this new way of presenting your business.