LinkedIn is introducing personalized digital business cards to help professionals share their profiles and connect with people they meet in person. The new feature will let users customize their cards, add them to their digital wallets, and use them to make professional networking more convenient at conferences, meetings, and business events. Announced on October 15, the feature is part of LinkedIn’s broader effort to help members build and maintain meaningful professional relationships. The company says the digital business cards are rolling out globally over the coming months, meaning they may not be available to everyone immediately.
What Are LinkedIn Digital Business Cards?
LinkedIn Digital Business Cards will allow users to share their professional identity through a personalized card featuring a scannable QR code. The card design shown so far includes a profile photograph, job-role information, and a QR code that directs people to the user’s LinkedIn profile. Users will be able to customize the card’s appearance to reflect their professional identity and add it to a digital wallet for convenient access. This could make sharing professional details easier than exchanging traditional paper business cards. LinkedIn previously introduced profile QR codes in 2018. The new feature builds on that idea by adding customizable card designs and digital-wallet support.
How the New Feature Can Help Professionals
The feature could be useful for entrepreneurs, freelancers, sales professionals, job seekers, consultants, and business owners who regularly meet new contacts. For example, a freelancer attending a business event could share a digital business card with a potential client. The client could scan the QR code to access the freelancer’s LinkedIn profile and learn more about their experience and professional background. Similarly, business owners could use the cards to introduce themselves to potential partners and customers without carrying printed cards. The feature may also help professionals keep their networking efforts connected to their LinkedIn profiles, where contacts can explore their experience and updates.
Part of LinkedIn’s Broader Networking Strategy
Digital business cards are one of several networking improvements LinkedIn announced in October. The company is also testing a dedicated Network feed that brings together posts from existing connections and people users follow. The test is being introduced in selected markets, including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. LinkedIn has also introduced private profile notes for Premium subscribers, allowing eligible members to record how they met someone, what they discussed, and when they should reconnect. In addition, post authors can pin helpful comments to highlight useful contributions to discussions. These features serve different purposes, from discovering updates from professional contacts to remembering conversations and maintaining relationships after an introduction.
When Will LinkedIn Digital Business Cards Be Available?
LinkedIn has confirmed that digital business cards will roll out globally over the coming months. However, the company has not announced specific availability dates for individual countries or confirmed that all users can access the feature immediately. The new cards offer another way to share professional information during in-person meetings. Their usefulness will depend on how easily members can access and customize them and how readily people adopt them when networking. For professionals who regularly meet new contacts, LinkedIn’s digital business cards could provide a convenient alternative to paper cards and help make the transition from a face-to-face introduction to an online professional connection simpler.