It’s 2016 and if you’re anything like me, when you need to find a supplier, to look up a contact or an old colleague you head straight online. People no longer keep rotary card files or rolodexes on their desks to flip through, arduously trying to recall the name or the company for what they need.

Typically when I receive a business card, it goes something like this:

1. Exchange/get given business cards
2. Review business card for a few minutes
3. Toss into my bag or wallet
4. Following which one of two things happen;
   • I get back to the office and look the person up on LinkedIn and send an invite to connect. I then put the business card in a draw with a stack of other business cards that I generally do not revisit again
   • Or, I promptly forget about the card and it disappears in the abyss that is my bag or wallet.

We’re not saying you don’t need a business card, we are just saying to be realistic about the role that card plays – and most importantly use your business card to allow for an easy lasting connection to be made on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn provides an online, searchable, relatively up to date database of all your contacts, at the ready for when the need strikes. LinkedIn can work for you harder than a business card ever will and here are three reasons why:

1. LinkedIn is able to offer you an abundance of features to aid you in connecting to others, and it doesn’t stop there.It allows you to make conversation, share ideas and create an entirely new network from just one new connection.
2. Another reason why LinkedIn is better than your business card is because of its Groups feature. Groups allow you to connect with like minded people without having to go out and find them for yourself. In these groups you can connect with others in your industry, try to seek out new opportunities or even find your next employee.
3. Your profile is a showcase of your talents, and it is impossible for you to capture that type of information on your business card. It allows you to demonstrate your expertise and industry knowledge through updates and published posts, as well as showcase your professional achievements.

The number of users on LinkedIn currently sits at around 433 million* and there are a staggering 6.5 million job ads on LinkedIn at any one time! With these types of statistics, it is no wonder that people are turning to LinkedIn to expand their professional networks.

So are Business Cards dead? I don’t think it’s time to shred them just yet, if anything it’s time to make sure they are memorable enough to be fished back out my bag and inspiring enough to make me want to create a longer term connection and of course don’t forget your LinkedIn public URL!

Ready to get your LinkedIn profile firing to make the most of those business cards you just ordered? Get in touch and we can show you how!

Mary-Anne