Goodbye CardMunch, Hello CardFul

This is an important blog for individual use user LinkedIn for networking and business development. It was only three years ago when LinkedIn first announced it would be offering the then-startup business, CardMunch, to its users (TechCrunch).  Now, LinkedIn is officially breaking its ties with CardMunch in order to “invest” in other developments.  A result of this decision is that CardMunch data will now be transferred to CardFul, a business card management app that extends from Evernote, an up-and-coming note-taking app. This transition from CardMunch to CardFul will take place Friday, July 11^th (LinkedIn).  I have been a big advocate for CardMuch and have spoken often about its benefits and how it makes it easy to connect with people on LinkedIn.   Since most people struggle with ways to network better CardMunch is/was a good tool for making connections on LinkedIn, a good step in building relationships.   I am disappointed in the change but I do use and like Evernote. I have been using the application for note taking and now I am using it for card scanning.

Although there has been a mix of reactions between tech-savvy business professionals and existing Evernote users, each member of the LinkedIn community is left to decide how he or she would like to continue managing his or her professional contacts. LinkedIn has offered the following options:

1)      Sync existing business card data to Evernote. Users will be granted two years of free business card scanning. It is important to note that although this is a premium feature, this does not automatically give users a premium account. Additionally, it may take up to 24 hours for the information on a business card to fully process, so users are urged to have all cards fully processed and transferred by July 11, 2014.

2)      If a member of both LinkedIn and CardMunch, a user will be able to access existing CardMunch contacts data under the “Contacts” tab at www.linkedin.com/contacts. This data will also be available in the Contacts app, where contacts can be managed and deleted. Users who select this option will not be able to view business card images.

3)      If neither of these options is convenient, users can request to download their existing CardMunch data by July 11, 2014 (LinkedIn). More information about these steps can be found here.

Note: I have done this and it can be a little challenging.   Take your time but do it now.

While this may seem like a hassle, it is worth it in the end due to certain notable changes on the CardFul app. By scanning business cards on Cardful, the process of connecting with individuals on LinkedIn is much easier and efficient. Users can write detailed notes about their contacts and add a geo-tag location to each business card they scan (Mashable).   I have found that the scanning easily integrates contacts into my outlook and it does make connecting easy.  Although there have been a few technical glitches along the way.

CardFul’s convenience and user-friendly interface is different but it is growing on me.   One problem I had was because I already have an Evernote account, some of my scanned cards became mixed with my existing notes. Also, CardFul doesn’t work as well with business cards that are glossy or with ones that have white lettering and a dark backgrounds.  Overall, however, CardFul is providing me with a relatively seamless way for me to store contacts and manage my business card information.  At this point its ease of use outweighs the app’s minor glitches.   I am sure that tech issues will diminish as updates are made

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for marketing, personal branding and networking.  Not matter how cards are scanned and connections are made user must have a system for using LinkedIn.  I am looking forward to additional changes and improvements.  It is hard to believe but I have had a LinkedIn account for over 10 years.

Citation Links:

TechCrunch: http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/26/linkedin-buys-business-card-converter-cardmunch-will-offer-its-services-for-free/

Mashable: http://mashable.com/2014/05/07/cardmunch-evernote-linkedin/

LinkedIn: http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/49554/ft/eng, http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/12035/kw/evernote