How to add your Calendly link to your business card

We aren’t advocating the use of business cards to promote your Calendly account. We believe the product experience is best when Calendly is used in the intended channels (email, websites, and integration partner platforms), but we have seen the question above come up in multiple forums, so we figured it would be a good idea to talk through it.

Do people still use business cards?

There has been a resurgence in business cards recently, especially at industry events, and while people aren’t copying this info by hand into a rolodex, or putting them in a sleeve to save like Pokemon cards, they are using them to find you digitally.

People now use business cards within hours of getting them to research you online, or set meetings with you while the in-person encounter is fresh in their minds.

So how can your business card stand out among the others, at both events and in the stacks two days later? In short, make it digital-friendly. Make it easier to find you online.

How to link Calendly directly to your physical business card

If you’re not familiar with Quick Read (QR) Codes, they’re images that can be scanned by any smartphone to send the user directly to a specific URL.

To create your QR code, you’ll need to establish which URL you want to use for your business cards.

With Calendly, each of your “event types” (types of meetings) has a unique URL. These event types help you differentiate availability, meeting durations, and other scheduling logistics based on the intent of your meeting and who it’s with.

• To grab a specific Calendly event link, navigate to your event types page and click “copy link” on the event type that you want to share.

• Choose the one most applicable to your business card situation. Most often this is an initial call or meeting for a recruit, prospect, or new customer.

• If you think the event type you’re using might change, create a link on your own website (example.com/scheduleameeting) and redirect it to your preferred Calendly link.

The redirect on your website to your preferred event type will still be valid even if you decide to change the event type. Now you have a URL, and you can create a QR Code to send your business contact directly to your calendar.

Creating a QR code for Calendly

If you want a truly seamless and immediate experience for your business card, you need to create a QR code that will send people to your chosen URL.

There are dozens of easy ways to create a QR Code from a web address. We like this QR Code Generator from Printelf.

Using Printelf’s generator, simply click “website,” then enter your chosen URL and hit “Generate QR Code.” From there, you can download the QR code for use on all your business cards.

It’s that simple.

Don’t want a QR code? Try Bitly.

Some people may not want a QR code on their business cards. Maybe you’re a graphic designer, and a QR Code interrupts the aesthetic of your cards. Or maybe you work in a traditional industry with clients who are not as digitally savvy.

You can still include a link to your Calendly with the use of URL shorteners like Bitly. Bitly condenses web addresses for a variety of reasons–one being to shorten them for printing. 

You can shorten both your direct Calendly event link, as well as any redirects you’ve created through your own website URL.

Calendly takes the work out of meetings

Being the first to schedule a meeting can make or break a deal. Giving your contacts and clients a way to instantly book time with you cuts out the back-and-forth emails you might be accustomed to.

Adding Calendly to your business card is simple, and it’s becoming more and more common to see QR codes at expos, conventions, and events.

If you’re looking to successfully book more meetings, or simply have more impact with your first impression, consider adding Calendly to your business card.