If you're someone who encourages people to follow you on Instagram often, the Meta-owned social media company's latest update might be a game changer.
As of today (Oct. 15), you no longer have to hover over someone and painstakingly watch them type in your Instagram handle. Now you can set up profile cards that make your profile discoverable by QR code, similar to Venmo. Profile cards are two-sided, one side with the scannable QR code and the other features your handle, profile picture, bio, and a song of your choice. You can also customize the background of the QR code.
In a press release, Instagram described the feature as "your IG digital business card." While it will be helpful for creators and small businesses who rely on the platform to make money and connect with customers, it may further encourage all users to commodify their profiles — to think of a follow as a networking opportunity. It's part of the endless signaling from social media platforms to reframe personal profiles as professional profiles and to treat social media as another job.
Profile cards are just another reminder that the days of posting a heavily filtered photo of your BLT are long gone.
