That’s no way to connect with someone. And while there are several solutions in the iTunes App Store, WorldCard Mobile by Penpower Technology Ltd. has long been a favorite iPhone app.

Snap a photo of any business card and the information is automatically transferred into your contact list. It almost seems magical. While it will work on older models, WorldCard Mobile (currently $6.99 in the App Store) is not recommended for iPhone 3G and the fourth generation iPod touch and older because the camera doesn’t auto focus.

iPad users, there’s a version for you too built just for the iPad called WorldCard HD (currently $14.99 in the App Store). Looks great with all that extra screen real estate.

If you’d prefer to take a test drive before you buy, the lite version is free (LINK). Most of the features are there, but you’re limited to a few scans a week.

The only trouble I had was the occasional business card with a tough to decipher font. Sometimes I had to take the photo a few times, but if you have a lot of cards and are looking to save time, this is a great solution.

And it’s OK if you don’t have an iDevice. WorldCard Mobile is available in the Android Market and for Windows Phone.

The year is still young. If being better organized was one of your resolutions, WorldCard is a quick win.

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Twitter: hat tip how-to

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Foursquare is a location-based social networking app and website for mobile devices that allows you to keep up with what your friends are doing, discover and rediscover what’s nearby and unlock deals. Foursquare users, often called players, do this by checking into a venue when they arrive and competing for the mayorship, which is the person who checks in most often over a set period of time.

Businesses can, if they choose, offer discounts and deals to people who check in, people who become mayor or both.

Here’s an example. Say you own Smith’s Soup and Sandwiches on South Second Street. You can use Foursquare to entice customers to check in and compete for the chance to unlock discounts. You could offer a customer who checks in 10 percent off their bill and provide something bigger – like a free grilled cheese sandwich – to the mayor. (Side note: If you own a sandwich shop and don’t have grilled cheese on the menu, you should strongly consider adding one).

Why would you want to be a part of the Foursquare craze? Simple. According to the company, nearly 15 million people use Foursquare worldwide. More than 1.5 billion check-ins have been recorded since the network launched in 2009, and millions check in every day. Plus, more than 750,000 merchants have claimed their venue – the page customers go to check in, interact and claim discounts and prizes.

Back to the grilled cheese for a second. If my friend is mayor gets a grilled cheese sandwich just for using Foursquare, he’s likely to tell his Foursquare-playing friends and so on. It’s word-of-mouth combined with gaming that sells itself. That’s why businesses can and should be creative with the kinds of discounts and deals they offer. The more they stand out, the more they’ll be talked about.

Foursquare offers a free set of tools to help businesses and brands best utilize the platform for their needs. If you’re not ready to jump in, I recommend finding a similar business or competitor using Foursquare and see how it uses it. That might just open your eyes.

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In this episode of “30 Second Social,” Amy Guth explains simple ways to make your Flickr photos more visible to search engines.

Flickr: how to optimize photos for search engines

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Spotify: how to create a playlist

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Share quality, useful content
Put yourself in the mind of a visitor to your page. What kinds of content will encourage users to click “like” and leave comments? Some examples include: video, photos, links to content and simple text.

Don’t talk about your brand too much
Customers understand that you have things to say about your store, sales to promote and other housekeeping items. But constant talk about the same thing will only result in boredom. So …

Mix it up
Adhere to the “rule of thirds” which is to share original content a third of the time, related by outside content a third of the time, and by interacting with other users a third of the time through replies and asking/answering questions. Ideally, when others visit your page, they will see a variety of content types, and a high level of engagement to help convey a sense of community.

Edit headlines and sub-headlines
After placing a link in the share field on Facebook, take a moment to edit the headline and sub-headline, as well as select the appropriate image once the link populates and appears below the share field. After doing so, delete the original link before hitting share (the populated link and image won’t go away). Doing so presents a tidier post and encourages interaction.

Always incite conversation
If you post without asking a question, you might be hard-pressed to spark a conversation. But adding a question to any post can make a difference. Generally speaking, questions that encourage a brief answer will yield more and longer comments than questions that encourage only a “yes” or “no” or the simple, “what do you think?”

Comment
After posting content, it is essential to check back later to address comments. Comment just like everyone else. Multiple times if you want. Be a part of the conversation. You can also address specific people in a comment by putting their name after the @. It’s just another way to be personable.

Remember: Facebook is a community
As the owner of a Facebook page or profile, you are the host. Make your followers and friends feel welcome and treat them with courtesy. Remember, social media calls upon us to use the same good judgement we use in face-to-face interactions. Show people that you value their involvement in the community and they’ll come back.

Be genuine
Remember that social media is powered by the “social” part. While it’s important to maintain a “voice” online, it’s also important to be human and authentic, and to remember social media is not about broadcasting your message, but about the two-way conversation.

Don’t overthink it
Keep it simple. If you own a pizza parlor, ask your fans to click “like” if they like pepperoni. Or ask them to comment and tell you their favorite toppings. You could use that information to create a Facebook special.

Follow me for more tips
Don’t own a pizza parlor? Using the above example, think of some ways you could insert your business into a simple engaging conversation on Facebook. And if you’d like to see how I approach Facebook engagement every day, feel free to subscribe to my posts at facebook.com/skleinberg.

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In this episode of “30 Second Social,” Amy Guth explains how to tag other users on Facebook.

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In this episode of “30 Second Social,” Scott Kleinberg explains these two easy ways to expand your Twitter vocabulary.

Twitter: how to use modified tweets and via

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Twitter: Search engine optimization with Twitter bio keywords

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