CardMunch

Hey, I just got back from a business conference and check out all the cards I collected. Now, if I could just remember who these people are. Fortunately there’s a mobile app called Cardmuch that helps you connect with all your new business contacts in a snap, literally. I’ll show you what I mean. Even in the digital age, business cards aren’t going anywhere, and I always hold onto the cards from the people who looked really interesting (people I really wanted to meet). But you know what happens next. I end up with a pile of cards, never to be glanced at again or followed up on, and that makes them kind of useless. But LinkedIn has really changed all that with Cardmunch. If you’re interested in being part of a professional social network LinkedIn is a great way to do it— to learn more, watch our intro to linkedin. Anyway, once you’re a member, you can use the cardmunch app. All you do is snap a picture of a business card from within the app, and make sure you get a clear shot of it, because what happens next is really cool. The app pulls the information from the card and finds your new contact on LinkedIn. It downloads their entire profile here and puts them in your Cardmunch contact list which you can flip through it like a rolodex. Remember those? You see their profile picture to help you remember them, and the original scan of the card is right up here. Adding notes when you scan the card is a great way to jog your memory or round out details about your contact, Now I can send her a LinkedIn invite by pressing the connect button, email her, and forward her information into my phone’s address book. What happens if the person’s email address isn’t the same as what they have on their LinkedIn account, or they’re not signed up? Fear not, at bare minimum you’ll still get all the information they have on their card. Although most social networking takes place online rather than in person, I think CardMunch is a really great bridge between the two. And don’t worry, there’s still a use for that pile of cards you collected. Remember, check out our other LinkedIn video to learn more about this powerful professional network and be sure to “network” with us on Facebook and twitter. Bye.