One of the things I like most about digital marketing is that I can work from practically anywhere. A few years ago, all you needed was a laptop and an Internet connection. Nowadays, you can do a fair majority of your marketing work directly from a smartphone.
With that being said, I’d like to point out a few of my favorite marketing-related apps that every smart and savvy marketer should check out.
As a point of clarification, I use iOS, so all of these apps are available on that platform. If you’re an Android user, a couple of these apps are not (yet) available. Therefore, I’d suggest checking out the charts for similar apps, or just ask around for some recommendations on Twitter.
1. Buffer
If you haven’t heard of Buffer, you’re in for a real treat. This service allows you to schedule your social media content so that it is distributed to your audience over time. You simply connect Buffer to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or Google+ accounts, select how often you’d like to send out content, and then start filling up your queue.
I use Buffer pretty much every day. Whenever I have a good idea for a tweet, I’ll usually send it out using Buffer, so that all of my tweets are distributed evenly over time. You’ve probably seen those folks on Twitter who post back-to-back all within a matter of minutes. Don’t be like them.
Buffer has tons of other cool features, such as custom link shorteners, analytics, suggestions, and much more.
Learn More: Buffer for iOS | Buffer for Android
2. WordPress
Chances are, if you’re a blogger, you use WordPress. It’s just that popular. Well, why not take WordPress with you, wherever you go? The official WordPress app allows you to do just that. You can get notifications, view statistics, and even write full blog posts all from within the app. But what I use it for more than anything else is to respond to comments when I have a few extra minutes to spare.
The app is continually getting more robust, so I’m excited to see where it goes in the months ahead, as mobile continues to dominate the desktop.
Learn More: WordPress for iOS | WordPress for Android
3. Mention
We all know about Google Alerts, but not many of us have heard of Mention. This service is Google Alerts on steroids. It’s like they took everything that was good about Google Alerts, built it into their system and then kept improving.
For starters, if you’re trying to build a personal brand, it goes without saying that you should be monitoring your name for online mentions. Of course, brands should be monitored too, as well as the brands of your competition. You can accomplish all of this with Mention and even get push notifications in real-time!
Learn More: Mention for iOS | Mention for Android
4. Facebook Pages Manager
Facebook has a number of stand-along apps available on iOS and Android. This one in particular, the Facebook Pages Manager app, allows you to manage your pages, post fresh content, view page insights, check page notifications and more, all from one centralized location.
If you want to stay updated on your page activity, you’re going to want to keep this app handy. With push notifications, you can even get notified of important updates right away.
Learn More: Facebook Pages Manager for iOS | Facebook Pages Manager for Android
5. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is an invaluable (and free) tool for monitoring your website data. The Google Analytics app lets you check in on your website analytics—including real-time visitor reports—from the comfort of your mobile device.
I like to use it to casually monitor the performance of my site while on the run. While certainly not as robust as the desktop version of Google Analytics, it gets the job done in a jiffy so that you can stay updated with your website traffic in real time.
Learn More: Google Analytics for iOS | Google Analytics for Android
6. Hootsuite
This is probably the most well-known marketing app on this list. Hootsuite has been around for quite a while and has attracted quite a following. It is without a doubt one of the premier social media management dashboards available today and their mobile app does not disappoint.
I use Hootsuite primarily for social listening and for events that I am live tweeting. While you can schedule content from Hootsuite as well, I prefer Buffer for that functionality.
Nevertheless, the Hootsuite app can give you a great overview of all of your social media channels in one easy-to-read dashboard. You can engage with your fans and followers, monitor social mentions and more.
Learn More: Hootsuite for iOS | Hootsuite for Android
7. Tweetbot (iOS Only)
Twitter is my favorite social media platform, and Tweetbot is my favorite iOS app for Twitter. Sure, you can use the default Twitter app or Hootsuite to accomplish the same stuff, but there’s something about the smooth design, elegant sounds, and powerful features of Tweetbot that keep it glued to my homescreen.
If you’re looking for more than just the basics, you’re going to want to give Tweetbot a try. Their list view is very useful, and the overall fluidity of the app is unmatched. Lastly, if you manage multiple Twitter accounts, you can switch between each one with ease.
Learn More: Tweetbot for iOS
8. Afterlight
Every digital marketer needs an excellent photo editing app in their bag of tricks. There are many lead contenders out there. One that I turn to again and again is Afterlight. This cross-platform app is super fast and it includes all of the features you’d expect in a photography app. You can add filters and frames, make subtle adjustments, crop and resize photos and much more.
If you’ve used Instagram before, then you’ll have no problem getting familiar with Afterlight. But if you’re still shopping around for the best photo editor to suit your needs, some other popular contenders include Snapseed (by Google) and Aviary.
Learn More: Afterlight for iOS | Afterlight for Android
9. Daily by Buffer (iOS Only)
Last but not least, I wanted to include a new app that I’ve been using quite a bit lately. This content sharing app helps you find the best content to share to your social channels, all with just a simple swipe. You’re going to need to also be using the main Buffer app in order for Daily to work, but once installed, the two apps function flawlessly together.
Daily by Buffer offers an endless amount of amazing curated stories from all over the web, broken up by topic, each just a swipe away. It’s the perfect tool for curating valuable content in a hurry.
Learn More: Daily by Buffer for iOS
What Did I Leave Out?
Well, that’s it for now. Hopefully you found something new on this list to check out. If so, let me know how it goes. Or maybe you have an app you use with your marketing efforts that’s not ont he list. Share it with me and let’s keep the conversation going on Twitter.
