It’s MEDIA MONDAY! This is my new blog series where I share social media tips + tricks each week. Today’s topic is all about the best apps and tools for influencers, bloggers + business owners! There are SO many tools out there that help make tasks easier, but finding the right ones can be super time consuming. I use all of these apps and tools on a weekly basis + wanted to share them with you to hopefully make your life a bit easier!
PLANNING YOUR POSTS
Schedugram – This website + app allows you to schedule out your instagram posts. You can work ahead, visually see what your feed will look like, and caption out future posts. The amazing thing about this tool is that it POSTS FOR YOU! So you can set up your content and let it do the work for you! It starts at $20 a month, and then the price goes up depending on how many followers you have. Totally worth it, though!
Planoly – This app is similar to Schedugram, yet the mobile version is a little bit better (in my opinion). Planoly has a free version, so it’s a great option if you just want to try it!
TAKING + EDITING PHOTOS
Camera – While I usually use my SonyA6000 to take the photos for my blog and instagram, I recently have been using my iPhone camera for shots, too! It’s always with me + with the right light, produces some really great photos!
VSCO – I use this app DAILY for editing my photos. I use the filter S2 and apply it to any photo I will be posting on my instagram. I find that using a filter on your photos gives your feed a super cohesive look that really draws people in!
Facetune – This app gets a lot of controversy, because you can really change the way you look with it. I use it for the PATCH tool. When I take a photo and there is something clearly out of place or distracting (like an outlet on the wall), sometimes I’ll remove it with the patch tool.
Unfold – This app is great for editing Instagram stories! You can make fun layouts, combine photos + videos, and really make your IG stories stand out.
Little Nugget – My FAVORITE app for editing baby milestone photos! This app has amazing doodles + graphics for when your baby sits up for the first time, gets a tooth, starts walking, ETC. I did my whole pregnancy + am documenting Donovan’s first year with this app!
Parabo Press – After editing photos with the above apps, I love to get them printed with Parabo Press. Printed out photos make great decorations around the home + do really great in IG photos!
TEAMWORK
Slack – If you’re lucky enough to work with a team, Slack is a must-have tool for you! You can communicate with team members via their messaging system. It makes communication so organized and easy!
SIGNING CONTRACTS
Docusign – When you start working with big brands, you’ll have to sign contracts often! Docusign is a tool that makes this process SO much easier!
ORGANIZATION
Airtable – Okay, this is like one of my secret weapons for organization! It’s like Excel on STEROIDS. I organize EVERYTHING for our business, The Graceful Company on here. And I also keep track of all of my collaborations, payments, posting schedules, due dates, blog post ideas, etc. Basically anything you need to organize – Airtable is where it’s at!
Timer – I use the timer app on my phone constantly. When working on new blogs, I’ll set a timer for 30 minutes on my phone + focus only on that task during that time.
BLOGGING MUST HAVES
Google Analytics – this is a MUST-HAVE if you have a blog. You can track how many visitors come to your site, what posts they are reading, and how long they stay on each page, etc. Plus, when you start working with brands, they will ask to see this information.
Pinterest – As a blogger and influencer, you have to be on pinterest! This is such a great tool for driving traffic to your site or your feed. Read this post to help up your pinterest game!
LEARNING
Podcast – In order to be constantly growing as an influencer or blogger, you have to be willing to learn new things. My favorite way to learn the latest trends is by listening to podcasts! My favorite podcasts are On Purpose by Alex Beadon, Goal Digger by Jenna Kutcher, + The Influencer Podcast with Julie Solomon. I listen to these before I go to bed, while I’m in the car, or during workouts!
I hope these apps and tools help you in your business! Are there any must-have tools that I didn’t mention? Would love to hear what you are using!