What would a PRofessional do without her beloved iPhone, clutched tightly in her palm most hours of the day? Answer: loss of sanity? Death? Just kidding! Why are our devices so sacred? They hold the key to much more than a contact list or a few conversations. They are the secret to organization and productivity. They help keep us in the loop and manage our busy lives. There’s an app for just about everything, but there are a few essentials ones every PRofessional needs. Now.
Each morning, I stumble upon dozens of articles on Twitter that I want to read before bed. Rather than “like” each one, I save them to Pocket. Pocket allows users to save articles, videos, web pages and other content in one place. Recently, I’ve been saving a lot of clothing. My Christmas wish-list is definitely piling up.
Hootsuite
At my internship, I used Hootsuite every day to schedule and publish messages, review content from the timeline and monitor the brand. Just when I thought the platform couldn’t get much easier, I discovered the app. This app is phenomenal. It allows users to link three social media account for free. Posts can be scheduled from anywhere, in the palm of your hand. Tracking analytics and managing your brand has never been simpler.
Tape-a-Talk Voice recorder
If I’d had discovered this app during my summer internship…let’s just say I could’ve saved myself a few headaches and a whole lot of cramped hands. Tape-a-Talk allows users to record audio of any type. This includes critical meeting notes, interviews, sounds and more. The app allows you to send your recordings and share them via Dropbox and sort based on date and length. I’ll definitely be utilizing this at work (and maybe even for class lectures),
Dropbox
Throughout college, I’ve had to reset my iPhone more times than I can count. Thankfully, Dropbox has saved the day, and a slew of memories, every single time. Dropbox allows users to safely store pictures, videos and other files (without fear of sudden disappearance). It also comes in handy when you need to share a file that’s too large for email (in the case of my final class project, for example).
Out of each of the apps on this list, I am the most obsessed with this one! Flipboard gives me access to a feed of newspaper, magazine and web articles based off my interests. It assesses my interests through my list of “topics to follow.” Currently, I’m following fashion trends, design, style, women’s news and more. The app is fast, clear and easy to navigate. It’s honestly the best way to keep up on news topics that you’re most interested in without shuffling through the web.
CamScanner
Just when you thought your iPhone camera couldn’t get more sophisticated, there’s CamScanner. This app lets users scan receipts, notes, invoices, business cards and just about anything and save it as a PDF or JPEG. It allows for easy storage and sharing across devices. Rejoice! No more lost business cards!
1Password
If you’re anything like me, you use the same password for just about everything. Otherwise, how could anyone honestly remember 1,324756 different passwords? Impossible. Thankfully, the 1Password app creates strong, unique passwords for all of your sites. The app automatically saves the passwords for you in your browser, as long as you remember the master password. It also syncs your data across all devices for easy use. Take that, hackers.
Buddhify
The name itself makes me feel at ease. The app claims to “bring mindfulness to life,” and it does exactly that. It allows users to select what activity they are doing and selects meditation tracks based on that. The app boasts over 80 tracks which play for 5-30 minutes. Meditation has been shown to reduce stress and improve well-being. Less stress? Sign me up!
Morgan is a Senior studying Strategic Communications with a minor in Marketing and Specialization: Retail Merchandising and Fashion Product Development. Follow her on Twitter @morganborer!