As a first time blogger you want to gather all the resources that you can, to use to your advantage and get yourself started on the right foot. The best way to do so is to learn how to use the technology around you. I used to be really good at disconnecting myself from my cell phone but now it’s always within reach. There’s a reason for that I promise!
When I first started taking blogging seriously I was still working full time and had to use whatever free time I could. That meant completing whatever blogging tasks I could while on the bus, on my lunch breaks, and while traveling on the weekends. I’ve gone through so many apps, even paying for a handful and deleting them after finding that they were of no real use to me. The list below are the apps that I have been coming back to daily and I think that you’ll find them just as useful.
Mail
For a long time I refused to link my email to my phone but since I was finding it hard to get back to emails on the go, I caved and did it. Now it’s much easier to get back to sponsors and brands. I do have rules for my emails though, I do not check it after 5pm, during meals or on the weekends.
Dropbox
This app is more useful on my ipad but I do like to have it on my iphone and it has saved me a few times. What I love best about this app is that you can access your files during airplane mode or if you don’t have access to wifi or data. I usually keep pdf’s and readings for class saved to dropbox.
Any.DO
A very basic to do list. This is the app I use when I have one of those “oh yeah I need to do that” moments. I quickly put it into my app so I don’t forget. I really appreciate how simple the app is, at a fast glance I know what’s coming up today and tomorrow. If needed you can add notes or files to your tasks too but I just keep it to list making.
Wunderlist
Wunderlist is another to do list app. I like to use this one to manage things that are not blog related. So if I have errands to complete with Conor, they go into Wunderlist. The reason I do this is because you can collaborate and have conversations with friends within the app about the tasks you’re working on together.
WordPress
I love having the wordpress app on my phone and ipad. I’ve saved so much time just typing my posts into this app rather than a word processing one, transferring it over, and fixing formatting. So convenient to blog on the go. Only problem is that you do need wifi/data for this app to work or your post won’t save. I haven’t noticed it using any more data than normal instagramming would though
Analytics
When you first start blogging I would encourage you not to get hung up on numbers. Don’t get disappointed if you only have 30 sessions a day, you’ll grow, I promise! What I use the analytics app for is to notice any new patterns in my sessions. If I open up my app today and notice that it’s noon and I’m still below my average sessions for the day, I’m going to quickly reflect about what’s going on. Maybe I didn’t tweet about a new post or something, so I’m going to go ahead and schedule a few tweets for that day to make up for what I forgot to do.
Twitter
I love to use twitter for social media blasts. Not only is it a quick and easy why to get traffic but it’s a really great way to connect and interact with my readers. It’s great when you open your app and see that someone tweeted you and if no one did then reach out!
Pinterest
After cleaning up my pinterst account, I have no pins, so I’m trying to build my account up a little more. While pinning my own work, I also make sure to support other bloggers, to help them reach their goals. It’s something easy and fun to do while waiting for the bus coming home from work. The best part is that I’m constantly learning new things about how to better my own blog.
Tumblr
I’ve been on tumblr for awhile but only recently did I create one for my blog. (Not released to the public just yet) Similar to Pinterest, while I have some down time I try to work on my blog tumblr page.
InsTrack
I’m going to be writing a post about the importance of this app. It is not free however it has been an incredible tool in building my instagram account.
VSCOcam
So there’s a big learning curve for this app but once you get it down, It does wonders for your instagram photos. I don’t often post a photo without at least color editing. I try to use my Nikon for my instagram photos but some days it’s too much effort or I’m someplace without my camera. I think every blogger out there has this on their phone.
Carousel
Carosel is a part of dropbox, however it’s specifically for images. I put all my photos from my phone onto carousel so I can then save them onto my computer. I do this because after filling up my phone with too many photos I could no longer update it!
Latergramme
I like to use latergramme when I know I’ll be too busy or boring to instagram. Basically you schedule an instagram post and latergramme will send you a notification reminding you to post. There are no apps or programs that allow you to automatically schedule instagram posts but this is close enough for now!
Spotify
I know some people like to work in silence but that is not me. I’ve been really loving spotify lately and I even pay for the monthly subscription because I’ve been so happy with the music available.
What apps are your favorites? Are there any that I should try out or I’m missing out on?
