Noted :: Attack of the Apps – July 2013

Here we are again, my favorite blog post of the month – the app review! Here are three apps that I’ve been using this month.

1. Over
On my search for an app to add text to my images, I came across ‘Over’. This app allows you to add your own text and overlay it onto any image in your camera roll. I had been downloading and testing countless apps that claimed they did the same thing but they were either, too complicated, not user-friendly or didn’t have enough unique design options. Over is extremely user-friendly and has great font and color options. You can also add artwork to the image, although most of the artwork needs to be purchased as a part of “packages” for .99 cents. One of the most interesting features, especially if you’re a designer, is that you can upload your own fonts to Over to use. I tried it out on one my own photos below – what do you think?

How Is It Relevant For You Business?
As Amy stated yesterday in her blog post, tablet sales are expected to exceed 100 million this year – and that’s not including smartphones. We’re doing almost everything on digital devices and this app makes it easy for you to do one important thing –deliver your message. Images are increasingly essential for your marketing and social media strategies and adding a message to your image will only enhance it. Get creative—anyone can upload an image from their phone and add it to their social media page. Over allows you to get creative and delivery your own unique message through pictures.

2. Workshare
While I was at the PRSA Digital Impact Conference I took my own laptop to the conference to take notes. I get home, put my laptop away, got to work and realize that my blog post about the conference was impossible to write without my notes. Finally, two days go by and I remember to email myself my notes to write the post –but with Workshare, this doesn’t need to happen. It allows you to sync files across all of your mobile devices so you can start something at work and take it home, or vice versa. You can also share files and collaborate with other people –and best of all, its completely secure.

How Is It Relevant For You Business?
The name says it all –work, share. These days, your office is wherever you are and Workshare helps alleviate the issues of not having the files you need. With busy schedules, meetings and having to work remotely –remember the blizzard in February – Workshare would have definitely been helpful in that situation. The perks of being able to file share while also seeing comments and versions of the document in real-time, is priceless.

3. Viralheat
Viralheat is a social media management service that also has app version. While there are hundreds, if not thousand, of social media management tools, I’ve recently been gravitating to this platform. One key factor that I always consider when searching for an app is a simple user interface and this app certainly has that. You’re easily connected with three of the largest social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin – a bonus is that you can also manage individual brand pages within Facebook, which isn’t always so easy through these types of platforms. You also get one main stream, where you can filter information to show one, or all, of the information from your social media pages. Additionally you can receive messages, schedule posts and sort through analytics all through this one platform. The free app allows you to monitor and manage four platforms, if you have more page, you can upgrade for a fee.

How Is It Relevant For You Business?
For those of you who manage multiple social media accounts, this app puts everything in one place. As I mentioned above, there are many different social media management tools, but Viralheat has everything I need, all in one place. Who has the time, or the resources to monitor your platforms in one app, schedule your post in another and then search through analytics from various different sources? Not me.

~Allyson