Xenophon Strategies

I Can't Live Without 'em: Top 6 Apple Apps for PR Pros

David A. Fuscus

 I’ve been working in PR since I was 16 years old and used to write press releases for my dad’s restaurant.  I’m also a gadget guy and adore technology, which allows me to tolerate the personal process of vetting apps and software to find what’s truly useful.

Here are six Apple apps that have risen to the top and have become an essential part of my daily work life in PR:

1. Hootsuite.  Of course, you have multiple personal and business social media accounts. One dashboard manages everything including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Take that brilliant Tweet and send it where it needs to go with a couple of clicks.  It’sspecially useful during the day when you’re away from your regular computer.  iPhone & iPad. Free.  http://tinyurl.com/22kqxnp
2. Instapaper.  One can save articles and content for later reading in a clean, easy-to-read format.  It’s a perfect tool to keep up with the intense reading demands of today’s world. iPhone & iPad. $4.99.   http://tinyurl.com/33dca7
3. Camera+.  Take, edit and upload better quality photographs.  Perfect for getting decent photos out to the world in a flash (pun intended).  Couple this with a little training on how to compose photographs and your entire staff or communications department will be producing visual content. iPhone, iPad and iPod. $1.99.  http://tinyurl.com/25r7zho
4. iThoughtsHD.   Many PR people are visually oriented, so this handy little app allows you to visually express ideas in an outline format complete with relationships and relative importance.  Think about a football play chart with X’s, O’s and arrows --- that’s a visual representation of an idea and process to implement the idea.  This takes a little while to learn, but it is a valuable tool to simplify and explain complex subjects.  iPhone, iPad and iPod.  $7.99. http://tinyurl.com/3chots9
5. Dragon Dictation.  Nuance is the leader in voice dictation and their Naturally Speaking software has been a hit in the office for years.  Dragon Dictation allows you to speak and instantly see the text written on your iPhone or iPad.  It’s faster than typing, especially on those tiny phone keyboards.  I’m not sure why, but it’s free.  http://tinyurl.com/ylgqctp
6. Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus.  In the end, all PR people are, or should be, writers.  I know a thesaurus is so old school, but unless you know that there are 23 synonyms for the word adapt, then cough up the 25 bucks and walk around with 300,000 synonyms and 10,000 antonyms in your pocket.  Shakespeare would have killed for this.  iPhone & iPad.  $25. http://tinyurl.com/3t8ycjz

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