
As PR professionals we spend a lot of our time out of the office, but that doesn’t stop us from continuing to work non-stop, answering calls and emails, posting on social media, and sending press releases, captions, pictures, etc. all while on the run.
Our mobile phones have become our office and we rely on them more than ever to be able to communicate seamlessly when we are “OOO.”
In moments like these, the roster of apps that we have on our mobile devices comes to the rescue. In addition to the essential ones, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Uber, OpenTable, etc., there are some that I, truly, can’t live without. These are my favorite five (In no specific order):
– The cloud– we may still not know where these clouds are located, but they are the best when it comes to keeping our documents in one place. I don’t have to worry about document sizes either. Having the opportunity to generate a link and send my document is fantastic. I keep both, Dropbox and iCloud, on my device as one is for business and the other for personal purposes.
– Notes and more– for all my notes needs, I use Evernote. This app has evolved from its initial days to become sophisticated and easy to use. I love the fact that I can add files, sketches, images, audio and even my location to my notes, and I can also share it without any hassles.
– Graphic Design– Since my graphic design skills are limited, I feel like a pro when I use Canva. I create my graphics in my laptop and then access them on the app so that I can post them to Instagram and other platforms without any problem. It also features a wide variety of ready-to-post graphics available for free from the app.
– News– we need to be informed with the latest news and this is a good excuse for me, as I’m a news junkie. Instead of visiting different sites, I keep it simple to 1 or 2. One of them is the BBC app where I can find news from around the world that I don’t read anywhere else. I also use AP, which provides me with a customized local feed based on my location.
–Messenger– WhatsApp has become the modern “walkie talkie.” We use it at many of our events to communicate with the team, and it’s very reliable. In addition, guests or media don’t have to listen to internal conversations as with regular walkies. A big bonus: I don’t have to carry any additional items or handle cables.
Under my radar:
– Distribution and pitch– in the “micro” era where our attention span is just 8 seconds (I hope that you are still reading this), we need to be fast and concise at all times. With Upitch you have 400 characters to craft your pitch (you have a total of 650 characters including title and summary). You can select up to 2 categories and expiration date, but the area of coverage is limited to USA, Canada, or North America. You’ll also be able to communicate directly with reporters interested in your pitch through the app. I haven’t used it yet, but it’s under my radar.
Bonus:
– Learning– as I try to keep up with all the latest trends, I take classes and courses on a regular basis. One of the platforms that I love is Coursera, a technology company that offers courses from schools such as Stanford and Yale to Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, for free or at a very low price. Offerings include classes in Marketing, Business, Public Relations, Social Media, Science, Nutrition, Music, History, Art and many more.






