10 Great Apps for Bloggers
Great Apps for Bloggers
In a world of smartphones, smart TVs, and smart toilets (those are a thing, right?), traditional journalism is fighting an uphill battle to maintain relevance; blogging, on the other hand, soars high on the merits of technology and mass communication. As with any profession, the right tools are required for right job, and blogging is no exception. That said, the most modern tool is the humble app, and there are quite a few of them.
Whether you’re interested in making your work easier or being a more secure user, there’s certainly an app to lend you a hand. Here are a few you may find useful:
1. WordPress
If you’re blogging regularly, you probably already know what WordPress is, but did you know they also have an app? With it, you can publish articles and catch up with other bloggers to see what’s hot and what’s not all while on the go. It’s an essential tool for anyone putting out regular works.
You’ll also be able to put up photos you’ve taken, or videos you’ve filmed on the go. If you’ve generated some real buzz, a little moderation of comments may be in order, which you can also manage with the WordPress app.
2. Bitly
While it may be a hobby for some, blogging is a real career these days, and careers aren’t worth much without revenue. Bitly is there to help track the performance of your links so you know whether you’re keeping the audience engaged or not. It’s a great way to see (with graphs, etc.) how you’re doing. It is only available on the App Store; sorry Android users.
3. Tumblr
Supposing you’re a much more casual blogger, having Tumblr might be more suitable, as it enables you to post much shorter bits of content for an audience with a rapidly declining attention span. Not only does it provide tools for you to post and manage your blog, but it allows you to find blogs from people in your contacts as well.
Unlike a regular dictionary, the Dictionary.com app is free to use, although you may want to shell out the three bucks to get rid of the ads permanently. It’s available for multiple platforms, so you needn’t worry about your device type.
4. Evernote
When you’re on the go, there are lots of things to remember. Once upon a time we’d write things down on a tiny pad of paper, but that seems antiquated when apps such as Evernote exist. Evernote does more than just let you take notes; you can also make sketches, create notebooks, share and sync your ideas (which is really nice if you use a PC when you’re back at home), and even take snips from the web.
Unless you’re working with a big team, the free version of Evernote should be more than enough, and it’s available on a wide range of platforms from Windows to iOS and Android.
5. Dropbox
It was a tough choice between Dropbox and Google Drive, but my experience has been overall more positive with Dropbox. Constantly working on the go or away from your PC means having some form of cloud storage is virtually essential, and Dropbox does exactly that.
Best of all, Dropbox is integrated into countless other apps, making things such as email and sharing considerably easier. It’s fairly secure and offers a pretty large amount of storage, so there aren’t really many downsides to this one.
6. Dictionary.com
There’s no use pretending: we all forget a word or two on occasion, or worse, the right context for using that word. A dictionary app is something every modern-day blogger should have on hand, as there are times one seeks to be exceedingly verbose, yet others where it is best to be brief and concise.
7. ExpressVPN
Not all tools help you write; this one helps keep you safe. If you’re going to be traveling around and using public Wi-Fi—especially if anything of any value is stored on your mobile device—you definitely need to get a VPN. But what exactly is a VPN?
A Virtual Private Network is a service that keeps you safe by encrypting your internet traffic and routing your connection through a remote server, thereby making your location anonymous. It’s extremely important on public Wi-Fi, a place where your data can be stolen much more easily by malicious persons if you’re unprotected.
This one works especially well as it doesn’t require you to do anything; once you’ve installed it, it does all the work. It won’t save you from everything, but you’ll be considerably better off than had you decided to avoid installing it.
8. Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus
Unfortunately, migrating away from a PC has not managed to keep devices entirely safe from viruses. As a result, it’s a virtual requirement to have one on anything that connects to the internet. Avast is free to use and has optional premium features available for fairly reasonable prices.
9. Dragon Dictation
From the makers of Dragon Naturally Speaking comes an extremely useful app for bloggers on the go; this one allows you to dictate, rather than type. Not only is it considerably faster, but it’s incredibly intuitive. If you’re in a place you can speak, Dragon Dictation can speed up your work.
The best thing about Dragon Dictation is its ability to become better at recognizing your words over time. The more you use it, the easier it gets.
10. SwiftKey Keyboard
This one’s a personal favorite; if you’ve grown tired of using your mobile’s default keyboard, SwiftKey has something considerably better. Not only does it offer some pretty good corrections, but it also predicts words you may want to use based on your word history. Most of all: it has a big fat keyboard!
Success—There’s An App For That
Maintaining a good blog isn’t easy, but it can be a bit less complicated with a little help from technology. Talents and strong work ethic are essential to make it, as are the right tools. The proper use of apps alongside a sharp mind is exactly what will enable this generation of bloggers to overtake the increasingly dated institution of traditional journalism.
Just remember that the most interesting material is out in the real world. With technology as your aid, get out there and get blogging.
