Those who work in public relations know that the job requires a fast-paced, on-the-go mentality with a constant need to multitask. Whether you are out of the office meeting with clients, working a press event or overseeing a media briefing, public relations professionals need to stay up to date on current news and industry trends.
Since, we heavily rely on the help of our trusty smartphones to get us through the day, our team has outlined our favorite apps that help us get the job done.
Google Drive
The first app no PR pro should live without is Google Drive.. Google Drive is the most convenient place to view, organize and share files with coworkers including documents, slides, calendars, spreadsheets and more. This app automatically saves files on The Burnette Agency’s cloud, allowing our team to access any and everything from a computer or mobile device. Editing documents and spreadsheets all within the apps on our mobile devices makes last minute updates so easy on the fly!
UNUM
UNUM is brilliant. We use this app religiously as a tool for planning our feeds for consistency. What does it do, exactly? The app allows its users to design their Instagram feed well into the future, so each post remains consistent. The overall planning of the app is time consuming, but it allows you to see your photos as they'd appear on Instagram. The initial time consumption up front saves you the hassle of possible mistakes, because it gives you the option to edit, write, arrange, and draft your post without the hassle of switching between apps.
Facebook Pages Manager
The Facebook Pages Manager app allows us to keep a constant connection with our client’s audiences, which is important for managing any crisis or opportune moment. This app is great because it allows for the account coordinators to post new updates and photos, respond to comments, and view or reply to private messages for our clients. As a PR professional, getting notifications to your phone is vital if you are going to stay ahead of brand issues or opportunities. We highly recommend this app to be able to tap into into your audience whenever the opportunity arises.
1Password
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that online security is important. You need to have strong passwords and change them regularly, but knowing this doesn’t make it easier to actually do it. Enter 1Password, the virtual vault of for all of your secret combinations. As far as I'm concerned, nobody should be navigating the web without an app like this. This app creates one, strong “master password” that you will use to get into every social media account you manage. As professionals in public relations, we manage multiple accounts for multiple clients, and keeping every password safe for every client’s social media platform can feel like a full time job. Keeping track of it all in an excel sheet is not only risky but also time consuming. The less time you need to spend dealing with hacks, phishing scams, and lost passwords, the better.
Sideline
There’s a reason people have separate work emails. And yet, many people use their personal phone numbers for business. Why not separate both for the same reasons?
Sideline is our solution. This is a phenomenal app that provides a second phone number for a whopping three dollars a month. It uses your phone’s existing carrier network (not Wi-Fi) so your second number is just as reliable as your first. Sideline reiterates the fact that your phone number is a personal piece of information, and sometimes, you don’t want to give it out to everyone. Not long ago, the only way to have two numbers was to have two phones. Now that we’re all carrying computers in our back pockets, those days are over. We love Sideline because as PR professionals, we are always on the go - and this app helps to only have to keep up one device!
Dropbox
One of the most unique aspects of The Burnette Agency is that we do not believe in stock photos. We showcase your brand through high quality imagery that we create ourselves through personal photoshoots. These photoshoots generate thousands of images each month, meaning we deal with massive files on a daily basis. Dropbox allows our team to store and share photos, documents and videos with each other as well as our clients. The iPhone app is just as exceptional as the website, and although there are plenty of other storage apps available, we love the simple and functional aspects of the dropbox app. In addition to being provided with 2GB of free storage space, the app saves your files throughout all of your devices. It’s gives one such piece of mind to know that all work is readily available no matter what device you are using.
As public relations pros here at The Burnette Agency, we live on our smartphones: after all, it's the place to be for catching up on breaking news and spotting trends.
If you need help with social media or public relation efforts, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Our Atlanta based office services clients all over the East Coast. Send us an email at info@theburnetteagency.com or give us a call at 404.850.2081.
