Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to … download?
Apps. No, not appetizers. But those applications that live on your smartphone and are in touch with numerous times a day. The right apps can help you stay organized and on top of your game but finding the best ones can be difficult without recommendations. So, in this week’s PR brief, we’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up some of our favorite apps that help us get the job done. Now, treat yourself to awesome apps!
Google Keep
This app is the quickest, prettiest way to “take note” in multiple formats: text, photos, drawings, checklists, recordings, you name it. Best yet, there’s a slick Chrome extension that lets you highlight text and save your selection directly to Keep with a title and extra room for notes. Like other Google products, there are too many extra features to list, but the best one is that you can create a reminder right from a note … if I find a good article in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep, I can remind myself to read it the next day.
– Shelby, social media specialist
Adobe Lightroom Creative Cloud
While there are a plethora of photo editing apps out there, the one you need is Adobe Lightroom CC. I fell in love with this app because it’s free, unlike the desktop versions, and it still comes with lots of high-quality editing capabilities. In an instant, I can create eye-catching photos, especially with the preset editing tools where I can brighten a photo or make it look more natural. And, if I want to take the time to manually edit a photo’s exposure, saturation, etc., I can do that, too. It’s the best of both worlds.
– Katie, public relations account coordinator
Insight Timer
Public relations is constantly listed in the top 10 most stressful jobs … right below our police officer and firefighter friends. In order to stay sane (kind of), I meditate using the app Insight Timer in the morning and before bed. It helps me clear my mind so I can attack the day with a positive outlook. There are guided meditations and music-only, plus, you can choose the length based on how much time you have. Sometimes even just three minutes of “me time” is all you need!
– Chloe, public relations manager
The Skimm
I’ve always been a fan of my weekday Skimm emails, which are literally a part of my morning ritual as I get my daily dose of current events over a cup of coffee; however, the app takes it to the next level! It not only acts as an aggregator for the latest news, but it provides recommended articles every day and a new book each week. Plus, it offers audio updates, called Skimm Notes, for those who are on the podcast train. It is a paid subscription, but the $2.99 per month is more than worth it!
– Becca, public relations specialist
Trello
When it comes to tools to stay organized, Trello is my jam, and I’ve been using it for over three years for my workflow and personal lists! With Trello, you get a bird’s eye view of all your project cards inside customized lists—plus, inside the cards you can add details such as due dates, checklists, attachments, and notes. Cards can be easily moved and reorganized. One of my favorite parts is that you can collaborate with other team members all in one place, so no more losing important sticky notes or loose-leaf sheets with action items!
– Bree, content marketing specialist
We understand it can be hard to keep up with the hottest topics or trends, but that’s what we do day in and day out—and we love every second of it. Check back next week to treat yourself to another #PRbrief, but if you want to learn about how our *cue zombie voice* braaains work, chat with us!
