As you may have noticed, most of the social networks I review have apps for the iPhone. I’ve compiled a list of the top twelve iPhone apps that I use on a daily basis to stay connected. Because only twelve apps fit in a folder.
Facebook is a definite. With nearly one billion people using the social network, and more people accessing it via their mobile phones everyday, the world’s biggest social network definitely has a place in my Social folder. The app has come a long way from being a pretty simple application to one that shows Timeline views, lets you manage lists, lets you tag people and places, and even share links. All from a device that fits in your pocket.
Facebook Messenger is another confirmed app, for me at least. While the Facebook app has messaging capabilities built into it, I like to keep it separate. Handy and convenient.
Tweetbot is a Twitter app that’s come a long way. Originally it had no push notifications and you’d have to use another app, Boxcar, to push the notifications to your iPhone. It now ties in nicely with iOS 5’s native Twitter integration and allows you access your settings and import all of your accounts. Even though it’s a paid app, it’s well worth the $2.99. It has a slick, responsive interface and using it is an absolute pleasure. The app has become so successful on the iPhone that they’ve even ported it to the iPad.
Foursquare is another one of my favourite apps that gets used daily. I check in everywhere I go. Much of the time to the dismay of whoever I am with. It’s just so addictive. Getting points and earning mayorships is awesome. The gamification of a location-based social network is a brilliant idea. In fact, they also throw some really cool easter eggs in the mix. On Valentine’s Day, Foursquare told me it loves me. They even wished me a happy birthday.
Instagram is another of my favourites. I love sharing my pictures with my followers and seeing the awesome pictures of the people that I’m following. The Popular tab helps you discover the most like pictures, and gives you a pretty good idea who to follow. Even though it’s mostly just pictures shot and uploaded with iPhones, the pictures are breathtaking. Some people obviously have a natural eye for good composition and luckily they get to share their incredible pictures with us.
Pinterest, the fastest growing social network also has a place on my phone. A very beautiful and easy to use application, I don’t really pay it as much attention as I should. Most of my attention gets split between Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram.
LinkedIn also has a mobile app with a pleasant user interface and many built in functions which allow you to manage your professional network. Similar to the Facebook app, you can also sync your LinkedIn contacts to your iPhone. LinkedIn also has an application out called Cardmunch, which allows you to take a photo of a business card and submit it. The card gets processed and returned to your iPhone as a contact, with all the relevant details completed. From here, you have the option of saving it to your iPhone. Very impressive and useful.
The next two apps I have in my iPhone’s Social folder are Ego and Quicklytics, both analytical apps. Ego is aimed at basic analytics for your blog, Google Analytics, Tumblr, Feedburner, Ember, Mint, Squarespace, Twitter and Vimeo support. Basically, in the case of websites, it tells you the number of hits you had today, yesterday, this week, this month and this year. The Twitter stats tell you how many followers you have, how many people you follow and how many times you’ve tweeted. Very basic stuff.
Quicklytics, on the other hand, is basically a Google Analytics tool that allows you to drill down a whole lot more, as you would with Google’s web based interface. The app is universal and will also work on your iPad. It’s a paid app, but definitely worth it.
App.bg is actually a web app. I find it particularly useful as I get to see the tweets, Instagram photos and Foursquare tips around me. Great for finding new people to follow through those networks.
Buffer is also available for the iPhone. It provides analytics on the tweets that were sent out with your buffer and it gives you directions on how to install a buffer bookmarklet in mobile Safari, so that you can schedule your tweets no matter where you are.
KloutScore is one of my newest additions. It helps me keep track of the Klout scores of all my Twitter accounts, along with my style, my influencers, and the people that I influence. A handy, convenient app that covers the basics.
What are your favourite mobile social networking apps? Do you use Tweetbot for Twitter? Let us know in the comments below.
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