Social Apps And The iPad [iPad Series #11]

This week in the iPad Series we will be looking at social media apps. Sounds pretty simple, right? While being pretty straightforward, there are a a few apps that make things easier, more fun, or just altogether better. Let’s look at social media apps on the iPad.

Author’s Note:  I’m not a big social app user. I blog, obviously. I get on Facebook a little. I go to Pinterest when I’m looking for some crafting ideas. That’s about it. What that means is that you shouldn’t have high expectations for an in-depth or varied article on Social Media.

As part of the iOS 7 iPad update, this article has been updated, but the screenshots might not be up-to-date.

Combinations

There are plenty of apps that integrate multiple social media formats and the like. Look at this Lifehacker article on the Five Best Social Media Managers. They ask their techy readers for recommendations and show the top five.  Keep in mind that they are not necessarily iPad apps. Those are:

  1. TweetDeck
  2. Seesmic
  3. HootSuite
  4. Digsby
  5. Socialite

Facebook

Social-FBBeginning with the obvious, it’s a really good idea to install the standard Facebook app so that you can integrate Facebook sharing into your device. You can view your news feed, upload photos, send and receive messages, get notifications and more.

The Facebook app does the job and there’s no real reason to look for a replacement app.

Twitter

Social-TwitterThe Twitter app is also a must-have if you like to tweet.

If you’re a heavy Twitter user you may have an app that you like better, but for occasional use on multiple accounts, the standard app does the job for me.

LinkedIn

Social-LinkedInIf you are a LinkedIn user, and like to work on your iPad, you may want to get the LinkedIn app. From the app, you can view jobs, edit your profile, check your messages, find friends and colleagues, sync your calendar, and more.

Keep in mind that most users typically only use LinkedIn while on a computer, so this might be a non-issue.

Tumblr

Social-TumblrIf you’re an image-sharing app, check out the Tumblr app. The app lets you share and view images on your beautiful iPad screen. You can send messages, blog and more.

This app made the list because if you are a user, you don’t want to forget to install it.

Blogging

Social-BlogsySome people blog socially. If you’re into blogging and do so regularly, you should definitely check out Blogsy.

If you’re a WordPress user, you should really get the Blogsy app. It’s well worth the $4.99.

Read more about Blogsy in my article on Doing Work on Your iPad.

Google+

Social-GPlusUnfortunately Google+ isn’t catching on thanks to the fact that everyone’s friends and family are JUST NOW making it onto Facebook (you know who you are!). However, it still merits a mention since at the very least you get free image storage from Google if you upload your images through Google+.

That said, I’ve never actually used the app. Even on my Android phone. Poor Google+.

Pinterest

I know, I know. “Only women use Pinterest” you may say. Well, roughly half of the world population is made up of women, so there! Pinterest is EXTREMELY popular, so it merits a mention.

The standard Pinterest app is really less-than-impressive. The staggered column layout is hard to view and at some point, the app was having some issues. Here is our recommendation:

Gallery Plus for Pinterest is a well-designed app that is enjoyable. The images are displayed in an easy-to-use scrollable format that is much easier to visually scan.

Conclusions

The bottom line is that the iPad is an excellent tool for all of your social media uses.

(Unmodified Image: Facebook Flower, CC license by mkhmarketing)

Author: Steph

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