Looking for some new ways to improve your social media management and content creation? Wondering which tools and apps to try?
In this article, you’ll find 23 desktop tools and mobile apps that will save you time and effort in your daily marketing workflow.
#1: Quickly Find the Best Emoji for Your Message
Emojim is a browser-based app that helps you search and discover the right emoji for your social media updates, blog posts, marketing materials, and more. This tool features a beautifully responsive design that’s clickable on desktop and tappable on mobile devices.
There are several ways to search for emojis on Emojim. You can either scroll through the site until you find the perfect emoji to express yourself or use the search feature to type a description of the emoji or feelings you’re looking to convey. As you type within the search bar, Emojim will refine and eliminate options until you find a suitable emoji. You can also search by category, skin color, or theme.
Emojim is free.
#2: Sync Your Facebook Event Calendar With Other Calendars
Facebook Event Calendar provides a way to export and sync your Facebook events calendar to a third-party calendar application such as Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook, which can then prompt you with reminders.
To use this tool, simply paste the URL of your upcoming Facebook events into the Facebook Event Calendar interface. Choose whether to include Facebook events you’re going to, interested in, or invited to but haven’t yet responded. This one-time setup exports this information as either a separate system calendar or a Google calendar that automatically updates as you continue to interact and respond to other Facebook events.
Facebook Event Calendar is free.
#3: Add Automatic Transcripts and Captions to Your Video
Quicc.io is a web-based and mobile application that uses AI to automatically transcribe and burn captions into vertical and horizontal video.
For instance, you can record Instagram Stories snippets, upload the video to Quicc, and you’ll get a preview of the captions burned in so you can fix any errors or misspellings.
When you’re happy with the transcription copy, you can format the type font, size, and color to match your branding. Then you can add a background, outline, or drop shadow so it pops a little more.
When you download the finished product, you can also get an SRT file.
Quicc offers a free trial; paid plans begin at $12.
#4: Package Multiple Bookmark URLs Into One Link
URLList is a bookmarklet that allows you to bring a group of URLs together in one place and then share them with a single link.
One use case that isn’t explicitly stated on their site is to create a large list of URLs for all of your different product landing pages and then use that one URL in your Instagram bio.
Another use case would be to curate the URLs of your favorite podcasts, and then include the single URL in a post on social, with something like “Here are the 10 podcasts that I’ll never unsubscribe from.”
As you drop each link into the bookmarklet, you can edit its description and even add some metadata. You can create a list anonymously or log in to save, manage, and edit your lists.
URLList is free.
#5: Produce Cinematic-Quality Video on Your iPhone
24FPS by Polarr is an iOS app that allows you to record and edit cinematic-quality videos with an iPhone. This app features amazing filters with built-in AI that recommend unique effects based on the aesthetics of your video.
24FPS can shoot video in vertical, square, or any of the widescreen formats in full 4K at 24 frames per second (as its name suggests), as well as at 30 and 60 frames per second. This tool adds cinematic stabilization to smooth your mobile videos at any frame rate, even as you zoom in and out.
24FPS has a free trial; paid subscription plans with premium features begin at $3.00/month or $28.99/year.
#6: Record Your Desktop and Webcam in Tandem
RecordScreen.io is a cool tool to record your screen and your camera at the same time. There’s no software or app to download, nor account needed to access this tool. It’s all web-based and works right from the browser.
Hit the Record button. Then select either Screen + Cam or Screen Only. The site will ask for permission to access your camera and microphone if you want to record yourself speaking. You can specify which screen, browser window, or specific tab within a browser you’d like to pull into your recording and position where you’d like the recording to focus. After that, hit Start Recording and it’s recording. Press Stop when you’re done and download the video to your computer.
You can find RecordScreen.io on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
RecordScreen.io is free.
#7: Remove People From Photos
Bye Bye Camera is an iOS mobile app that removes humans from the photos you take with iOS devices. As the name suggests, this app makes people go “bye-bye.”
When you use the app to take or import a photo with people in it, the app goes through a process of detecting the humans and automatically removes them from the final image. It will then fill in the gap by recreating what was behind them, whether it’s scenery, a building, or ambiance, without sacrificing the original quality or integrity of your photo. It will look like they were never there.
Bye Bye Camera costs $2.99.
#8: Remove or Change the Background on Photos With AI
PhotoRoom BG Photo Background Eraser is an iOS mobile app that not only removes an image background right in the palm of your hand, it also gives you the ability to completely change the background too.
When you use the app to take a new photo or import an image that’s already on your camera roll, it uses machine learning and AI to auto-detect and trace the main focus or objects in the foreground of your image. You can then select from different backgrounds like a solid color or design, or import your own image. You can also add effects like blurring and filters.
BG Photo Background Eraser is free.
#9: Create & Save UTM URLs in One Library
Simple UTM is a helpful tool for anyone overwhelmed by creating UTM URLs for their marketing campaigns. This tool helps build campaign URLs and saves them in one place online.
To create your campaign URLs, add your original URL and then type the source, the medium, and name for your campaign into Simple UTM’s Campaign URL Builder interface. As you type, the new campaign URL with your UTM parameters is created. You can save as many different parameters as you like and use them again at any time.
To visualize this, you can create and store a variety of individual UTM parameters for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more within the Simple UTM tool. Then pull them up at a moment’s notice. If you’re working with a team, this tool can be a valuable resource that lets everyone use the same parameter and provides consistency to your analytics and reporting.
Simple UTM is free.
#10: Add Multiple Emojis to Your Messaging
EmojiCopy is a free, web-based app that has search functionality and the option to create a line of emojis all at once. Instead of having to find and add one emoji at a time to your message, you can easily use this site to select as many emojis as you like with a click of your mouse or tap of your finger. Then quickly create a string of emojis that can be copied and pasted anywhere on the web.
EmojiCopy works on both desktop and mobile devices.
EmojiCopy is free.
#11: Share Images of Your Tweets to the Instagram Feed
Tuigram is a cool app available in the App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android. The app converts tweets into posts or stories for Instagram. Rather than relying on taking screenshots of tweets and posting them separately, Tuigram allows you to share on Instagram with a tap of the Share this Tweet button found on the tweet.
Select Tuigram and an image of your tweet is generated and ready to post on Instagram. The image will be nicely formatted for Instagram but you can also crop, add hashtags or GIFs, and more as you would for any other Instagram post.
There are examples of this tool in action in Social Media Examiner’s Instagram account. We take questions posted on our Facebook and Twitter accounts and post them to Instagram using Tuigram to convert them into images. These are some of the most engaging posts on our account.
Tuigram is free.
#12: Identify Bots and Spammers in Your Twitter Audience
Circleboom checks how many spammer, bot, inactive, or low-quality accounts follow you on Twitter and allows you to easily unfollow, block, or downgrade them. To access this service, go to the Circleboom website and click on the free Twitter analytics tool. Simply authorize your Twitter account and it will analyze your follower list.
Circleboom provides a breakdown of the different criteria it uses to qualify which accounts are fake or spammers such as common nefarious actions, the number of links they tweeted in a row, and how long it’s been since they last tweeted. It will then present a list of accounts you should consider unfollowing for various reasons.
Circleboom offers a free plan, and paid plans start at $17/month.
#13: Summarize Online Content in Five Bullet Points for Quick Reading
TLDR This, a Chrome or Firefox browser extension, automatically summarizes any articles, web pages, or other big blocks of text into five succinct bullet points. TLDR typically stands for “too long, didn’t read” on the Internet and the tool solves this problem.
You drop a URL for a web-based article, or copy and paste the text into TLDR This. It skims the article and highlights the important points in a format that can be read in mere seconds. The summaries are written in full sentences that are grammatically correct, accurate, and straightforward.
TLDR This is free.
#14: Take a Break From a Social Platform Without Signing Off
Detoxify.app is a web-based tool that helps you detox from the distraction of social media apps. To use this tool, go to the Detoxify.app site and select any addictive app from which you would like to take a break. These include the most popular social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more.
Detoxify.app creates a fake bookmark or app icon to replace the original app on your phone, which you can then hide in a different folder or somewhere else on your device. Anytime you tap on the replacement icon moving forward, it will open a web browser that takes you to the Detoxify.app landing page instead. A pop-up reminds you that you’re taking a break from the app.
Detoxify.app is free.
#15: Share an Instagram Image as a Native Tweet
Tweet Photo allows users to tweet higher-quality Instagram photos than Instagram’s native tools currently allow. The option to share an Instagram photo on Twitter as it’s being posted to the platform generates a tweet with a link to the photo on Instagram, rather than actually showing the photo.
Tweet Photo connects your Twitter and Instagram accounts and enables you to tweet single Instagram photos as native photo tweets but not multiple-photo posts of videos on Instagram.
The caption on Instagram becomes the text for the tweet but only up to Twitter’s limit of 280 characters. The tweet also includes a link back to the original Instagram post, thereby pushing traffic and encouraging engagement on your Instagram account while increasing your distribution.
Tweet Photo is free.
#16: Optimize Instagram Stories Content With Customizable Templates
StoryArt for both iOS and Android helps you produce more creative, polished Instagram stories.
Browse StoryArt’s variety of customizable templates for inspiration. Drop in your photos and videos and then change fonts and colors, add captions, or even edit video speeds. When you’re done, you can share it to your Instagram story with a single click.
The paid version unlocks extra tools, filters, and layouts, and is available monthly for $2.99 or as a full-year subscription for $9.99. But there’s plenty available in the free version of the app to take your story game up a notch.
StoryArt is a freemium app.
#17: Block Out Online Distractions for Short Time Periods
deprocrastination is a Chrome browser plugin that can help turn your browser into a productivity machine. It’s part time-tracker and part site-blocker.
Need to keep your head down and work on a project for 2 hours? deprocrastination can make sure you don’t wind up going down any Twitter rabbit holes (unless, of course, that’s part of your job, as it is for many of us).
You can block designated pages for set amounts of time or simply track how many times a day you’re visiting certain sites. The paid version even includes data visualizations of what days and times you’re using certain websites and apps.
The deprocrastination plugin is free.
#18: Compare Pricing and Features of Social Media Management Tools
The social media tool comparison site socialmediatoolscomparison.com answers the eternal question, “Which social media management tool should I use?”
Toggle search elements such as the number of social profiles you want to connect; the number of team members; how many competitor profiles you can add; and the ability to publish, engage, report, or do social listening. Social Media Tools Comparison will compare all of the different social media management tools that accommodate your exact needs.
It also shows you what plans are available and monthly and yearly pricing. The site indicates the date it was last updated so you know how fresh the results are.
This tool is actually put out by Sociality.io, which is one of the sites that’s part of the comparison. However, it does appear to provide an objective analysis of all available competitive tools.
The socialmediatoolscomparison tool is free.
#19: Take Better Pictures at Night
NeuralCam is an iOS app that essentially brings a “night mode” camera app to iPhone, allowing you to take brighter, clearer pictures in low-light settings.
This app delivers the true depth-of-field and high dynamic resolution photography that you’d have during the day, without the washed-out look common to flash photography. NeuralCam does this by using AI and computational photography: It scans the entire image and tests what the camera is able to capture.
It takes around 10 seconds for NeuralCam to process the photo—it reminded us of old-school Polaroid processing—and when it’s done, the image is punched up in all the right places. You can import photos from your phone’s camera roll, but we suggest taking the picture within the app for the best results.
NeuralCam costs $2.99.
#20: Edit Audio and Video by Editing Text
Descript is an amazing desktop audio/text editing tool. Upload your audio file—a podcast or a video—and Descript will give you a transcription. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s basically audio and video editing in text mode.
You see the wave-form of the audio, the video (if applicable), and the text that correlates to it, all at the same time. You can go into the transcription and delete certain words or whole sentences, and it will then delete that from the video or audio file.
Similarly, if you delete part of the audio, the text will disappear. So if somebody said something and you want to edit it out, you can just locate the exact part of what they said, highlight it, and then cut it. You can even scan through the document, see that someone said, “um,” a lot, copy and cut the “ums,” and boom, they disappear from the audio or video recording.
You don’t have to capture your audio or video with the app; you can either upload it to the website or you can download the app and use it that way.
Descript offers a free plan; paid plans begin at $14.
#21: Combine Video From Your Front- and Back-Facing Phone Cameras Into One Video
DuetCam is an iOS app that lets you record both the front-facing and back-facing cameras at the same time stitched together on your iPhone.
It creates a picture-in-picture scene, basically like FaceTime or Skype, with a big window and a small window. One application for this might be to show your face in the big frame or in the small picture-in-picture window when you’re creating Instagram stories. Another might be at a big event like Social Media Marketing World. If you’re in the audience and you’re filming, you can share your own reactions while also sharing what’s happening in front of you.
You can’t resize the large and small images, although you can determine which lens is the primary versus the secondary, and you can always swap them. There’s another button that allows you to change in which corner the smaller window appears. DuetCam works in both horizontal and vertical orientations but you should decide which one you’re going to use before you begin.
DuetCam costs $2.99.
#22: Message Close Friends on Instagram
Instagram’s Threads app is available for both Android and iOS. It’s a dedicated camera-based app from Instagram and a stand-alone for direct messages with your close friends. Threads is designed for privacy and speed and for doing photos, video messages, and even stories with your Instagram close friends list. There’s no public feed. It’s all private chat.
Threads is almost like Facebook Messenger for Instagram. The reason it’s called Threads is that you reply back and forth to stories on a conversation thread. You can turn on notifications for this app and leave them off on the Instagram app. This way, if you only want to get notified of a certain chat thread inside of Instagram with certain people, you can do that.
Threads leaves all of your DMs in the native Instagram app as well; this just adds an extra level. You can go over to this app instead of Instagram proper (and potentially get distracted by stories or the feed or the search) and just jump into direct messages only. You can also go to all of your DMs in this app, not just those designated as “close friends.” Go to the settings and tap the triple-line hamburger menu and all of your DMs show up right there, too.
It’s got a few extra bells and whistles like statuses and different threads, but overall, it’s very simple and streamlined. If you don’t want to get bogged down by all of the other aspects of your Instagram life, but want to go back and forth quickly and easily and even allow notifications for DMs, you can do that with this app.
Threads for Instagram is free.
#23: Streamline Calendar Scheduling With Multiple People
Woven is the calendar and productivity app to rule them all; it ticks all the boxes.
You can send a link for people to schedule time that you’ve pre-determined you’re available. You can also send group scheduling polls, where people can check the times that they’re available and it will choose an optimal time that works for everyone.
Woven lets you create different templates for each link type; to illustrate, you can create one type of template for your podcast guests, another template for someone coming to record YouTube content, and other templates for different types of in-person or virtual meetings, with different links, a different setup, and different copy. It syncs with all different calendar types and will alert you to availability conflicts between calendars.
Woven is a web-based service that also has desktop apps for both Mac and Windows, an iOS app, with an Android app coming soon.
Right now it’s in beta so it’s completely free, and they plan to always have a free option. When they add their paid features, they’re just going to add on some extra bells and whistles.
Woven is free.
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Source: socialmediaexaminer
