Top 10 Favorite Phone Apps

Monday, 25 June, 2012 10:02 Written by Aron C

We’ve hit a point in society, culture and technology where smart phones have become the norm, and in some cases a necessity. I fought it for a long time, but after being stranded in the middle of no where with my husband and one year old at 1 in the morning, not knowing where we were and unable to tell the towing company how to find us, we decided it was finally time. That was about three months ago, and it was a great decision.

Smart Phone Apps are what make a smart phone so great. They keep track of your life, help inspire the creative process and keep you entertained. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my app choices, and I use them every week, if not every day. These top ten apps are a compilation of the SpeedySigns.com marketing team favorite Smart Phone Apps. Check it out!

Instagram

As cliche as it may be, Instagram is my all-time favorite app, and I use it several times a day. I’m a lover of the art of photography, and while I think technology and things like Instagram are slowly destroying the art, I still think some folks post some beautiful shots. Plus, I’m just a very visual person, so I enjoy getting to actually see what my friends are doing all day, and in turn, I like to share with them what I am doing. If I can do that in the most visually pleasing way possible, then why not? The filters available in the app are great at making a good picture look like a great one.

Twitter

Again with the cliches, but Twitter is another app that I use everyday. Aside from knowing a little too much about what my friends are doing at any given time, by following the big cheeses in the fields that I love, I’m often lead to great articles and other sources of information, which keeps me up to date on the things that really interest me.

Nike+ GPS

The Nike+ GPS app is great if you want to start running or are already a seasoned runner. It uses a map to track your run, gives you a music boost when you need it, cheers you on when people on facebook “like” that you are running, and gives you challenges to beat your last time or distance. It also tracks the calories burned! I like this app a lot, because it helps with the lack of motivation I often feel when it comes to running and health in general.

My Fitness Pal

The My Fitness Pal app goes great in conjunction with Nike+ GPS. It allows you to set up a healthy eating plan, and tells you how many calories you can have each day based on your weight and goals. It has the largest food database of all the apps, which makes adding calories a great deal easier. It even has a bar code scanner for you to scan your items in! It also has an area where you can add your cardio and aerobic exercises, keeping track of the calories you’ve burned. You can track your progress, and make some friends through the online version that will keep you encouraged!

Sound Hound

There are plenty of song recongnition apps out there, but Sound Hound is the best in my opinion. Out of the others that I’ve used, Sound Hound is the quickest and easiest. Plus, you don’t need a song to be playing for Sound Hound to recognize it. Enter whatever lyrics you know, or hum that unknown tune that’s been stuck in your head for the past week, and usually within the suggestions it displays, the song you’re looking for will be listed. I love music, and this app has been very helpful in answering quick questions about songs, especially when listening to the radio.

Google Maps

Maps… the most practical/useful app on a phone in my opinion. Its functionality is as good or better than most stand-alone GPS units I’ve used, and it comes standard on most phones now. Thanks Google.

Nature Space Holographic Audio

The Nature Space Holographic Audio app is INCREDIBLE. I’m no sound engineer by any means, but the way they designed these sounds to move from ear to ear creates this 360- degree effect and feels like you are actually somewhere else. The campfire sounds are my absolute favorite. When I close my eyes and listen, I can actually smell the campfire and feel warm. This one is great for sleep.

Amazon

The Amazon app is an overall great app for making sure you are getting the best bang for your buck. It allows you to scan items at a retail store and compares prices for you online. It even has a one-click purchasing option, for the more seasoned Amazon junkies.

Notes

Notes is another very practical app that I use weekly. My brain is constantly going a mile a minute, and I often have many ideas that I need to get out quickly before I forget them. Notes allows me to get them down in a timely fashion and saves them as is. It’s nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.

Picfx

Picfx is a great app for giving your snapshots some life. It has several dozen different filters, and you can use it in conjunction with instagram. I use this app several times a week to make my pictures a little more special.

So what are your favorite phone apps?

Top 10 Favorite Marketing Blogs

Monday, 21 May, 2012 09:04 Written by Aron C

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Here at Speedy Signs, we are constantly researching and implementing fresh ways to market ourselves, and in turn helping others do the same. Good marketing is a businesses life blood, ESPECIALLY if most or all of your products are offered online. Getting your brand out there and noticed can often feel like your standing on Mars and yelling your name to everyone on earth; no one can hear you! The internet is so huge now that strategic marketing is necessary to bring yourself from the “a dime a dozen” status to the top of the ranking mountain. If you are constantly are trying to up your marketing game, then check out this top 10 list of our favorite marketing blogs. You will find heaps of useful information that will not leave you disappointed. Remember though, you must put these tools into action!

copyblogger

This is a team of people that provide content marketing solutions for WordPress. They write insightful and inspiring blog posts that not only reveal their expertise on the subject but compel you to market better.

Search Engine Journal

A community made up of in-house and independent internet marketers, there is never a lack of new information. With it’s diversity in contributors and readers, you will surely benefit from visiting this site.

Seth Godin’s Blog

Author of 12 bestsellers and the founder of squidoo.com, this is a man/marketing pioneer that you want to keep your eye on.

Duct Tape Marketing

Duct tape Marketing was designed by John Jantsch, a small business marketing expert acknowledged by Forbes and Fast Company Magazine. This site offers simple, yet effective ways to market your small business.

Marketing Pilgrim

Your one stop site for the latest news, rumors, trends and reviews in the internet marketing world.

SEOmoz

In the world of internet marketing and search engine opyimization, SEOmoz is a name that’s at the top of virtual food chain. The folks at SEOmoz develop software tools for the SEO and internet marketing industry, and they are darn good at what they do. Contributors to their blog include some of the top names in the industry, various SEOmoz employees, as well as members of the SEOmoz community. This blog is a must-follow for anyone interested in SEO.

Adverblog

Adverblog is made up of some of the most creative people from around the world, bringing you the freshest content in digital media and advertising around the clock.

Convince And Convert

If you desire the straight up facts and even the hard truths about Social Media Marketing, the Convince and Convert blog posts are what you want to take a look at. They offer simple and to the point solutions for your internet marketing needs.

PSFK

Their subtitle says it all: “Your go to source for ideas and inspiration.”

Dan Zarella

Want to understand the science behind how Social Media works and can propel your business to new heights, but don’t have the smarts or time to whip out the proverbial beakers? Well this guy has already done all of that for you and willingly offers up his findings. It’s quite interesting how social media works, and you should definitely check out his stuff!

How to Successfully Integrate Twitter into your Online Business

Thursday, 25 August, 2011 09:14 Written by Aron C

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Twitter is an internet phenomenon. So many people use Twitter that it has become an important tool for promoting online business and services. If you are unsure how to go about using Twitter to help your business, this article points you in the right direction with these great tips.

Are you using Twitter for your business?

Integrating Twitter into your online business is an essential step on the way to getting more customers to your website and generating more awareness of your product or service. Here are some great tips on how to make the most out of your Twitter campaign.

Twitter is a huge social network where people meet each other, share ideas, pass on information and promote their businesses, all in under 140 characters. People “tweet” thoughts, impressions and information and other people have the opportunity to respond or to “retweet”. Twitter is an easy way to reach thousands and potentially millions of people, so follow the simple sign-up procedure and get yourself an account.

Once you have decided on a name for your account and have written a brief profile, now is the time to do your research. Use Twitter’s search facility to look for users in a similar field to yours and start to build your “following” and “follower” lists. Introduce yourself to people in a friendly, relaxed way and perhaps refer to something they have already tweeted. This is a great way to get yourself noticed by that person. Do not approach anybody with a hard sell or a promotional tweet – this can be disastrous. The key with Twitter is to build a rapport with people and stay lighthearted. Nobody will be interested in you if you only tweet about your product or service. You must show a genuine interest in the topics and discussions of other users and you must get involved in the community spirit.

This process can take time and can feel frustrating if the number of followers you have increases slower than you expected. You can speed up the process by linking your Facebook, Youtube and Twitter accounts. This means that your accounts will be connected and information will be shared across the social media websites more quickly. Invite your Facebook friends or fans to follow you on Twitter, and do the same on Youtube with your subscribers and friends.

Join the Twitter revolution!

Of course you have to start talking about your online business at some point. When you tweet about your products or services, try to find words which stand out and are perhaps humorous or intriguing. Most Twitter users just ignore a blatant advert, so try to entice your followers to visit your website by thinking hard about the tone of your tweets. It should be noted that some of your tweets can indeed be straightforward adverts, but make sure you tell your followers how they can benefit from your business. Give them a reason to click on the link.

Retweeting others is a great way to increase exposure. If somebody writes something that strikes you as amusing, interesting or even controversial, retweet it and wait for the response. It may be that something you wrote gets retweeted, in which case you can expect new followers to arrive on your page, which is all good exposure. Your Twitter account will grow as time goes on and people will enjoy reading your business “adventures” if you keep them fun and engaging. It may seem like hard work at first, but you should experience increased website visits and increased sales as your Twitter presence becomes bigger.

A final point about Twitter is that it is great to share product or service promotions and special offers. Due to the immediacy of a tweet, you can let thousands of people know very quickly that you have reduced your prices or written a new ebook. If you have done everything you can to build up a loyal and targeted readership, sales should go through the roof.

The power of Twitter doesn’t look like diminishing any time soon, so make sure you jump on board and make the most of it. Patience, originality and a sense of humor will help you in your quest for a successful Twitter campaign.

SpeedySigns.com

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