Best Apps for Networking: Bringing You the Best Apps for Play, Business, and Everything In Between

We live in a modern evolving world and all the happening is online. Social and business networking is booming, and new apps are constantly being made. Whether it’s retweeting a video of Mario Goetze scoring the winning goal for Germany in the FIFA World Cup at your friends, to submitting that polished resume online to land the first important job, the internet always knows how to provide. Especially on the go!

We put together a list of our top apps—some more familiar than others—ranging from downright silly sharing with friends, to life changing apps for business:

The Fun Apps:

Vine: A new way to share videos among friends and the world. Much like twitter, people can share short video clips (no more than 6 seconds) along with a short caption to the video for people to favorite or re-vine. Videos typically are known for their humor, although there is a range of categories, such as sports or science.  No matter what it is, Vine is known for capturing, sharing, and discovering the essence of videos.

Tumblr: Another rapidly successful app. Your account allows for posting anything: Photos, videos, quotes, chats, links, and text. The app allows you to easily scroll down a never ending list of posts and keep you entertained for hours. Those who love your posts can become your followers as you can become theirs. Posts commonly are about a person’s hobbies or the latest news trending around the web.

Pintrest: Described as a visual discovery tool that can be used for all projects and interests, Pintrest is known as a top hub for only posting pictures. Friends and followers who like your pictures can comment or pin your picture to their own virtual pinboard. The app allows for easy scrolling on the go as well, so you can walk to that hidden gem of a pizza shop that has you drooling at the picture.

Instagram: Share your photos and videos with your friends and the world, and add a little flavor to it! Instagram allows you to edit your photo uploads to give it an extra glow or vintage touch. You can explore friends posts in a special tab, or the world to see the most stunning places. Snap a picture when your out of town! This app is fast, fun, and simple.

A Mix of Work and Play:

Facebook: What would this article be, if we didn’t mention Facebook? Facebook is the number one social network in the world! Unlike other social networking, Facebook specializes in networking with known friends. While your posts may be allowed for the world to see, most only most for friends to see. Like friends status, post articles, organize a club meeting in a group message, Facebook has it all. While the app may be terribly slow due to the mass of users, Facebook has been improving the speed, and the app is an essential to keep up with your friends lives on the go!

Twitter: Similar to Facebook, what started out as a source of social entertainment, may also pose as a valuable asset for your business. Having a twitter for business can allow you to send tweet updates to your followers and keep up with the latest trends from competitors. Still, there is also the option of having a good time on twitter too. It’s all about who you follow and who follows you. The app is easy to use and keeps you in the know at all times.

Forsquare: An excellent way to discover new places based on where your friends visit. With over 20 million users, Foursquare is the champion of check-ins and has virtually covered all the hot places to go, and more! People who check-in receive badges, can post pictures, rate the place, and write comments about what they liked and didn’t like. As a customer it is great to explore and as a businessman, it’s great for advertising.

Google +: A new emerging force in networking, Google+ allows for both work and play. Whether or not your email is for fun or for business, Google+ can connect to it and connect to other people. It is a great way of networking and getting your name out there. You can favorite pictures of cute dogs or post the latest on stocks. The choice is yours.

Yelp: Similar to Foursquare, Yelp is known for rating and reviewing events, restaurants, bars, etc. The app is fun and easy to use. While checking in is not as emphasized, rating is stressed more. The more you review, the better. Random people or friends can look up a location and see different reviews on the place. Similarly to Forsquare, this may be a useful utility for you to use.

For Business:

Happening: This is designed to help you meet new business through networking. Happening looks up local events occurring near you and books them into your calendar. The hardest part is over, instead of spending all your energy in the search, you can work on the charm.

Aloqa: Known for getting the most out of your surroundings, Aloqa helps you find local events and places to eat in the area. More importantly, it can help you find a potential client in the area if you’re one to move around.

Hashable: Another simple and easy to use app, Hashable can help keep you organized and look professional too. You can create and share a virtual business card, by exchanging information with a potential partner or client. Hashable will also help remind you of important events and meetings.

GroupMe: A useful app that allows for group meetings through online messaging.  The app allows for location and photo sharing which could be useful if you are trying to meet up face to face or if a picture is easier to explain a situation. The app is very straightforward, when you create a group conversation, each member gets the same assigned phone number to chat. All you need to do is text the number.

MeetMe: One of our favorites, MessageMe allows for easy meet ups between two people. When doing business with a partner or client, sometimes it’s not always convenient to make the long trip over to their place. This app tracks where each person is, and allows a middle ground meeting place. A list of midpoint destinations is provided, and once you both have decided upon a place, an email is sent out to confirm the final choice.

To succeed in business and to have a good time, these apps are essential to have. So what are you waiting for? Start downloading! Once you’ve made accounts, we’re sure you will find other useful apps through networking, but this is a great start!

Author Bio: Mike Simmons is a web enthusiast and writer who loves all things education and college. He is the chief content writer for eCollegeFinder’s Blog specializing in all the latest educational news. When he’s not rooting on his beloved Liverpool FC, Mike is on the search for the next great craft beer.

Sources:

American Express

Business Insider

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