The Most-Essential iPhone and iPad Apps for Bloggers

Here’s a list of some of the best iOS apps for just about any and every blogger out there – compatible with both the iPhone and the iPad – that should be a part of every blogger’s list of ‘must-have apps for the iPhone/iPad’:

1. Wordpress for iOS

Wordpress remains one of the most popular blogging platform and CMS (content management systems) out there. It is the CMS-of-choice for over 54 million bloggers and website owners out there, a number which is rapidly on the rise. Chances are that many of the people reading this will have their websites or blogs hosted on Wordpress. Which is why having the Wordpress for iOS app handy at all times is essential. It is a free download from the Apple iTunes store, and can be fired up any time, no matter where you might be or no matter where inspiration might hit you. The app has a very simplistic interface, which makes it easy to manage your WP blog straight from your OS. And perhaps unsurprisingly, the Wordpress for iOS app was an absolute treat to use on the larger screen of the iPad. Features include creating and editing posts and pages, moderating comments and viewing statistics of your Wordpress blog. PS. You can add as many Wordpress blogs (both Wordpress.com and self-hosted ones) to the app as you like.

2. Analytics Pro

In the absence of a Google Analytics app for the iPhone, analytics pro proves to be the best alternative. The app is built for people who might want to keep a check on their blog/website’s statistics. It provides you with access to your Google Analytics dashboard, and provides an insight into a lot of metrics, data and reports – such as visitor activity, traffic sources, referral sources, top content, top countries, and keywords used. Details for each are also easily accessible from within the app. So essentially, Analytics Pro puts the power of Google Analytics on your iOS-powered device, giving you the ability to see your website statistics on-the-go. You must, of course, already be signed up for a Google Analytics account to use the app. It costs $5.99 on the iTunes store.

3. HootSuite

HootSuite is a social media ‘dashboard’, that allows you to integrate, manage and access all your social mediums – such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and MySpace (to name a few) – from one single location. The HootSuite iPhone app, called ‘HootSuite for Twitter’, allows you to manage and access your HootSuite dashboard from your portable Apple device. With the app, you can send updates or schedule them to be sent in the future, add a multiple number of Twitter accounts and manage them all centrally, add multiple Facebook accounts (profiles and pages) and manage them centrally – all of which means that with the app, you can send out a post update to all your social networks instantly and effortlessly. In addition, it also allows you to track click stats, and monitor keywords, hashtags and lists. The app’s dashboard is as simple and easy-to-use as it is in the online version, and it is a great tool to manage all your social profiles from one place, without the need to download their individual apps.

4. Evernote

Evernote is, by far, one of the best apps on the iOS platform, and my personal favorite on this list! Evernote allows you to organize your thoughts by quickly jotting down notes on any ideas or inspiration that might spring to your mind – whatever the time may be and wherever you might be. It lets you take text-based notes (and organize them by tags), take photos (or whiteboards, paper, anything!), create to-do lists, save webpages (which can later be viewed on a desktop), or even record voice-based reminders. It then syncs these notes across all your devices (in a Dropbox-like manner), so that they are instantly accessible (and even searchable) regardless of where you might be working from. Quite simple, an immense tool for the modern blogger! The app is a free download over at iTunes, which means that you can now organize your life in a much better way and improve your productivity ten-fold, for free!  

5. Instapaper

Ever stumbled upon webpages while browsing the internet on your iPhone or iPad, and wished there was a way you could save them in order to view them later? That’s where Instapaper comes in! Instapaper, quite simply, gives you a read later bookmark, which means that you can save webpages, articles and blog posts for later viewing/reading – such as articles which you might want to finish reading later, or save for later in order to use them in that post you plan on writing in the evening. The saved pages can be saved and accessed/read from any device – including of course, the iPhone/iPad, a desktop or an eBook reader such as the Kindle.

6. PayPal

Pretty self-explanatory and obvious. This is the official PayPal for iPhone/iOS app, which puts the power of PayPal right in your phone, giving you access to your virtual bank right from your iOS device. Just about every blogger and internet marketer out there uses PayPal to handle any and all of their online transactions – including transferring funds and above all, receiving funds – which means that the app is an indispensable tool for just about every blogger, entrepreneur, marketer and online merchant out there. Features include the ability to manage your account, including checking your balance and view all transactions, send money, withdraw money, plus other features. The app is secure and reliable, and works well.