“There’s a biz app for that” – Smart Phone Apps for Business

(Guest post from Account Coordinator Jaclyn Reardon)

Business-to-business communicators are continuously battling the increasingly fast-paced world of communication caused by growing technology and instant communication capabilities. With today’s smart phones and their seemingly never-ending offering of applications, users have access to almost anything, anywhere and at anytime.

So as a business communications professional, why not take advantage and utilize your smart phone to be more productive?

Here is a list of apps that are either top rated or are Bianchi PR staff favorites. We’ve included a sampling of business organization, networking / communication and social media smart phone apps for Android (A), BlackBerry (B) and iPhone (I):

Business Organization

• CamScanner – Scans documents by taking a picture, and then allows you to crop and create a PDF. (A)
• Genius Scan – Scans documents and allows you to e-mail as a JPEG or PDF. (I)
• PDF Creator Ultimate Free – Edit photos to be converted into PDF’s. (B)
• Dropbox – Have access to all your documents anywhere you go and easily share with others you’re connected to in Dropbox. (A, B, I)
• Evernote – Stay organized by taking notes, capture photos, to-do lists, record voice reminders and Evernote allows you to search for content to find information faster. (A, B, I)
• Expensify – Create and keep track of expense reports by scanning receipts and logging purchases. (A, B, I)
• Pulse – Organizes your favorite news sites and allows you to mark and save stories to read later. (A, I)

Networking / Communication

• Bump – Bump phones with someone else to transfer and share contact information, apps, photos and more. (A, I)
• CamCardLite – Use to scan a business card and the information will be added to your phone’s contacts. (A)
• Google Translate – Translate text in more than 50 languages and speech in 15. (A, I)
• iSpeech Translator – Speak or type any phrase and listen to the corresponding translation in your choice of language (B)

Social Media

• Blogger – Google’s blogging service for sharing text, photos and video. (A, I)
• Facebook – General app for Facebook. (A, B, I)
• LinkedIn – General app for LinkedIn. (A, B, I)
• Google+ – General app for Google+. (A, I)
• HootSuite – Manage multiple social media accounts, monitor keywords, schedule messages and track analytics. (A, B, I)
• Tweetcaster – Top rated twitter app for Android, has multiple account support, notifications, and photo attachment capabilities. (A)
• Echofon – Twitter app for iPhone, simple to share photos, videos, location and links, has notifications for mentions and messages.  (I)
• UberSocial – Twitter app for BlackBerry, offers functionality, customized options and is user friendly. (B)
• WordPress – A blogging tool that goes beyond the basics, it’s easy to use and includes many great features including an integrated stats system. (A, I)

And of course, if you’re stuck in an airport and need help to pass the time, you can always rely on the top-rated, best app ever created … Angry Birds.

 What business apps would you recommend?

7.5 Media Interview Tips

 Guest post from Account Supervisor Leslie Dagg.

You’ve landed a media interview and have done all your homework. You know some background on the reporter and you’ve prepared your key messages.

So now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty.

Whether your interview is in person, over the phone, being recorded for radio or a podcast, or recorded on-camera for a video segment, the tips below can help ensure your success:

 1. Find a quiet place to conduct the interview where you won’t be inter­rupted by anyone and remember to turn off your cell phone, radio, fans, etc.

 2. If doing a phone interview, use a land line if possible. Cell phones are more likely to cut in and out and not offer as much consistency. Also be sure to turn off your cell phone and any call wait­ing or intercom alerts on the land line to avoid interruption.

 3. Regardless if your interview is on camera or over the phone, remember to speak up and smile while talking. It makes you look and sound better … and automatically bumps up your enthusiasm. Practice your key mes­sages out loud before the interview to get a feel of how they’ll sound.

 4. If you’re being recorded for a TV or video segment, dress appropriately. Try to avoid wearing busy patterns or solid black, red or white. Pastel tones and blues work best. Also be sure to nix any large or bulky jewelry that might distract or interfere with a microphone.

 5. Remember to always face and answer the interviewer – not the camera – unless otherwise directed. Find a comfortable position to sit, leaning slightly forward, and don’t change positions or fiddle.

 6. Be sure to speak in shorter sound bites, especially when responding to questions that go above and beyond your practiced key messages. Be careful not to be long-winded or use too much technical jargon. Covering a lot of information is great – just be sure to break it up. into digestable chunks.

 7. Don’t get flustered and stop mid-interview if you misspeak. Correct yourself and keep going. If the interview is being recorded for video, the interviewer will stop and back up if they deem it necessary.

 7.5. Always be camera-ready. Many print and radio reporters bring iPhones or Flip-Cams to capture interviews on video, so treat your interview as if it were for TV (see #4 & #5).

 What tips would you add?