Via Thea | Austin, Texas Lifestyle Blog

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Let's Talk About Apps

i get asked a ton of the time how i organize, plan and keep up with my blog & instagram. there are a ton of apps i use to make sure i have my $h#+ together. if you're a blogger or small business owner trying to stay organized this post is for you, if you just really want to have an awesome & cohesive instagram feed than this post is for you too. i will start with the photo editing apps i use & what i use them each for, then i will go in to the organizational apps i use (for the blogger/business owners).

photo apps 

instagram

i mean this one is pretty self explanatory, but i use instagram daily. i try to post 1-2 photos a day and do some stories daily. i have read a ton of research on engaging with your audience, and if you want your following/impact to stay stable or grow then consistency is key. i am very active online and i often times create posts in bulk & save them to my drafts, so when i need to post my content is already created and ready to go.

unum 

ever wonder how bloggers keep their feeds looking so beautiful? how all the photos seem to flow really beautifully? well, there's an app for that. UNUM is an app that i've been using for about a year and a half to plan out my photos. i upload my photos to UNUM and then can simply move them around and organize them to look good together. for example, if i just posted a pink backdrop, the next photo i post will likely be one with a pink flower, pink top or pink earring- to ensure my content looks cohesive. this app is perfect for anyone to use to plan out content. i also love using it to keep dibs on when i'm running low on content & then i can remember to schedule time with my photographer.

lightroom

i'll be real with you, most of my photos are shot and edited by my amazing photographer and really good friend Shannon Righetti-Strom. when i shoot my own pics, i often throw her preset on my photo to ensure the editing looks similar to hers. if you love the preset i use you you can DM her to purchase for yourself. i use lightroom to edit my photos on my computer (thank god for Shannons preset), but i also got lightroom for mobile so i can edit pictures on my phone. this tool is my go-to for photo editing.

VSCO

if you feel like lightroom is too much of a challenge to figure out (it took me a bit). vsco is the easiest photo editing app i've used to date. pick a preset that you like & you can favorite it to use it over and over again. my personal favorites are M6, A6, KE1, KP2, HB1, HB2.

facetune

i won't lie, i use facetune to smooth skin in some of my close up pictures. i do think people can go overboard on the editing here, so i try to keep it mild and do a quick "smooth" over any areas that look discolored. you can also use this smooth tool to remove shine, etc.

canva

i use canva to add any text or images over my photo. i use this app a ton over my photos in instastories and it's such a quick self-explanatory app that is perfect to add fun text to your photos. i also used canva to make all my images for my highlighted instagram stories on my profile.

photos (on iphone)

this isn't an app- but it's a fun feature i use all the time on my phone. if you look at your photos in your photo album on your phone, you can heart your photos which will "favorite" them. i favorite any photos i love and want to post later. in order to do this you go to 1. photos 2. favorites - then you can see all the photos that are ready to post.

organizational apps (for bloggers/small biz owners)

squarespace (blog app)

sometimes i feel like writing blog posts when i'm on my phone and my computer isn't around i use the squarespace app. i write posts a lot when i'm on planes, trains & busses. this app is great for text posts, but i do have still have to hop on my computer to add images before posting. 

squarespace (analytics)

i use the analytics app for to my blog to gather any data i might need to share when working with brands. telling brands you have X amount of followers is great, but they love hearing about engagement. blog analytics and seeing your reach (outside of instagram is key)

rewardStyle & LIKEtoKNOW.it

if you're a blogger you most likely use the rewardStyle & LIKEtoKNOW.it app. i love these apps and love that they change daily. you can link all your outfits with the rewardstyle app and hunt down tons of other bloggers outfits with the liketoknow.it app. i love that they also have informational blogs, hashtags and other useful information in both apps. if you have a brand, be sure you monetize it by using these apps.

asana

asana is a great app if you are working on projects with timelines and tasks that you may need to send to others (an employee, biz partner, etc.). i love checking things off a list and this app helps me stay super organized. i can keep some projects to myself and share some with others. i love having personal and group projects all in one place.