12 Brilliant Blogging Tasks You Can Do On Your Smartphone

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I’m sitting in my rocking chair while my little guy is playing blocks. He seems content with his toys so like a ninja I pull my laptop out. Not five seconds later he is clawing at my leg, crying for the “pootah, pootah!” That’s “computer” in case you don’t speak toddler. 

Does this sound at all familiar to you? Mommy’s attempt to get a little bit of work done goes awry when the babe notices your computer. Mission is compromised. Story of my life! Finally, I had to buckle down and learn some new stealth tactics. 

Through trial and error, I have learned that nine times out of ten my son is much less distracted when I am using my phone vs. my laptop. So today I have put together a list of 12 tasks you can get done on your phone so your child does not throw a temper tantrum!

1. BRAINSTORM BLOG POSTS

I personally like to have an ongoing list of topics I could write a blog post on. Posts like this one are triggered by my own recent experiences. I also like to create a “swipe file” for inspiration. Typically, I have this set up as a secret Pinterest board.

These topics are ready on demand when you need to write your next post. When I have a written list I am also more aware as I read articles relevant to the upcoming blog posts I want to write.

2. SCHEDULE SOCIAL MEDIA

Remember how I talked about how scheduling social media is saving me so much time? It turns out that a lot of the social media schedulers have apps too! Now when you are browsing through Pinterest on your phone you can add it to your Tailwind queue. See a great article on Twitter? Save it for later using your Buffer App.

Buffer –  For iOS and Android

Hootsuite – For iOS and Android

Tailwind – iOS only  (Be sure to read about my favorite Tailwind features before you sign up!)

3. COMMENT IN FACEBOOK GROUPS

Facebook groups are one of my favorite ways to network with other bloggers and entrepreneurs. I’ve connected with some of my favorite blogging besties via Facebook groups. Facebook groups are also a great place to find guest post opportunities, promote your content (only on promo day!), and find juicy biz tips.

I know it can be hard to know it can be hard to keep track of promo days and figure out which groups are the most engaged. Time is short so put your focus on groups that actually give results.

4. READ EMAILS

I have the Mail app on my iPhone. I have all of my personal and business email synced up to it. I can check in and read newsletters from my favorite websites, respond to questions from my readers and maintain relationships with other business contacts.

Usually, it takes a lot of time to weed through my inbox, so this is a great one to get out of the way. For longer emails, I do prefer to respond on my laptop, but shorter or informal emails can easily be done on my phone.

5. BLOG POST RESEARCH

I thought when I graduated from college that I was done writing research papers…nope. Although, now it is admittedly self-inflicted, writing blog posts each week has many similarities to my university research papers (however, talking about blogging usually is a lot more fun!).

In order to thoroughly prepare to write a blog post, I like to read numerous articles on the topic to ensure that my knowledge is up to date and well rounded.

Try creating a Pocket account and storing articles for later when you are searching for related content or create a secret Pinterest board. Then when you have a few minutes to sit down click through and start reading.

6. FOLLOW INFLUENCERS + SIMILAR USERS

If you are trying to grow your follower count on social media consider following influencers and similar users in your niche. I am not a proponent of following just to get followers. It is also a great way to find new content and meet others.

A great app for this is called Crowdfire. I mostly use it for Twitter, but it can be used for Instagram as well.

Non Followers – This will show you who you follow that does not follow you back. Some of these you may want to keep, for example, influencers in your niche. Depending on your social media strategy you may want to unfollow some of these users.

Recent Unfollowers – These are the accounts that have most recently unfollowed you. In my experience I’ve noticed in most cases these are accounts that followed me recently, but I didn’t follow them back. Generally, these accounts are following thousands and thousands of other accounts and will unfollow you if you don’t follow them back.

Copy Followers – This may be my favorite Crowdfire tool. Have a Twitter user who’s following you think may also be interested in your content? Then you need to try Copy Followers. You simply search for the Twitter account you want to copy and it will show a list of their most engaged followers. This is a great way to easily find relevant followers on Twitter. This has been one of my most effective Twitter strategies.

7. EDIT GRAPHICS

A huge component of blogging is creating drool-worthy images. You need blog graphics, social media headers, not to mention customized images for Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

It is easy for image creation to become a major time suck. However, with Canva you can create templates which makes creating graphics lightning quick! Canva recently came out with a mobile app, so now you can create all of your pretty pictures on the fly!

The Canva App is available for iOS .

8. TRACK YOUR ANALYTICS

Did you know there is a Google Analytics app? If you are like me you may be a bit obsessed checking your analytics. It is fun to see what posts on your blog are being read or try to beat your best ever day of traffic!

Monitoring your analytics is so important! This is the key to seeing what your readers are responding to. With the Google Analytics app, you are able to monitor all of the features you can on your computer. Now you can create your entire blog strategy right from your phone!

The Google Analytics App is available for iOS and Android.

9. CREATE + SEND INVOICES

Do you offer a service on your blog? Then you are probably sending out invoices to your clients. The free Freshbooks app can track your time, store your receipts and send client invoices all from your smartphone or tablet.

The app easily integrates with different payment gateways and is quick to set up professional invoicing.

The Freshbooks app is available for iOS and Android.

10. TAKE E-COURSES

I will be the first to admit, I am a bit of a course junkie. I have always loved to learn. A little piece of me is sad when the school year starts and I remember I don’t get to go. #NerdLife

Within the first two months of blogging I took four amazing courses.

1. Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing

2. Blog & Be Legal

3. Flawless Funnels

4. Trello For Business

Each taught me different skills that I could apply to my business. If you want to fast-track your success you need to be a sponge and not be afraid of investing in yourself! Your blog is a business do not be afraid to make strategic investments in order to grow.

All of the courses that I have taken have been hosted on Teachable. Although they do not currently have a mobile app, their website is mobile responsive. It is easy to browse through the courses and grow your brain muscles, all while watching Daniel Tiger… look at your multi-tasking 😉 .

11. CONNECT WITH BRANDS

If you are ready to monetize your blog one way to do so is through sponsored posts. A great way to connect with brands is via an app called Collabor8. I was a beta tester for this app and I fell in love with it.

Collabor8 is free to use and it connects bloggers/influencers with brands. On the app you can filter different parameters in your search to find a brand that is the perfect fit for you. Once you click to “COLLABOR8” a request will be sent to the brand.

The brand then can review your featured images, social profiles, interests, and rating. If they are interested in collaborating they will accept. Then you can assign your pricing and discuss other details of the collaboration.

I love this app because it streamlines the collaboration process. You can find brands negotiate compensation and communicate all in one place.

12. COMMENT ON OTHER BLOGS

In any business, networking is so important and blogging is no different. Make an effort to comment on other blogs in your niche. Leaving a thoughtful note on a blogger’s post is a great way to catch their attention and start a friendship.

Remember to post engaging comments that have value. “Nice job!” or “Great post!” are pretty useless. Your comments may be the first impression someone has of your blog so make it a great one.

Alright lovely, now grab your list + phone charger and get to work!