I’m not a cultish Apple fan, but the iPad has me swooning. For online content fanatics, it’s the ultimate consumption gadget… sort of like a Big Gulp for technophiles. For those of you lucky enough to have an iPad under the tree this season, here’s a round-up of the very best iPad apps for content marketers.
The app that leaves content marketer hearts aflutter. It aggregates your favorite online reading materials and suggestions from friends, and plops it all into a stunner magazine format. Think RSS feed + glossy mag. This app alone is worth the $500 iPad price tag. For a better understanding of the Flipboard experience, see the video.
Cost: Free
iWork
So you’re considering leaving your laptop at home next time you travel? The iWork app for iPad lets you modify Microsoft Office Word through Mac-based Pages (the Mac-equivalents of Excel and PowerPoint are also available through iWorks, but with less favorable reviews). Without a full keyboard, the iPad is not ideal for creating documents from scratch, but iWork lets you modify your existing docs while on the road.
Cost: $30, or $10 each for Pages, Keynote or Numbers
Sketchbook Pro
Whether you are a doodler, a visual thinker or a professional illustrator, Sketchbook Pro is a wicked little app that will let you indulge your inner artist. A great tool for fans of the visual problem-solving book, Back of the Napkin.
Cost: $8
Instapaper
Stumble upon an interesting article or blog post but don’t have time to read it at that moment? Click the “read later” bookmark from Instapaper, then come back when you’re in the easy chair. You can pull your reading list from any Internet-connected device, including your phone, Kindle or iPad.
Cost: $5
Evernote
Evernote is like an inspiration board for the OCD-type. Store notes, photos, screenshots or voice memos in the cloud. All your materials are organized by tags for quick retrieval later. A great tool for marketers who pull inspiration from other companies, people and everyday life.
Cost: Free
Dragon Dictation
You’re driving in the car and have a moment of profound genius that you’d like to capture for a future blog post? Speak into your phone and the app delivers a text message or e-mail, ready for sending.
Cost: Free
Readdle Docs
Your co-worker sends you a PDF proof of a document for your review and commentary—and you’re a long way from a printer/scanner. PDF Expert from Readdle lets you mark up PDF documents and forms from your iPad. Read and annotate PDF documents, highlight text, make notes, draw with your finger (great for leaving signatures) and save changes compatible with Preview and Adobe Acrobat. Done!
Cost: $10
Things
The ultimate to-do list app is now available on the iPad. Includes to-do lists, notes, due dates and project categories (great for sorting). Document your current priorities—and even your future goals.
Cost: $20
Print Central
Print Central lets you print directly to most WiFi/Wireless printers—perfect for stopping by your local office store or hotel business center.
Cost: $10
Timeli
With Timeli you can view your projects at a glance and see what’s coming up next in a smooth timeline.
Cost: $2.99
What are your favorite iPad apps that can help with content marketing?
