Entrepreneurs and business people rate some of the top networking apps
Networking apps are making it easier for people to connect with one another in the business world.
More business people are turning to social networking apps to connect with others in their field. According to Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media, says that social networks can help people balance the access and influence of large networks with the benefits of small networks.
Apps are designed to connect people as well as entertain them. Dating apps have become so popular and widely used that now, with that success, app technicians are seeing the need and desire for apps that are more for the business profession.
There are a lot of apps that are available for busy professionals. These apps are judged by how much they cost; is it worth the price? Another thing that is judged is the quality of the app; does it have a lot of advertisements in the app, does it constantly shut down, etc. An important feature is the originality of the app; what makes it stand out from the rest?
Here we reviewed five popular free networking apps that some of the business professions in the UK have promised get the job done, as well as help make their jobs a little easier.
1 Aloqa: Best for local availability and business travellers
This application is excellent for business travellers. It utilizes a phone’s GPS in order to determine where someone is located and recommends popular events, activities, and even restaurants to dine at in the region. Potentially, a professional could simply meet a prospect or a connect at one of these locations. This app works with both iPhones and Android phones.
Damien McFerran; a writer who specialises in app reviews said: “It’s by far the most streamlined app of its kind we’ve yet witnessed and has been designed to make finding what you want as quick and painless as possible – and when you’re stuck on a street corner in the pouring rain with a rumbling stomach and the desperate urge to eat a hearty meal, that can prove to be invaluable.”
We tested this app for ourselves, and even though we love the local aspect of this app, there is a negative side. While searching for events nearby and the GPS mode being used simultaneously, it drains our phone battery quickly. We suggest to invest in a portable charger while using this app.
2. Shapr: Best for making new contacts
Utilising the love of swiping, this app allows its users to swipe their potential prospects. With their tagline: “Swipe for 1 minute each day and make the connections you didn’t expect.” By using their patented algorithm, Shapr is a mobile-only platform that helps people connect with 10 to 15 inspiring and relevant professionals per day. The best part about this app is that anyone can swipe anonymously and only receive a notification when the interest is mutual – no spam or unsolicited request to chat.
Popular blogger from theeverygirl.com editorial team says: “The Shapr app is what I wish LinkedIn was; an actual communication tool for networking. I don’t know if I’ve just been doing LinkedIn all wrong this whole time, but I find reaching out to contacts on that platform ridiculously awkward and difficult. With Shapr, you know the other party will be receptive because you both swiped right.”
Even though we had to filter through the people who wanted to “connect and hook up”, the app was great for us! We love the pre-populated messages that the app has come up with to help us strike a conversation with someone.
3. Bumble Bizz: Best for businesswomen who want to make the first move
This app has caught a lot of attention from professionals. With their app Bumble being such a success for singles, the company thought the next best thing was to connect professionals with one another. Allowing women to make the first move, Bumble Bizz enables their audience to swipe to find connections to network with Bumble’s 20 million users. Bumble Bizz noticed that their target audience sometimes felt uncomfortable with other apps that have men starting conversations with them first. That is why this app has their women audience connect with their counterparts first. Bumble is hoping that Bizz will “Help clear up the gray areas in networking that often make women feel uncomfortable”.
Toby Walk who works for Business Professionals for app reviews said: “This app works really well! There are lots of people that use it – lots of very eligible users too. Some other apps seem to have lots and lots of people that most definitely have something in their closet that’s hard to deal with, but this app seems to have lots of users that are relationship material and are very near to you. Women seem to enjoy the concept of writing first as opposed to being inundated with messages from perverts and people they do not match with.”
We will have to admit, we had more fun swiping than actually connecting with fellow colleagues in our field! Though, when we did find someone that was in a related field as us, we immediately sent them a message. We discovered that once you send this person a message, the app allows the person 24 hours to respond back. We felt like we were waiting for a guy to ring us after going on a date with them; it took forever! Sadly, we did not make a connection, but hopefully, you will!
4. MeetUp: Great for business people with various interests
The app recognises that it is hard for people to meet up with co-workers who do not reside in the person’s region. This iPhone app corrects that. For example, someone can choose Point A (where they are located) and Point B (where their contact is located), and the application will provide the person with a list of locations to meet in the middle. Once this person has selected the destination, it will email the two parties the directions.
Marc Thomas is co-founder of Doopool in Cardiff says that this is the best app for networking. “It has the best quality and the most original. It’s also the easiest app to operate out of others that I have tried to use.”
What we love about this app caters to the safety of their users. It includes graphics, store files for member access, even hides meeting locations so only people in your group see where you will be meeting up.
5. Cityhour: Best inside leak
Cityhour is the professional best-kept secret. It syncs with a LinkedIn profile and connects the person with other professionals looking to meet face-to-face to talk shop. Someone can easily connect with someone new and schedule a time to discuss career goals, ask important questions, or learn more about a specific role or company.
Michelle Harris; a marketer who specializes in social media marketing, swears by this app: “Business leaders know the importance of face to face communication and that its a more powerful way to build long-term relationships and to understand the problems that prospective clients might have. It helps you easily arrange in-person meetings with like-minded professionals or clients using common interests such as industry, location or objectives. This powerful business networking app lets you know the people that are willing to meet in-person.”
We love this app because it makes approaching someone much easier than asking someone to meet you directly on LinkedIn or email. You know already that these people are serious about their business.