Maximize Your Mobile: 11 Essential Social Media Management Apps for on the Go Entrepreneurs
- Brittany Miller
- Oct 29
- 8 min read
Managing social media as a busy entrepreneur , and especially as a mom, requires flexibility. You don’t always have the luxury of sitting at your desk for hours to plan content, edit videos, or engage with your audience. Instead, you’re squeezing in work during nap time, waiting in the school pickup line, or between client calls.
With so many social media management apps available, it’s overwhelming to figure out which ones actually make your life easier and which ones just add to the noise.
That’s why in this post, I’m breaking down the exact apps I use to manage social media from my phone. These tools help me stay consistent, create high-quality content, and engage with my audience — all without being tied to my laptop.
Whether you need design apps, video editing tools, scheduling platforms, or productivity helpers, this list will give you clarity on what’s worth downloading so you can simplify your workflow and focus on what matters most: growing your business.
If we haven't met yet, I’m Brittany, an online marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs. I teach women how to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality through smart, actionable marketing strategies that get them seen, loved, and paid. Whether you’re eager to DIY your way to success or hire professionals to help you along the way–my goal is to make sure you walk away with the clarity you need to see the results you desire and build a life you love.
Table of Contents
Social Media Management App Essentials
Core Social Media Platforms
When it comes to managing your social media from your phone, the most important apps to have are the ones you’ll actually use every day. For most small business owners, that means starting with Facebook and Instagram. Both apps make it simple to create and post content, connect with followers, and stay on top of engagement with no laptop required.
You don’t need to be on every single platform to grow. In fact, spreading yourself too thin across TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Threads, and everything else usually leads to burnout and inconsistency. Instead, pick one or two platforms where your audience is most active and go all in on those platforms until your business has grown enough to get help with your marketing.
Content Creation & Design Tools
If you want your social media to look polished without spending hours on design, Canva is the app you need on your phone. It’s user-friendly, beginner-friendly, and packed with tools to help you create graphics, Reels, and branded templates in minutes.
The free version of Canva is great to start with, but Canva Pro is 100% worth the upgrade if you’re serious about your business. With Pro, you get access to:
A Brand Kit to store your fonts, colors, and logos so every post looks on-brand.
A huge library of templates, stock photos, and elements that save you tons of time.
Background remover tools that instantly clean up product shots or headshots.
Built-in resizing options so you can adapt one design for Instagram, Facebook, Stories, and more.
Even if you mainly design on your laptop, having the Canva app on your phone makes it easy to download, tweak, or post on the go — perfect for those in-between moments when you’re waiting in the school pickup line or sipping your morning coffee on your back deck after you take the kids to school.
Video Editing Apps
Video content is king on social media. You don’t need a computer to edit scroll-stopping Reels or TikToks. Two of my favorite video editing apps are CapCut and InShot, and I keep both on my phone for different reasons.
CapCut: Perfect for creating trendy edits with minimal effort. Its built-in features like auto-captions, animated text, and transitions make your videos more engaging and accessible. I love using it when I want to add captions that stand out or create content with a little extra flair.
InShot: Ideal for quick, clean edits. It’s great for trimming clips, adjusting speed, or stitching together multiple videos. You can also add background music, transitions, and custom text. It’s my go-to when I want a polished video without overthinking it.
Which Video Editing App should you choose?
If you want to hop on trends and add eye-catching effects, go with CapCut. If you prefer simple, professional edits that get the job done fast, stick with InShot. And if you’re like me, you’ll probably use both depending on your content needs.
Pro Tip: Instagram’s built-in editing tools are limited and not always reliable. The app is known for crashing, glitching, and even deleting drafts after updates which can mean losing hours of work in seconds. By editing your videos in a third-party app like CapCut or InShot, you keep full control over your content, can make higher-quality edits, and avoid the heartbreak of lost drafts.
Always create and save your videos externally, then upload them to Instagram when you’re ready to post
Copy & Content Helpers
Creating content is more than just photos and videos — the words matter too. And coming up with fresh captions, catchy hooks, and engaging post ideas can feel like a full-time job. That’s where the AI tools like the ChatGPT app come in.
With ChatGPT right on my phone, I can:
Brainstorm captions when I’m staring at a blank screen.
Repurpose posts into fresh formats like reels, carousels, or stories.
Generate hashtags and keywords that fit my niche and audience.
Outline blog posts or emails so I’m never starting from scratch.
How I use it in real life: I’ll often pull out the ChatGPT app during school pickup lines, nap times, or even while waiting for an appointment. In just a few minutes, I can map out next week’s posts or draft a caption that would’ve taken me 30 minutes to overthink on my own.
It’s like having a writing assistant in my pocket — one that saves me hours each week. Steal my favourite ChatGPT prompts FOR FREE!
Organization & Planning
Consistency is the secret to growing on social media — and the best way to stay consistent is by staying organized. Two tools I rely on are Asana and scheduling apps.
Asana
While Asana isn’t strictly a social media tool, it’s a game-changer for managing my content calendar. I use it to:
Map out my content themes for the month.
Assign deadlines for posts, blogs, or collaborations.
Keep track of what’s drafted, scheduled, or published.
It gives me a big-picture view so I’m not scrambling at the last minute to post something just to “stay active.”
Scheduling Tools
Planning ahead frees up your brain (and your time). These tools make it easy:
Meta Business Suite → Great for Facebook and Instagram scheduling (and it’s free!).
Later → Perfect if you’re posting across multiple platforms like TikTok and Pinterest.
Canva Scheduling → Design and schedule in one place, no app-hopping. This is a great option if you have a Canva Pro account already.
Tailwind → A must-have for serious Pinterest users who want to schedule more than 30 days worth of pins at a time.
By batching and scheduling my content in advance, I get to spend less time stressing over social media and more time actually running my business (or being present with my family).
Hashtag Apps
There's been a lot of hype about SEO keywords on Instagram but hashtags are still one of the easiest ways to boost visibility on Instagram, but researching and organizing them can eat up a lot of time. That’s where hashtag apps In Tags come in.
If you’re just getting started, In Tags is a great beginner-friendly app. You can search hashtags by topic and quickly copy sets to add to your posts. It’s free, simple, and saves you the hassle of brainstorming from scratch.
Pro Tip: Check Banned Hashtags
No matter which app you use, always double-check hashtags directly on Instagram before posting. Some hashtags are banned or limited, and using them can hurt your reach instead of helping it.
Link in Bio Tools
Your Instagram bio is prime real estate, and the link you put there should make it easy for your audience to connect with all the resources you offer.
Milkshake is one of my favourite tools for creating a beautiful, on-brand link page. In just a few minutes, you can design a mini website that showcases your offers, freebies, podcast, or shop links. It’s simple, customizable, and way more visually appealing than a plain link list. Here's an example of my link in bio that I built with Milkshake.
Pro Tip: With Milkshake, you can customize your own page in just 10 minutes! Choose from multiple card options to show off who you are, share the links that matter most, promote yourself on YouTube – even add stunning splash pages designed with your brand's colours. Get going today for an easy start to digital success!
Instagram’s Native Link Option
Instagram now allows multiple links in your bio, which is a handy built-in feature. But while it’s functional, it doesn’t have the same polished look or flexibility that Milkshake offers. If branding and aesthetics matter to your business (and they should), Milkshake gives you the creative edge.
4 Bonus Apps for Levelling Up
Once you’ve got the basics covered, these bonus apps can help you polish your content, create a cohesive brand look, and connect more effectively with your audience.
1. Adobe Lightroom
For high-quality, professional-looking photos, Adobe Lightroom is a must-have. Even with just the free version, you can adjust lighting, colours, and presets to give your photos a clean, consistent aesthetic that elevates your brand.
2. UNUM
If you’ve ever wondered how your Instagram grid will look before posting, UNUM is perfect. It lets you preview your feed layout, drag-and-drop posts, and plan your visuals so everything looks cohesive and on-brand. Grid aesthetic isn't as popular now but I still use this app on occasion to test cover image designs.
3. Meta Sound Collection
When creating Reels or videos, finding the right music can make all the difference. The Meta Sound Collection offers royalty-free music and sound effects you can safely use across Meta platforms — no copyright headaches.
4. Messenger
Social media isn’t just about posting; it’s also about connection. With Messenger, you can quickly respond to customer questions, build trust, and provide a more personal experience. It’s a simple tool, but it helps turn casual followers into loyal fans.
Summary: Simplify, Streamline, and Stay Consistent
Managing social media doesn’t have to feel like a full-time job. The right apps can save you hours, reduce overwhelm, and keep your content flowing — even when life gets busy.
Start small: try 1–2 new apps this week and see how much easier your workflow feels. Little tweaks add up to big shifts in consistency and confidence.
But apps alone won’t build the kind of results you’re looking for. If you’re ready to go beyond tools and create a strategy that actually converts, check out Profile to Profit. It’s my signature course that walks you step by step through turning your Instagram profile into a client magnet so your content works harder for you, not the other way around.
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