Top 8 Social Networking Apps iPad

So, social networking apps: how should we be defining them? Just the idea of social networking has taken on many different definitions since the launch of Facebook, with many different pretenders to the throne popping up at different intervals – and some finding success – with a slight variation on the mean, built around a specific attraction that will encourage users to perhaps let go of their favorite social network in order to join this new one. With the improvements made to Facebook, we’ve also seen a lot more depth added to the average social networking platform, allowing users to share not just how they are feeling on a daily basis but also just about every element from their life, from the place they are eating this evening to the photos taken yesterday. This has raised some dangerous questions with regards to privacy, since most users don’t seem to be aware that some of the things they are sharing are completely public. We recently went through some of the bigger social networking apps for the iPad in order to come up with some favorites.

8. Path (Free)

Let’s start with Path, which was initially designed as almost the mobile dining room table of social networks, allowing you to share the places you’ve eaten. It is however a lot more comprehensive than that, basically inviting you to share all of life’s moments and everything that you’re doing in your life. The name Path is a nice reflection of what you can do with this social networking app, since it follows not only your movements but also your moods and interests. You can share your favorite movies or shows, then connect to others who have seen them in order to spark some kind of discussion. It remains to be seen whether Path will grow to compete with the bigger social networks ot there, but at least at this point it has a small but dedicated following. – Download from iTunes

7. Swarm (Free)

Foursquare is one of the more interesting apps out there, since it has taken a few different forms and direction since is inception. The developers behind Foursquare recently came up with this spinoff app, almost, which offers as slightly different way to connect with people – especially while they are out of town. It’s an excellent way to bring together friends and coworkers, as well as meeting up with new people in your area. You share what you are doing and share your location, and then wait for the relationships to be forged. It’s a nice social networking app but its strengths lie in the idea of social planning, allowing you to organize new things with friends and add some impromptu new ideas to your social life. – Download from iTunes

6. Pinterest (Free)

Pinterest is another of those social networking apps that is driven by inspiration, inviting users to share their own material or to reshare material already posted by others. Then, you simply take all  of the stuff that you see and pin it to your own board, much as you do when reblogging stuff on Tumblr. The difference is that Pinterest offers differen pinboards to pin stuff on, so you can pick and choose depending on categories. The reason Pinterest has succeeded to become one of the most used networks around is because it offers something that others do not: namely, a way to find inspiration in the material shared by others. Personally, I love taking to Pinterest in order to get ideas, whether looking for a recipe to cook or party theme ideas for a children’s birthday. A simple search for these things brings up thousands of results, and you can then paste these into your own scrapbook in order to bookmark the ideas, then follow the contributors to get stuff that interests you. – Download from iTunes

5. Twitterrific (Free)

I use Twitter a lot – it’s my social networking app of choice – but get frustrated at the limited functionality in the official app. Fortunately, there are a bunch of different third party Twitter clients out there that take the Twitter platform and add powerful new features to it, and perhaps the best of these is Twitterrific. This latest version of Twitterific allows you to color code tweets, add large images, and even has a gesture based control system for quicker access to stuff. – Download from iTunes

4. LinkedIn (Free)

LinkedIn is one of those social networks that works around a specific function that differs from others. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn (for those who have not yet used it) is a social network developed for professionals as a way to connect with other professionals in their chosen field. In many ways it is the ultimate networking tool for professionals of today, allowing you to reach out to former coworkers, prospective employers or even follow companies that interest you. This is a great way to keep an ear to the ground in your chosen industry and spot any available positions should they pop up. You can also join communities and interact with others, which is, again, a good way to research employment opportunities and the like – or simply to find likeminded people who have similar professional experiences. – Download from iTunes

3. Tumblr (Free)

Tumblr is one of those social networking platforms that I always find it difficult to describe in layman’s terms. If you’re already familiar with social networking and things like Twitter then it’s somewhat easier, but without that kind of frame of reference it becomes quite difficult. Put simply, Tumblr is a micro blogging services that encourages users to express themselves primarily in the form of imagery but also through text and video posts. It combines the social networking elements of something like Twitter with its followers and retweets, adding these to the concept of blogging. While Tumblr exists as an excellent way to find a quick outlet for your artistic inspiration, it’s also an excellent source of inspiration itself. Follow the Tumblr feeds that interest you, then reblog the stuff you see in order to create a page that suits your own mood or interests. – Download from iTunes

2. Facebook Paper (Free)

While I’m not a huge fan of Facebook itself, their relative new Paper app is an interesting new spin on things: it really alters the entire experience of the world’s most popular social networking. Gone is the emphasis on tracking status updates via your feed, and there is a lot more emphasis (hence the name of the app) upon keeping track of different stories shared by friends and family.- Download from iTunes

1. Hootsuite (Free)

As someone who uses a few different social networking apps with different levels of frequency, I was on the lookout for an app that would make the management of these different accounts easier, and the answer arrived when I discovered Hootsuite for the first time. Hootsuite is an excellent way to manage multiple accounts on Twitter, Instagram and more, allowing you to monitor the success of each post and even schedule posts for the future – a massively convenient feature if you own a blog, perhaps, or use Twitter or Facebook for your business and require specific insights into your following or your customers. – Download from iTunes