There's an app for that?

Catch phrases are a way of life for advertisers. In the 80s, it was "Where's the Beef?" A decade later, a clever agency joined forces with dozens of celebrities to ask "Got Milk?" In the 2000s, we get statements, not questions. What's being heard most often these days? "There's an app for that."

Yes, the language of the iPhone is taking over and it seems that no matter what you’re seeking, “There’s an app for that.” As social media moves from our desktops to our laptops to our smart phones, we need to think about what kinds of apps (short for application), our coalitions will need to get their work done more efficiently and effectively.

Want to post a discussion on Connected Communities, our peer-to-peer social network for coalitions? There's an app for that--well, actually an interface--but you can do it from your iPhone. To enable additions to the site, simply go to http://connectedcommunities.ning.com/m. This interface only works with the iPhone, but we're sure that the application or interface that will allow posting discussions and blogs to the network from other smart phones is on its way soon.

Now, we’re guessing that you’d like to know if you can interact with Connected Communities in any other way from your mobile phone. Of course, the answer is yes and here are a few examples:

• You can access Ning (the platform on which Connected Communities is built) on some smart phones through "OperaMini" a downloadable browser. Be careful, because some phones require a special data application from the provider to use OperaMini.
• You can send photos or video to a Ning community at any time using the e-mail address that is assigned to you when you become a member of the network. It is located on the bottom of the settings page. For more info, see the related Ning help page:
• There are two apps within Ning for streaming live video—Qik and uStream.tv. To learn more, go to your “My Page” and click on Ning Apps—on the left side of the page, under your photo and other contact information.

Want to build a logic model from your smart phone? There's...well, there isn’t an app for that…at least not yet. But don’t think that we aren’t considering what the CADCA app will include. In fact, if you have some ideas, we’d love to hear them. Add a comment below this post and tell us what you’d like to see. Before long, when someone in your coalition says, “we need a communications plan,” you’ll be able to respond, “there’s an app for that.”

This post was written by Sue Stine, Sr. Manager for Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. You may reach her at sstine@cadca.org.