Top Ten Tools and Apps Every Cosplayer Needs

If you're a cosplayer on social media, chances are you want to get noticed. Let's not sugar coat it. This whole month has been about ways to promote ourselves and grow in the community. Just remember to keep your goals realistic and attainable! With that in mind, let's get on with the list post!

I use a lot of apps every day, but I will highlight my most used apps and how to use them to make the most of your cosplay journey. All of these apps and functions are completely free to use and I'm endorsing them on my own free will. They're total game changers!

1. Cosplanner

If you make your own cosplays and you don't use Cosplanner, I'm not sure how you survive. It's the perfect app to keep track of your never ending list of projects you want to do, plus exact details on your current work in progress.

Write down materials you need to buy, pieces you need to build, and keep track of how much it cost, and how long it took to make! On top of that, get super organized with reference photos, event dates, and photo shoot locations. 

2. Instagram

Instagram is the easiest way to get seen. The hashtags are simply arranged by most recent making it easy to scan through specific hashtags and find characters, locations, or conventions. You can read more about getting the maximum benefits from your hashtags on my earlier post.

If you switch over to a business account you can track your analytics, not to mention, it makes you look kinda official!

3. Facebook

This is a two parter. Facebook has so much to offer if you can escape the hours of getting lost in the feed! I deleted my Facebook for an entire year and only brought it back to open a Cosplay Page and to take advantage of the resources available.

Part 1 is for your Cosplay Page. In your Pages Manager, you have the ability to check your insights and see how your page is growing. This gives valuable insight to see who your ideal audience is. You should pay attention to this information, it's very helpful and can help you curate future posts to that direct audience.

Part 2 is using Facebook Groups. This was one I never considered until I started doing tons of research on marketing and how to grow. There's the obvious groups related to Cosplay, or specific cosplay groups in your area, but then there's more specific groups like Disney Cosplay groups, etc. If you do a lot of Disney themed costumes, joining this group would be great. You can share your photos, and become part of the community. 

Don't abuse these groups. You should be an active participant. Give what you take. Don't just drop your links once a week and quit. Like posts, comment on others and become a name people recognize in the group. This is more beneficial than you think. With more and more recognizition, you become a name people trust and if they're not already following you, they're more likely to start.

Because of the amount of interaction required, consider joining less than 20 groups. You don't want to get overwhelmed, so start small!

4. Pixlr

An all in one photo editing app. I did a happy dance when I found this. Make picture collages, add text, cute stickers, basic editing, advanced filters, and even add your own logo watermark. It's the mother of all editing apps and it's free!

5. Crowdfire

Take or leave this one, I only just started using this app. It tracks your follows, unfollows, biggest fans, and other daily data. Every day it curates a custom "prescription" based on your input and gives you a few activities to do to boost your reach. It takes less than five minutes a day and the more insight, the better!

6. Amino App

You've probably heard of the Cosplay Amino App that got popular in August 2015. Amino recently rolled all their apps into one handy app, and like Facebook Groups, it's a great way to market yourself in one place.

Each individual Amino has great features that let you share photos and posts similar to Tumblr. It has a Feature page on the front page and you can also browse the latest posts, or search for specific content.

It's a social site, so you can follow people, chat with people, etc. They also have fun challenges that pop up every once in a while!

Joining additional aminos can increase your reach similar to the way Facebook Groups work. Join, be active, and learn stuff!

7. Screenshots

Some people take notes, but I take screenshots. Notes are great, but it's not as descriptive as a visual trigger! I use it for EVERYTHING. Remembering giveaway posts or instructions; remembering a fun cosplay trick someone posted; saving important info from a group chat; embarrassing best friend selfies on snapchat; literally all the photos in this blog post.... =D

Notes are easily confusing after time, plus it takes more than two seconds. Screenshots save all your important info in one visual folder. This should be higher on the list honestly, but some people might not love this as much as I do.

8. Pinterest

Very similar to screenshots, and I'm sure most of you use it anyways, but it definitely deserves a spot on the list. Not only can you save valuable info, but you can share it with others and healp spread the knowledge!

If you're pin crazy like me, you can make specific boards per cosplay. It's like a vision board but online, and more useful! 

9. Store App

If you frequently shop at Joanne's or Michaels, I'd be super surprised if you don't take advantage of their sweet coupons. The app isn't necessary, but it's a nice in-your-face reminder to not forget your coupons, or to quickly check for some promotions before you head in to the store.

The Michaels App even has a Rewards Program in the US. I can't say much more about this, other than it's there, since I'm not in the states, but store apps will have little exclusives like this to convince you to download the app. It's worth checking out for your favorite store!

​10. Convention Specific App

What cosplayer doesn't attend conventions?! Never miss a panel or autograph session again with specific apps designed for the expo you're attending. Each convention will create a differewnt set up, but generally you can see schedules, guests, vendor list, maps, etc. 

It's extremely useful to have ahead of time, to plan your weekend, and easily schedule in photo shoots, meal times, and shopping! Check out my previous post for a con survival guide plus a free checklist!

BONUS: Get organized with my Planner! There's a free version available, plus some inspiration if you want to make your own!

​Check out my last post on getting sponsors and stay tuned for a series of posts next week to take the next big step for your cosplay journey! That's it for today, friends. Leave a comment below! What do you need help with to boost your cosplay journey?