A decade ago, Apple coined the phrase “There’s an app for that,” with TV ads showcasing the breadth of apps available through their store—at that time there were 500. Today, there are 1.96 million apps on Apple’s App Store and 2.46 million on Android’s store. No matter what you’re trying to accomplish via your mobile device—whether it’s getting a date, getting a ride somewhere, managing your finances, ordering food, learning how to milk a cow, or going hunting for the paranormal—Apple’s adage has never rung more true: no really, for better or for worse, there’s an app for THAT. Here are some of the coolest apps that have proven to be uber-useful in our world of media and marketing.

Twenty-some years ago before social media existed, Cindy, Claudia, and Naomi were the go-to “influencers” of their time – commanding top dollar from the world’s most prominent brands for appearances and endorsement deals. Today, Rocky, Chiara, and Shea are a few of the influencer powerhouses who can move the needle for a brand with just a single sponsored mention or post. As the global number of internet users, online transactions, and social media subscribers continues to grow, brands are increasingly adopting the influencer marketing platform to enhance brand exposure, generate higher customer engagement, and ultimately raise their bottom lines. This month, Matt Kirschner, Partner and EVP at Talent Resources (a premier full-service celebrity/influencer and social media marketing agency), gives us the short story on influencer partnerships. Whether you are an influencer wanting better brand deals or a company wanting to work with influencers, these are the five things you need to know right now.

It feels like everywhere we turn lately someone is launching a podcast, and we're not mad about it. With stats showing that 51% of the US population has listened to one, podcasting has gone mainstream. They are an integral way to get news, spread brand awareness and, let's be honest, seriously binge on the latest true crime drama. For marketers, podcasts offer an intimate brand experience that provides a high share of voice, an engaged audience and uncluttered ad space. “Big things are happening in the podcast space,” Bruce Supovitz, Senior Vice President of national audio services at Nielsen Audio, said. “Revenues in the US are expected to hit over half a billion this year—a strong start for a medium that’s only a decade or so old and big companies are taking note.” Here are 5 things to know about podcasts right now:

Between last week’s announcement that Facebook’s Q1 earnings made a jump thanks largely to Instagram, Beyonce posting her first ever Instagram story, and Taylor Swift debuting an Instagram filter to tease her new album, it just feels timely to send our first ever newsletter—The Short Story—debuting with social media’s most photogenic platform. Each month we will send you five things you need to know about one trending topic. So let’s dive in, #nofilter.