3ShareTechnology can be a great thing when it comes to getting more done. It can also be a way to wall yourself off from real engagement with human beings, but that’s a post for another day.
Today I would like to share a handful of tools and the actual processes I employ to get more done with these tools. I think it’s important to set-up routines that allow you to free up time to do the big things, the things that really make you money in the long term, so I don’t use technology so much because I love it, I use it because it allows me to spend more time engaging humans – and that’s where the real money lies.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive review of each of these tools, in many cases I many use one simple function, but that’s the trick sometimes, sifting through the hype about a tool and finding how to make it work for you.
This handy little note taking application works for me because it syncs across offline, online and mobile devices. I am a list maker in the Getting Things Done style and this is my daily to-do as well as my idea pad.
Jott Jott allows you to use voice messages to create actions. I call Jott and add appointments to Google Calendar. I call Jott to send an email to my staff or entire network of Duct Tape Coaches while driving down the road. I call Jott anytime I think of something I want to file and remember.
Delicious Firefox plugin I’ve used the Delicious bookmarking tool since its inception, but my favorite way to use it is to post content to web pages. When I find a mention of Duct Tape Marketing in the news I right click and add to delicious with the Firefox plugin and use a special tag that produces and RSS feed. I’ve added that feed to a web page and viola! content added through surfing.
Central Desktop This is a large and comprehensive tool that I use for my intranet and project management. My favorite process though is that I can email a task to a staff member and Central Desktop adds it to a task list for that person.
TripIt TripIt is an online travel itinerary tool. I travel a fair amount and all I have to do is forward air, hotel, and car confirmations to TripIt and the tool builds an itinerary, including maps, local weather and events, and adds them to the mobile app so I can view at a glance. It also pushes out flight alerts for delays and gate changes.
Google Alerts Google will send email or RSS alerts for any search term I want to save. I’ve set up a dozen or so terms that track and this tool brings them to my inbox as they happen. This is how I track brand mentions, for example, to use with Delicious plugin.
TextExpander This application allows me to create unlimited text, emails, code snippets, etc, and paste them into any application with a few designated key strokes. I have dozens of email responses that are thoughtfully crafted, but used over and over again for questions and requests that come my way often. I have chunks of HTML code that I use over and over again and evoke with five keystrokes.
MyBlogLog This is, among other things, a tool that allows me to track traffic to my blog in real time. What I love about it is I can know instantly when someone has linked to my blog and go jump in the conversation, adapt content accordingly and analyze where traffic comes from minute by minute. This may seem obsessive, but I can’t tell you how often I’ve joined a meaningful conversation because I knew about it in real time.
TweetDeck This is my Twitter management tool of choice. I use this easily monitor mentions, search terms, hashtags, DMs and lists. Twitter isn’t very useful unless you can do this at a glance. The tool also has all the tools I use to engage in conversations and manage my account. Facebook and LinkedIn status updates are built in as well.
What automation processes and tools have you employed to be more efficient throughout your day?
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Posted by: John Jantsch on Jan 28, 10 | 7:07 am
Category: Collaboration, Duct Tape Marketing, Social Media, Web Marketing | Tags: , Central Desktop, delicious, Evernote, Jott, MyBlogLog, Text expander, TripIt, tweetdeck
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Post as John Whalen
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Tamara Gruber 9 hours ago
1 person liked this. John,
One of my process tips actually came from you a while back — connect Twitterfeed to Google reader shared items. Now when I’m browsing content on my iPhone in Google reader and I see something I want to share via Twitter, I simply tap share and a tweet automatically goes out with a link to the article.My other suggestion is to streamline meeting scheduling. I use Tungle.me. Even if they weren’t a client I would find this tool so helpful. If someone wants to meet with me, I send them my Tungle.me link to pick a time. If I want to propose a meeting, a select a bunch of times, send the invite to everyone I want at the meeting, then go on with my day as everyone selects the times that work for them and Tungle books the meeting and synchs with my calendar. For me it is great because I run multiple calendars and Tungle is the hub of it all.
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ducttape 1 person liked this. You know I’ve gotten those Tungle meeting requests and keep meaning to track it down – thanks for reminding me.Like Reply ReplyGoogle Reader – it’s a great social tool for following other people’s blogs, getting into conversations, and sharing content.
Constant Contact – they’re known for their email newsletter service, but I also love them for their survey & poll (market research), and their contact uploader desktop app. Which makes adding new contacts at events really simple.
Google Tasks (adobe air app) – I love using the tasks option in google calendar so this app strips calendar into just tasks. This is how I create my blog’s editorial calendar.
Postbox – is a great app for people who want Outlook on steroids. It gets mail from other accounts like outlook, but also lets you update your twitter and facebook accounts while you’re checking your mail.
Thanks for a great article, John. Have a great day.
Like Reply ReplyI’m not an Outlook user but I’m sure those that are will appreciate the Postbox tip too
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This is a great list of resources. I’m a huge fan of several of these tools.
I like Dial2Do.com as an alternative to Jott, but they’re pretty close.
I also LOVE Dropbox.com, because I bounce between a few machines (Mac, PC, and Linux) plus my iPhone. Dropbox keeps all of my “in-progress” stuff wherever I am.
Great piece.
ChrisLike Reply ReplyMy list is more web design – centric than yours but I find my self using them more and more for my non-web design business activities and web properties.
WordPress – The. Single. Greatest. App. Ever. So much better than editing text in wordpad, FTPing and hoping!
FireFox YSlow Plug in – analyze your site’s speed in seconds.
FireFox FireBug – page not displaying correctly? Find out why immediately. Want to learn CSS? This app pulls down the covers.
Google Reader – All the world’s a feed, GR lets you manage it!
Google Webmaster – Tells me about my broken links, short meta descriptions, who links where, etc. Love it! It’s like a To Do list for your site!
Like Reply ReplyHow about ProofHQ.com for automating feedback on design work. Saves a stack of time sending PDFs and chasing emails to get feedback from clients and colleagues.
Also Litmus for testing websites on different browsers.
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From twitter via BackType
One more retweet from brandonacox RT @ducttape My Favorite Tools and Processes to Automate the Routine http://bit.ly/c547qu
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Its interesting to hear what the tools are that someone like the Duct Tape Marketing folks use. Note that you need several tools – there’s never the tool – though the great ones talk with one another.
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