When you are a social media marketer or just spend a lot of time on the internet, there are several tools you can use to make the work you do much more productive. In some cases, if the tool is saving you a lot of time and energy, it is worth paying for. Peace of mind and higher output levels are usually worth the cost, especially if they are going to be used every day.
Buffer
Buffer is a social sharing app that is so easy to use. They have a basic account that is free, but then an “awesome plan” that allows you to add up to 12 social media accounts to post on for $10 per month. This includes Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Buffer picks times that most users are on social media (the morning, lunch time, afternoon, and after dinner) and then sends your message out then. You build up a buffer queue that only sends out the messages at these chosen times (which you can change). It makes sharing painless, quick, and easy, especially since they have browser plugins and a mobile app.
SoundGecko
SoundGecko is a FREE content transcribing service. Simply enter in the URL of the blog post, article, or other piece of content that you want to transcribe, and SoundGeck then emails you a link to the MP3 of the content. You can either stream it from the website (they only host it temporarily, however) or you can download the MP3 to listen to it in your car, iPod, or turn into a CD. This is a great way to consume content when you don’t have the time to read it on a screen.
Brosix
Brosix is a simple instant messenger that has both a free public version and a paid enterprise version, which allows companies to have their own private instant messaging network. Both versions have most of the same great features, including a collaborative whiteboard that lets you draw out ideas with other users in real-time and a co-browsing feature, which lets one user browse the internet with another. Other features like secure file transfer and screen sharing make this a great secure instant messenger. It is available for Mac, PC, Linux, and iPhone.
Evernote
Evernote has been recommended by hundreds of people online, and with good reason. It is a great way to write blog posts, take notes, or save other content and then access it via another computer, tablet, or phone. Having a central account that stores your documents on the cloud makes it easy to collaborate with other users or get your documents from almost anywhere. They have a premium version that is $5/month or $45/year.
Whatever your favorite online tools are, the internet is constantly providing great ways to be more productive without breaking the bank.
What are your favorite online tools?