Marketing programs may seem daunting to run, but with a little organization and the right tools, not only can you get more done, you’ll end up less aggravated. In running an online program, there are some tasks that we must perform repeatedly; for most tasks, not doing them at all is not an option.  So, we must look for short cuts or different ways to automate the tasks without actually making them more complicated. The following will help you keep everyone in your group on the same page, take out some monotonous steps and also keep progress moving — without soaking up all of your time and attention.

 

1. Evernote

This app is one that should be installed on every device that you have, and when connected to the Internet, each device updates regularly. Unlike a physical notebook, which can become misplaced easily or forgotten when you most need it, Evernote gives you the ability to keep written and audio notes on one device, and due to storage being in the cloud, it appears on all of your devices, be it your phone, tablet or computer. It also can transform pictures to text quite accurately, a function that is great with business cards, which can then be pushed to your device’s contacts.

 

2. Calendly

Digital scheduling is meant to be a convenient time-saver, but scheduling can be the biggest thorn in your side. This is mainly because if you give date options to different people, you can never give them the same days or chances are they will both select the same one. Inevitably, there’s always a time-wasting back and forth to hash out a date and time or rescheduling. Calendly handles this by synching with your device’s calendar or your Google Calendar and allows people to select only preapproved times. You simply send someone a link, and when they schedule, an email with a selected time appears in your inbox and is already added to your calendar. If someone needs to reschedule Calendly will help them to do that as well— much time and effort saved.

 

3. Boomerang

Batching emails is the common way to save time on sending out messages. But there’s always the chance that you will want to send the message you are writing now at a later time; or that you will want some emails sent at one time, others at a different time, to get the best open-and-read rates.  Boomerang synchs with your Gmail account, and gives you the option to schedule individual emails to send at a later time. With email, you can still “batch” your email composing time and schedule delivery at a times when you know the individual receivers will have time to read it, or have less mail in their inbox so it will get noticed. This can be a significant boon for your business communications, especially if you have overseas clients, etc.

 

4. Google Drive

If your latest marketing program involves working with a team, then Google Drive is the way to go. It allows you to store files on Google’s server, in addition to running their app on your phone or computer, allowing you access without Wi-Fi. This also combats not being able to send large files to the rest of the team; with Drive they are easily accessible and downloadable.

 

5. Basecamp

Many marketing programs break down into a series of steps, each to be handled by a different person.  The organization of this can be a bit crazy, especially if projects involve more than one person giving input on a document or task.  Basecamp is an application that allows you to assign tasks to individuals, keep track of progress and also store relevant information such as imagery and passwords. Anyone on the project can access and edit the documents, with automated update emails going out to all team members so everyone stays on the same page. This is especially useful when working with teams composed of remote members—more and more common in today’s digital communication environment.

Productivity all comes down to understanding the value of your time — more time will increase the cost of your marketing program. Cutting down on wasted time and cost will help you add more to your bottom line and will also allow you to serve a greater volume of clients in the same amount of time. It’s all good!