We asked the E29 team to share favorite digital tools that they use every day. This list is by no means exhaustive, but you may find a tools or two in here that you didn’t know about before and it could save you time and make your workday more productive too. Some of these digital tools are also good for personal use, so read on and share any tools you love in the comments.
1. Slack
Megan says: “Slack is a [great tool]! A few of us in the office use it all the time and helps us stay connected. It’s so easy to message, send files, ping people during meetings, and know when people are online or not.”
Slack has definitely changed the way work teams collaborate. Launched in 2013, Slack has grown to have 8 million daily active users in 100 different countries. If you thinking, why do I need another tool for collaboration and project tracking, it’s more intuitive than you might think and very easy to keep track of activity for each project, client or team. I’m sure you’ll be surprised how much time it saves you. And Slack is super for marketing too.
2. Pinterest
Annabelle says: “I’ve been using this app for a few years now and I use it for everything! My wedding, Honeymoon, Fashion, Home Decor and Organization. I remember before getting married I would spend hours and hours looking up ideas and wedding DIY’s every day. Not only did I had the wedding of my dreams, but we saved a lot of money thanks to all the great ideas I found.
Features I love from this app?
I was looking for a Jute rug for my living room a month ago, so of course, I went to Pinterest to look for ideas. I saw a pin of the rug I wanted, click through to Pottery Barn’s website and purchased it on the spot.”
Fun fact you may not have known about Pinterest: It is headquartered in San Francisco and took several years before becoming one of the main social networks. 81% of Pinterest users are females.
3. Screenshot Tool
For a tool that is both a feature and a utility, I use the screen capture feature on my phone and Mac a few times a day, at least. I love screenshots and I really don’t know how I would survive without them. On the iPhone X to take a screenshot, you click the power and one of the volume buttons at the same time. On pre-iPhone X phones, you hold down the home and power buttons. And on a Mac for a screenshot, my favorite way to do it is to press Shift + Command + 4 and then select what I want from the screen. Of course, there are many digital tools for screen capturing. What’s your favorite?
4. Repost for Instagram
Anne says: “I’m sure most of you are familiar with this one, but it’s been a game changer for me just because it makes sharing content from other people on Instagram so much easier. All you have to do is copy the link of the post you want to share and then open up the Repost app. From there, you can share the post and caption if you like to your own Instagram feed or story. I went ahead and purchased the “premium” Repost package, which allows you to repost content without the watermark. For an $8.00 investment, you can clean up your Instagram feed without having to include a bunch of watermarked images – totally worth it.”
5. VSCO
Anne discovered this app about a year ago while hunting for better filters and presets for Instagram pictures. This is far and away the best photo and video editing app she has used. VSCO’s motto is, “By Creators, For Creators” and you can see why once you explore their arsenal of filters. Once you select a filter you really like, you can go much, much deeper and truly adjust your photos and videos to balance and refine them to your liking.
The other cool thing about VSCO is they have an online community where creators can share their photos and videos so you can search through all sorts of original content based on style, filter, color scheme, topic, etc. It’s a great source of inspiration if you’re looking to change up your Instagram feed. As far as digital tools go, this one will help you up your Insta-game for sure.
6. SimilarWeb
7. SpyFu
8. LIKEtoKNOW.it
Melissa says, “This app works with Instagram to make posts about clothing, beauty and home items easy to source and purchase. It uses influencers and links to retailers online.
Here’s how it works: Download the app and link it to your Instagram account. When one of their ambassador’s posts an outfit or specific item you would like to purchase on IG, you can like the post. It must be tagged with LIKEtoKNOW.it. Then it becomes part of your feed within LIKEtoKNOW.it. In the app, you can choose items and it links directly to the retailer for purchase.
At the end of the week LIKEtoKNOW.it sends a recap of what you liked.
The app is an evolution from their first version. They now provide a better experience. I can go directly to the app, scroll through people I follow and purchase the items I see.
The app features clothing, accessories, and home decor. Great find for me!”
9. Google Analytics
Melissa says, “The Google Analytics app is my new favorite! I love having Google Analytics right at my fingertips. You can see specific campaigns, e-commerce transactions, where people are visiting from etc. The information is so easy to comprehend and you can dig deeper if needed.
10. Marco Polo
Amie says, “For personal use, my cousin introduced me to an app a couple of weeks ago called Marco Polo. I’m loving sending video messages to my family across the country and to my sis in London. It’s so much more personal than a text or voicemail.”
Your turn to add your favorite digital tools to the list:
What are your favorites for marketing, productivity or just plain fun?
