I use these resources extensively. I will add/replace products when/if finding better ones.

Drop me an email if you have any questions on how I use these tools!

[box] Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. Please understand that I have experience with these tools, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.[/box]

Social Media Marketing

No doubt about it. Social media marketing can easily become a time-suck. Luckily I've found tools to easily find quality content, share it, and track response.

How I Cut Social Media Marketing to 30 Minutes a Day

Tool for finding interesting people (btw, that's you)

TweetAdder Button 2.0TweetAdder

I use TweetAdder to search Twitter for creative freelancers. TweetAdder is also a huge time-saver for following the ones I do find.

I use they $74 five Twitter account version. You probably just need the $55 starter version. You can upgrade at any time.

 

Tool for finding quality content

Feedly Button 2.0Feedly

I love Feedly! Feedly puts together news from many sites into one single stream.

From my stream of 70+ sources I pick the news I think most interesting to my followers.

Nowadays it takes me about 15 minutes per day to find enough quality content. I use Feedly both from my smart phone (recommended) and in my browser.

I use the free Feedly version. There is a $5/month Pro version, but at the moment I don't see any reason to upgrade.

 

Tools for publishing content the easy way

Bufferapp Button 2.0Buffer

For one-offs and first-time posts I use Buffer.

Buffer integrates nicely into Feedly, which makes sharing stuff from my Feedly stream to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and sometimes LinkedIn, a breeze!

Quality content I stumble upon while surfing the net I add to Buffer with Buffer's Android App or their add-on for Google Chrome.

I've set Buffer to publish fresh post three times per day. This way fresh posts are published daily on all my social media accounts.

If a post is especially well-received I move it over to SocialOomph.

I'm on Buffers $10/month “Awesome Plan.” There is a free version.

My primary reason for upgrading was unlimited buffer space (otherwise limited to 10).

SocialOomph Button 2.0SocialOomph

For recurring posts I use SocialOomph.

In addition to rescheduling especially popular posts, I use SocialOomph to schedule posts deserving a rerun, evergreen posts, and self-promotional posts.

SocialOomph lets you upload an unlimited number of posts, and it then rotates the posts as long as you want. This way I'm sure some quality content is tweeted every day. I only use SocialOomph for Twitter.

At the moment I rotate 168 posts over a four-week period.

There is a free version. I use the $25*/month SocialOomph Professional version.

SocialOomph has a ton of features, but my main reasons for upgrading were:

  • Reccurring posts
  • Bulk upload tweets – saves a ton of time

* Upgrade to SocialOomph Pro within 30 days after registering for the free version, and you get Pro for $25/month.

 
Track the response

Twitter Analytics Button 2.0Twitter Analytics

All of the above tools for social media marketing tracks the response in some way.

However,  for Twitter I use their native Analytics web service. Twitter Analytics is free, instant, and gives a good overview.

 

Creating Content

Pretty images for your blog posts 

iStockphoto Button 2.0iStockphoto

I have used iStockphoto for years. It's my go to place for royalty free photos and illustrations.

Tip: When you sign up for a free membership via my button you get 10 free credits.

 

Staying Focused

Block distractions

Cold Turkey Button 2.0Cold Turkey

Cold Turkey will temporarily block you from social media sites, games, programs and any other addicting websites. Imagine how fast you could do your work without all those distractions!

You choose yourself what to block.

 

Get Organized

Taking notes 

Evernote Button 2.0Evernote

I've gone all digital on note taking, and Evernote is my choice.

Save your ideas, things you like, organize, plan stuff, and then access it all from anywhere. Evernote synchronizes all your notes across all smart phone, tablets, and computers. Write, take pictures, clip web pages, record yourself, attach files, sketch, or any combination there of.

The free version is great! My main reason for going Premium was that I needed offline notebooks on my smart phone (great for traveling).

Tips: Sign up for the free version via my button, and get 1 month of Evernote Premium!

 

Learning New Stuff

Books

Amazon

I read, or listen to, marketing, business, and personal development literature. Some books that stand out from the crowd:

Small Business, Negotiation, Influence:

Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling, by Michael Port   The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself, by John Jantsch   Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, by Roger Fisher    How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

Finding Your Personal Strengths:

StrengthsFinder 2.0, by Tom Rath    Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Keeping Your Computer and Data Safe

File backup & sharing

Dropbox Button 2.0Dropbox

I couldn't be happier with Dropbox. From start it has worked without a glitch, and has continued to do so.

Dropbox creates a folder on your computer. Everything you save in the Dropbox folder is immediately synchronized with the Dropbox cloud and with other computers you use. You can also share files.

Since two years I'm on the Dropbox Pro 100 GB plan, $8,25/month (billed annually.)

Tip: Not ready to go Pro. Sign up for a free 2 GB Dropbox account instead. Sign up via my button, and get 500 MB of bonus space!

No trojans, viruses, and other malware!

Norton 360 & Mobile Security

I'm a bit obsessed about keeping my devices safe. Even if a bit pricey, I use security products from Norton since 2008. They give me peace of mind.

I use “Norton 360” for my PCs, and “Norton Mobile Security” for my Android smartphone. Also, with Norton 360 comes “Identity Safe,” which is a browser extension that remembers, secures and automatically enters your usernames and passwords.

Tip: Buy Norton 360 via below links and save $30 -$40 (US only.)