MarketingProfs

Even though it seems like Christmas must be days away with the influx of holiday music and displays in nearly all retail stores, it’s just November. Thanksgiving is a great time to pause and reflect on the things we are grateful for in our lives. I, for one, am incredibly grateful for my supportive family, my partner in crime, and my amazingly wonderful job (and no, they didn’t force me to write that). But if we take a look beyond the personal and into the professional, we all have tools that make our working lives a whole lot easier.

So, I asked the team at MarketingProfs, what tools make you a smarter marketer?

The responses were all over the map, but all had merit. Take a look and see if you are using any of the same tools:

Anne Burkauskas works with MarketingProfs’ speakers and instructors, and is behind the scenes of all of our seminars and courses. Anne’s top tool is Camtasia, a screen video capture software and editing program.

“I love working in Camtasia because it provides our speakers the flexibility of working on a PC or a Mac, and the quality of the files is unmatched … Plus, the software is incredibly user-friendly, and I’m able to edit files with ease.”

Tobias Schremmer works with companies seeking to promote their offerings to the MarketingProfs audience, helping them find the right advertising and event sponsorship options.

“I have used Salesforce since 2004 and could not imagine life without it since it so cleanly organizes my contacts, contracts, contract history, sales efforts, marketing touches, etc.”

Megan Leap works to create landing pages for all MarketingProfs promotions, so it comes as no surprise that her favorite tool is landing-page related: LiveBall from ion interactive!

“LiveBall rocks because it’s easy to use and puts me in control of our campaigns. Its testing capabilities help us achieve double-digit conversion rates!”

Marketing team member Matt Snodgrass had only a few words to say on the subject. We sense he may be feeling a bit sad about being in technological minority here at MProfs:

“I like my PC because it’s not a Mac.”

As expected, director of Publications, Vahe Habeshian, offers an unexpected choice—music streaming service Spotify:

“I can’t get work done if music isn’t playing on my laptop (not a Mac, by the way). Depending on what I’m working on, the music can be lively (think Bratsch), downright loud (think SOAD), esoteric (Tinariwen), old-country (Kardes Türküler, Arev Armenian Folk Ensemble, etc.), Americana (Amy Black) … Well, the choices are endless, really. Which is why Spotify has become indispensable—and made me so much more productive.”

Some took the low-tech approach, including Daily Fix blog editor, Veronica Jarski:

“Originally called Sanford’s Ink, Sharpies produces my favorite pen EVER. These pens were wielded roughly a zillion years ago by Norman Rockwell in an ad, then celebrities for autographs, and later on my arms for fake tattoos in high school. Now, I use Sharpies to color-code my old-school editorial calendar, draw infodoodles, make visual summaries, brainstorm article ideas, plan Take 10s, and draw fake tattoos (Kidding. Sort of.).”

Another low-tech endorsement came from Ann Handley, our chief content officer:

“Sometimes, I need a break from the blinking cursor. Occasionally breaking out old-school pen and paper (or thin-line Sharpie and Moleskin, according to my preference) allows me to think more freely about things. Also, in the summer, I can shake beach sand out of a Moleskin. Last time, I tried to do that with a digital device … it didn’t go so well.”

So, marketers, take a few days to unwind, over eat, and give thanks for the things that make your life a special one. And remember to give a shout-out to those tools that make your job just a bit easier.

What tools are you thankful for?

Tags: Marketing