I appreciate learning about new and fantastic apps or plugins to help optimise the blog, either to improve productivity or to make tasks easier. Over the years I have used a few different apps and plugins, but I have a few that I continually use. Below I share my favourite time saving apps and plugins for bloggers.
Time Saving Apps and Plugins
Evernote
This is a free program available on desktop and as an iPhone/iPad app, conveniently syncing to all these devices. Evernote keeps all your notes, web clippings, images, files, ideas and so much more into the notebooks. You can organise all your notes into categories, helping the most unorganised be organised. SIGN UP TO EVERNOTE.
Wunderlist
I use a both a paper version and digital to-do list, writing down the most important tasks I need to complete that day and I use Wunderlist to keep track of all future tasks.
Wunderlist is free and available on desktop, iPhone and iPad, syncing together on all devices. Lists can be shared with others such as your co-workers, assistant or family members. It is very easy to add, prioritise and rearrange tasks. You can create different task list (keeping it all organised), set due date, have tasks recurring and so much more.
The only negative for wunderlist would be that I can’t repeat tasks on specific days. If it had this I would give this app a 10/10!
READ MORE
CoSchedule
As I’ve mentioned I am really strict with my time management, I published blog posts to social media based on when facebook insights of when my readers are online, which in the evenings is when I am offline with the family. I schedule as much as I can, all blog posts and facebook shares using CoSchedule.
CoSchedule is a blog post and social media editorial calendar for WordPress all in one. It allows you to schedule your blog post and social media on the same drag-and-drop calendar, which makes it really easy to balance your publishing times through the day. At a glance you can see what posts have been published and what’s in progress. You can click on the post from the calendar and edit the post and/or social media shares.
Blog Planner
The Organised Housewife Blog Planner will is a digital downloadable file so you can create your own folder to help you organise and plan content for your blog, with schedules, to-do lists, planning pages and more. Help improve the growth and success of your blog, keeping everything beautiful organised all within this one planner. Available in 2 colours. READ MORE HERE.
Google Chrome Extension – Grammarly
I have only just discovered this google chrome extension and I love it. My computer has stopped giving me the squiggly line telling me I have made a spelling error, which has been driving me nuts and of course I am making many errors. Grammarly is a free Spell Checker & Grammar Checker that helps you write clearly and confidently on Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Tumblr, and nearly anywhere else on the web. Fingers crossed my words are mistake-free and say what you mean! READ MORE HERE.
New Old Stamp Email Signature
New Old Stamp made creating my new email signature a breeze. This online service is free, adds your logo and social media icons to your signature. CREATE YOUR SIGNATURE.
22 comments
Thank you Katrina, this list is really helpful. I am finding blogging is taking over my life, which is really difficult when I am also trying to run a business and a family with 5 kids. xx
i love “remember the milk” app. It’s a to do list app but so versatile, it’s the only way I can keep up with business and family tasks. I like too that they regularly update the app to make it better.
Oooh thank you for all of these great tips! I’m off to create my signature now!!
I use Wunderlist for our grocery shopping! It’s fantastic and has saved me so many times from driving back home to get the shopping list 😛
What Id really like to know about is a great app for storing all the store cards I have. I must have three card holders now. Just ridiculous!
The App. Stocard. Or Wallet Guard. Are both fantastic.
I use my commbank app for this
When I write, I am very particular with grammar. So, my favorite app is Grammarly. It gives me confidence that the articles I made are error-free.
Really great, helpful list, Kat. I use and love Trello for project management and use it to map my eCourses from start to finish. It’s absolutely brilliant and awesome that I can give someone else access (such as a VA) to mark off tasks or edit things.
Some great ideas here. I use asana for project management, and like Eva, I love that you can give access to someone else to set them tasks (and they can set you tasks) and keep the project on track. I haven’t heard of CoSchedule, but I’ll be checking that one out. Thanks for a great article!
Kat, these are great suggestions. I love Dropbox for keeping files synced across devices so I can access them on the go if needed.
I love Co-Schedule – I don’t know how I blogged so long without it. Thanks for all the top tips especially the one about the signature! That’s so cool! x
Oh, I love Evernote. I have only started using it this year but now use it for home and work since I can easily sync it across my phone, iPad and work computer. A friend recommended Trello as well but I haven’t taken the time to investigate that one.
CoSchedule is my favourite although I did recently download Wanderlist but yet to give it a go. I use Google Docs for my brain dumps since they auto sync plus OneDrive to keep everything accessible from every device. Huge time saver instead of relying on one device or external data storage.
I love Wanderlist too.:)
I used Paprika recipe keeper, for recording recipes, creating menus and shopping lists. It syncs across devices, which is great when I send hubby to the shops.
I am trying to find an easy-to-use receipt keeper app for household purchases, can anyone recommend one?
I have heard that this is a fabulous app to use, it is on my to-do list to give it a go 😉
Why didn’t I find this when I started my business’ blog a few month back! Thanks for the excellent list.
@jen I am definitely going to check out Paprika. I always have the problem of forgetting something when sending the hubby to the shops.
Hi!
I have a husband, 22, 20 and 16 year-old living at home. Is there a calendar app that all of us can edit/contribute to and access?
(not Outlook – the kids refuse to use it!)
Its got to the point where I just can’t remember where everyone is all the time – I’m done!
Thanks! D
Do you all have iPhones Donna? You can sync all the apple calendars together.
No Katrina! 1 stupid Samsung and 4 iPhones.
Maybe I can just leave hubby out… 😉
Another great email signature generator is https://www.zippysig.com
Ive used them before for a job I had a while ago.
Sandy