My Tools For The Job
written on July 1, 2020
I'm constantly exploring new tools and technologies in the interest of improving my productivity and decreasing stress. Here's a list of the tools I use, why I like them, and the alternatives I've tried.
Task Management
Agencies often have multiple teams on a single client with different task management needs which makes unifying under one tool next to impossible. Instead of trying to find a "one size fits all" solution, I value tools that work quickly and aren't bogged down by unnecessary functionality.
Asana
Most of my media teams use Asana for day-to-day task assignment and tracking. Asana has a number of powerful features for project management but you're not forced to use them if you just want a simple list. Our process for Asana is relatively simple:
- Owner: Anyone can assign anyone a task. Tasks switch owners for things like QA or feedback.
- Tags: Pre-made tags indicate what phase of the process the to-do sits. We only use a few high level tags. These include:
- In Progress
- Needs Feedback
- Waiting on Client
- Waiting on Partner
- Approved
- Description: All tasks should have 1-2 sentences of context in the notes section to describe the task.
- Timing: A due date
Adding these four details usually takes about a minute once you've learned the interface and a few basic shortcuts. Once a team member is assigned as the owner of a task, they are alerted via email. There are also integrations for Slack and other apps.
Other Software I've Used
- Trello: Friendly interface, but requires a bit too much interaction (moving tiles) and not easy to digest for less frequent users (leadership). I've found that Trello works best for personal projects where I'm the sole contributor.
- Basecamp: Great for projects with multiple contributors and asynchronous work. Media campaigns are much more linear in execution. Features are too bulky for what our teams often need.
Note Taking & Content Organization
A solid note taking system has been an elusive experience for me since college. Battles with formatting, troubles with attachments, cross-device utility, and intuitive organization exist in some software but not in others. Investing time into learning a platform only to realize it doesn't quite meet your needs is frustrating.
Notion
I wanted software that would adapt to the task at hand. Need to jot down a quick note? Here's a blank page. Want to save links? Try our browser extension. Want to organize a project or draw out a plan? You can choose between a board, table, cards, etc.
You can even publish a read-only Notion page and share the link. This is great for process documentation, company handbooks, or public project trackers.
Other Software I've Used
- Evernote: While innovative for it's time, Evernote quickly became bulky and hard to use. It's strength was supposed to be in document storage, but it took a ton of forethought and effort to build a system. On top of that, the sync was sometimes slow and wonky.
- SimpleNote: There is something appealing about the simplicity of markdown. It was great for text notes, but I needed an app that had more options for images, tables, and formatting.
Chrome Extensions
As a digital advertiser, I spend a large majority of my day in the browser on ad platforms and client sites. Setting up tracking, QAing implementation, and general quality of life improvements are made possible by the following extensions:
- Ghostery: While the primary use for most is Ghostery's ad blocking functionality, it actually works well for understanding what tags are live on client or competitor sites.
- Google/Facebook Pixel Helpers: Standard pixel audit tools for event tracking.
- dataslayer: Simple extension for reading site data layers. useful for understanding the flow of information between site and tags.
- Blank New Tab Page: I don't like the default Chrome tab with recent or frequently visited sites. I often open my browser on screen share or in front of clients, so having a blank new tab is ideal.
- Google Analytics Debugger: Simple tool for auditing GA implementation and tracking.
Development and Automation
My personal goal is to learn Python for use in automation and data analysis. So much of the job of a digital advertiser is tied to understanding data, reacting to changes quickly, and reporting to client stakeholders. Here are the tools I currently use. I expect this list to grow with my skillset over time:
- Pycharm: My primary IDE for Python development.
- Digital Ocean Droplets: Low cost Linux boxes for automated Python tasks and small websites. Significantly more friendly and accessible compared to AWS.
- Sublime Text: Simple text editor for on-the-fly HTML/CSS/JS coding.
- Cyberduck/PuTTY: SFTP server connection. I prefer Cyberduck for managing files on my servers, but recognize that learning to work in the terminal will have long-term benefits.
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