Learn how web-based project management tools can improve your blogging workflow, client management and your overall blogging business.

1. WordCamp Detroit 2012
Smart Blogging Tools for Smart
Business
Download this presentation at
http://www.amakar.com/wordcamp2012
Andy Makar
andy@amakar.com
@andymakar
10/06/2012 http://www.amakar.com/wordcamp2012 1

2. A Technical Study in Collaborative
Project Management Tools for Content
Management Systems
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4. Smart Blogging Tools for
Smart Business
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5. Although…
None of these tools have ANYTHING
to do with
Yet have EVERYTHING to do with your
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6. The Talk
 The Bloggers Challenge
 Demonstrate a few useful solutions
 Provide free resources to get stuff
done
 Hand out some free SWAG
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7. Quick Poll
 How many of you run more that one
blog?
 How many of you write content for
other blogs?
 How many collaborate with others to
produce content?
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8. My Background
 IT Manager by profession
 Freelance writer
◦ Publish 3-4 columns each month for
industry blogs in the project management
niche
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9. My Background
 Write for clients’ corporate blogs
 In my “free time”, I maintain two of my own
blogs
www.tacticalprojectmanagement.com www.amakar.com
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10. If you run one blog or many
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11. The Bloggers Challenge
Blog Planning
Idea Generation
Content Creation
Blog Promotion
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12. Business Side of Blogging
Client Prospecting Client Management
Work product approvals
Invoicing and Billing
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13. Team Collaboration
 Editors and Staff writers
 Graphic Artists
 Virtual Assistants
 Wordpress Developers
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14. Managing without tools…
Where is
that Sticky
Note? Where is that
Scrap Paper?
That Great Idea
…isn’t Smart
Business
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15. There has to be a better way!
 What if…
 Ideas were easily captured and
retrieved
 Content creation was easier
 Blog planning and promotion was
easy to manage
 Easy Task management
 Simple Back office workflow
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16. Meet the Tools
Purpose Tool
Idea Capture and Retrieval Evernote
Idea Generation
Brainstorm Content
Blog Planning
Task Management & Collaboration
Blog Planning
Blog Workflow
Blog Promotion
Back Office Management
Task Management & Collaboration
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17. www.evernote.com
IDEA CAPTURE &
RETRIEVAL
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18. You have a spontaneous idea for
a blog post
Waiting in the line for lunch Navigating Traffic
Surfing the web sparks an idea
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19. Usually…
 Sticky Note, Loose Paper, Bookmark
Where is
that Sticky
Note?
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20. A Better way with Evernote
Remember everything with Evernote
• Screen Clipping
• Notes
• Photo Snapshots
• Audio Recording
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21. Evernote
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22. Evernote is everywhere
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23. Evernote Tagging
 Easy Retrieval using Tags
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24. Evernote Basic Workflow
 Create a notebook for blog ideas
◦ Read a relevant article – clip entire article
to Evernote
◦ Screenshot to Evernote
◦ Take a photo and send to Evernote
◦ Record an audio thought in Evernote
◦ Email a email message to my Evernote
◦ Tag Everything
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25. www.mindjet.com
IDEA GENERATION &
MUCH MORE
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26. You’ve got ideas…Now
What?
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27. Mindjet is…
 Brainstorm, organize, and manage
projects from anywhere using a visual
framework
 Historically, Mindjet was a mind
mapping tool
 Grown into a collaboration tool
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28. How I use Mindjet
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29. Blog Planning
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30. Article Outlines
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31. Notes from Wordcamp 2011
I also
Evernote
the map
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32. Collaboration - Assign People
and Dates to Tasks
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33. Mindjet Tasks
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34. Task Detail
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35. Mindjet Task Features
 Task
Management
meets Twitter
 Instant Email
integration with
specific tasks
 Instant task
notification
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36. Trello
BLOG WORKFLOW
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37. Trello
 http://www.trello.com
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38. Trello Uses
 Blog Planning and Scheduling
 Blog Workflow
 Blog Promotion
 Back Office Management
 Client Management System
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39. Blog Posts and Lists
Every Blog Post is
a Card
Lists represent
blog post
progress
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40. Every Blog Post is a Card
Assign Due
Dates per Blog
Calendar
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41. Blog Workflow Process
 6 key stages
1. Ideas and Research
2. Writing
3. Submitted
4. Published
5. Invoice
6. Paid
 Stages are Lists in Trello
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42. Blog Workflow
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43. Every blog article follows the same card
template
 template
Social Media and
Blog Promotion
Checklist
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44. Client Management System
 asdf
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45. Client Management System
Follow Up Dates
and Client Notes
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46. Task List Management Made Easy
ASANA
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47. Your Daily Task List
 Not necessarily stored in a project
schedule
 Sticky notes
 Notepad
 Random Scraps of Paper
 No more! Put it in Asana
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48. Asana Simple
2-Level Outline
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49. Lighting Fast Task Entry
 Prioritize Tasks
as Today,
Upcoming and
Later
 Add followers
to tasks
 Tag Tasks
 Activity Feeds
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50. Email Reminders
 asdf
• Email integration and email reminders for tasks
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51. Evernote – Mindjet – Trello - Asana
WHAT TOOL TO USE
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52. My Preference
Purpose Tool
Idea Capture and Retrieval Evernote
Brainstorm Article Content
Blog Planning
Blog Workflow
Client Management
Blog Goal Setting and Task
Planning
Team Collaboration
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53. Mobility Support
 iPhone, iPad & Android
◦ Evernote
◦ Mindjet
◦ Asana
◦ Trello
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54. Costs
Tool Costs
Free Plan
Premium Plan $45/year
Free Trial for all services
$30 per month
$15 per month for Mindjet Web
Free
Free Plan
Premium Plan for 30 team
members
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55. Free Mind Mapping
Alternative
 Xmind.net
I still prefer
Mindjet due
to features
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56. Go ahead and get started
 Never forget an idea with Evernote
 Use Mindjet to brainstorm article ideas and
content
 Use Trello for blog workflow
 Use Asana for blog goal planning and task list
management
 Consultants and freelancers can easily
engage their customers with these tools
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57. Questions
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58. For More Information
Andy Makar
andy@amakar.com
Download the presentation at
http://www.amakar.com/wordcamp2012
10/06/2012 http://www.amakar.com/wordcamp2012 58