Productivity “recipes” for busy advisors

Productivity “recipes” for busy advisors

The benefits of web-based tools are all around us, from social networking to fitness tracking to the connected home. But the overabundance of services can get overwhelming. Counting steps while cross-posting to social networks and alerting clients to an important news story can be stressful and incredibly time-consuming. Trying to keep up with these tasks on a day-to-day basis creates a drag on your workflow.

IFTTT, short for “If This Then That,” provides a solution for this chaos. IFTTT is an online service designed to create statements that link content between applications, connected devices, social networks, and other sites and devices. These are conditional statements, much like those used in Excel macros or basic programming languages. These statements allow users to create “recipes” triggered by changes to various web applications. The recipes are chains of conditional statements that link various channels. This may seem very complex to the average, non-programming-capable individual, but IFTTT has simplified automated programming that allows anyone to reap its benefits.
To get you started, IFTTT offers ready-made recipes on its website and mobile app. Some useful examples:

  • Share your Instagram pics as native Twitter photos. If you post on Instagram, this recipe will post that image directly to your Twitter feed in the form of a full image, rather than just a link.
  • Rain on the way? Get an email alert. IFTTT can monitor the weather in your area and remind you via email to bring an umbrella.
  • Save new contacts to a Google Spreadsheet. Keep organized by saving new client information on your phone directly to a spreadsheet on your desktop.
  • Mute your phone when you arrive at work. Maintain a courteous demeanor by muting your phone the moment you arrive at the office.

IFTTT can cook up thousands of possible recipes. To start using it, simply sign up and select the applications that have relevance to you, and IFTTT will recommend recipes. Recipes are categorized under tabs labeled “Recommended,” “DO Recipes,” and “IF Recipes.” The “DO Recipes” complete tasks directed to one channel, such as “track your work hours,” and “quickly create events in Google Calendar,” as opposed to the “IF Recipes,” which link two channels.

IFTTT offers countless opportunities for busy advisors. Try it now and find those that can help you build your business.
IMAGE FOR ATT

299362