Our top 6 websites of the week

'We tend to procrastinate don’t we? When all those other jobs need doing (yes, tax return, I’m looking at you), at times we do anything we possibly can to avoid them and look in other directions.
 
However, I’m going to stop calling it procrastination, and start calling it 'working in a different capacity'. When I have a well-needed coffee with a friend so I feel so much more revitalised at my desk. When I take a walk to get away from the huge list of things weighing me down. And more importantly, when I find myself exploring hundreds of other sites to find out how to use my time better.

So, that form of procrastination I am now referring to as research. Research for you guys. So much of my time is spent reading articles, blogs and news and discovering sites that can possibly make our workdays so much easier.
 
So I thought I would round up the best sites I’ve found this week, alongside some real old favourites. All of these websites can help you in one way or another, and by sharing them with you, I feel that my procrastination has not gone to waste, and it is, in fact (as I first suspected), valuable research.


Loom

Loom is a rebrand of Opentest – which it was when I discovered it this week, so the rebrand is still very new.
 
Loom is an online recording tool that allows you to film and share videos of your computer screen. There are other screen recording sites that work well, but I’ve not found one yet that you don’t have to pay for, or isn’t limiting in some way or another. That said however, with my own broadband the way it is, it doesn’t work well at home. In the office it is another story and loads great – so really (like any online video tools) you do need decent Internet speeds.

**update** we've just got super fast broadband at home, so can use Loom with no problems whatsoever and it's BRILLIANT!!!
 
Either way, you can share your screen recordings to your clients, colleagues or friends in a very fast, simple way. If you would like to see what I mean then please do use this link to sign up: https://www.useloom.com/?ref=57405 (disclaimer – I get perks when you use this, thank you!)
 
I must also add that the customer service on Loom is completely brilliant – with the problems I had during the rebrand changeover, and the processing of videos, they have helped me out enormously. Give it a go!
 
 
Tailwind

Tailwind is fab! A friend directed me to it, as I didn’t know there was such a thing as a Pinterest scheduling platform – which is exactly what Tailwind is. The website and dashboard itself is a little cluttered, and I have had trouble finding my way around it, but once you figure it out and realise what you need to focus on, it is brilliant.
 
Once you have downloaded it, Tailwind provides you with a little button in your toolbar that allows you to schedule any pin or webpage you are on. Instead of pinning direct to Pinterest with your little ‘P’ button, use the Tailwind button instead and it will drop that pin into your next available scheduled slot. Simple! It requires more exploration from me but on first impression I am really excited by it.

Enhance

​Enhance is a mobile app created by Hootsuite. It allows you to edit your photos, adding filters and text and more, and then you can upload them direct to your social media channels, or schedule them in via Hootsuite.
 
Having just downloaded it yesterday it’s completely new to me, but it is so easy to use, and I love it! The filters it has are beautiful, and really subtle. There are a wide range of text fonts and you can easily change the size and the angle of the wording by zooming in and out using your fingers.
 
Unlike other mobile apps that you have to then save and post, Enhance allows you to very quickly and easily edit, add text, change size & format then share. If you also use Hootsuite via your mobile device for scheduling your posts then this is definitely an app to take a look at.

Feedly

​Feedly is a site I use very regularly and so I’ve added it here as an old favourite.
 
Ultimately, it is a curated news page, and is full of pages you have chosen to watch. There are a number of social sites I follow, such as Social Media Explore and Hubspot Marketing, but also creative sites such as Etsy blog, Creative Something, and the Creativity Post are available to follow. Feedly allows you to have all your blogs and articles in one place. Perfect for all of that procrastinating research that you will be conducting!
 
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Canva

For those of you who know me, know that Canva is my go to site – I use it daily and I love it! It is a free photo editing software, which you can upload and edit images for all of your social media, website and printing visuals.
 
I cannot express how great this site is with regards to what you can produce. It really is limitless in its capacity, even without paying for the pro version.


​Daily Yoga

Okay, so this isn’t a business app, but it sure helps me! For those of you who are determined to get a better work/health/life balance this year, then apps such as this one are really important.
 
I don’t have a lot of spare time during the day, and I need to find time to stop every now and again. Daily Yoga has short ten-minute stretch and tone yoga sessions, which suit beginners (like me!) right through to masters. It also has short meditation sessions that are beautifully relaxing and really help me to slow down and take time for myself. The voice is calming, there’s no irritating accent, and the gentle music really does make me relax enormously.
 
When we are all trying to get as much done in a day as possible, it is important to take that time out. By giving yourself just ten minutes will allow the rest of your working day to be more efficient and productive. Which means less procrastination!

​What are your favourite sites? Let us know!
 
 
The CBN Team x