Best of 2008 round up: Tools to make your life easier

On my regular blog, I like to pause during the holiday slow-down to review my year in posts, which I then aggregate into a 2-part, 100-item list of what I learned this year. Not only does it help me pull out the most interesting and/or useful things of the past 12 months for my readers, it also gives me a snapshot of what I was working on that year. Win-win!

In the spirit of that, I thought I'd do an abbreviated, marketing/business-type version here on the Marketing Mix.

Great tools for organization/time management:

• The List Series (Part 1, Ilise's lists and a free list-making tool; Part 2, list taxonomy; Part 3, stimulating creativity with lists)
• Jott (free notetaking from your cellphone)
• TextExpander (time-saving auto-typing software)
• Photostamps (your mug on a stamp!)

and of course, to keep you on track with your marketing plan for 2008:

• the 2008 Grow Your Business marketing plan/calendar from Marketing Mentor

"Cheat sheets" (or startup guidelines):

• Money Management "Coffee Break" call topline (basic points to get a handle on finances)
• Ways to keep yourself motivated to blog (Guest Post from blogger/speaker Rebecca Morgan)
• How (and why) to "do" handwritten notes (Guest Post from Mike Kasalnek of HOARD)
• The introverted networker's survival guide (plenty of tips for extroverted veterans, too!)
• Top 12 tips for a thriving newsletter (I did a ton of research on this. Ugh!)

Using social media effectively:

• Twitter 101 (marketing & self-promotion in 140 characters or less
• Blogging 101 "Coffee Break" call topline (all the basics on blogging)
• LinkedIn success how-tos (Guest Post from copywriter Mary McCauley-Stiff)
• Getting the most out of mailing lists (do more than give & receive information; send a message!)

Which, if any, of these did you find especially helpful?