Ask HN: Automation. What you use, and how it does.

3 points·SlightGenius··4 comments

What types of tasks do you automate? How? and what do you use(websites, tools, applications)?

What kinds tasks you make your Virtual Assistant do? Where you found them?

Even processes you've setup to make work easier, such as content building.

Here are some examples:

1)Email, Newsletter, Updates: Mailchimp or aweber to manage several e-mail campaigns.

2)PPC Keyword Ad Grouping help: Wordtracker keyword grouping tool.

3)Content Creation Process: Outsource writer, have him send it to outsourced editor. These are for more complex jobs, but when I want simple writing jobs done quickly, I use tools like textbroker.com

Manage all my contacts CRM, usually connect this with my email management service: Zoho(free/paid), Sales(Force)

Project Management: dotProject(Free/PHP/install), basecamp(free/charge), or huddle(free/charge). I use these to manage the outsourced workers, because the intermediate sites like elance, and oDesk severely lack in providing that functionality.

Quick optimize of Ad groups on Adwords. Take each keyword's impression multiply by quality score, add all of them up, then divide them by ad group's total impressions to give you a good idea which ad groups need Quality Score Improvement. You can do this through excel by creating pivot tables.

Quick & Cheap Landing Pages: Unbounce.com. I could use more suggestions here. Attach these to my Google Adwords.

Quick Forms: Jotforms, or Wufoo. Have this mail me with submissions for quotes, newsletters, etc...

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