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Nostalgia marketing: How can startups use cartoon videos to target today’s millennials

Being a marketer, I’ve always been fascinated by the nexus between human emotions and marketing communications. It is truly remarkable to see how the latter can tap into the former and can result in influential decision making.

Over the years, advertisers have managed to capitalize on a plethora of human emotions to get their product messages across. Out of the lot, one particular emotional marketing tactic really piqued my interest, perhaps because of the fact that I happen to fall in the target group that can relate to it the most. 

Looking at the theme of this article, I’m sure you would have guessed where I’m going with this. 

So before we dive in, get a load of this commercial first.

So, Yes, Nostalgia is what I’m talking about and yes, I’m a millennial. 

The agency behind Internet explorer’s commercial has done a terrific job of putting together this video. It clearly captures the essence of the 90’s and makes everyone resonate on such high levels. 

The fact that the Ad managed to garner 7 Million views in just five days of being rolled out and amassing a total of 50 Million+ views so far stands as a testament to its virality and the efficacy of the concept.

Here’s what the agency had to say about the Ad:

“With Internet Explorer, we wanted to change how Gen Y felt about the browser. We wanted the video to be a walk down memory lane, to feel conversational and familiar. We wanted the audience to think, “Maybe Internet Explorer can relate to me better than I thought; the new browser could exceed my expectations.”

We certainly wanted to drive viewers to the site to rediscover Internet Explorer. But even if they didn’t, by sharing the video, they were sharing the story—a story inextricably connected to Internet Explorer, a story that might not lead everyone to switch browsers that day, but that would linger and grow in a generation’s mind. That story has been told more than 27 millions times to date, and that’s the impact we wanted more than anything: a reframing of IE’s relationship with Gen Y.”

Looking at the nostalgia marketing statistics of Internet Explorer’s Ad, it’s pretty evident that the concept of tapping into nostalgia works! Internet Explorer managed to identify and use the right emotional trigger to hook it’s users, majorly millennials. 

Before we get into the specifics, it is paramount to understand the “WHY” behind a nostalgia marketing strategy.

Why Nostalgia and what is Nostalgia marketing?

Source: The Shelf

Marketing has always tapped into human emotions and has exploited their cognitive biases to drive their decision-making. Almost every other human emotion has been capitalized on over the years, and nostalgia is no exception. 

Nostalgia marketing essentially preys on people’s affinity for their most relished memories from their past, taking them to a time where they lived their best lives without all the commotion that is present in today’s chaotic world. 

Reminding people of their golden days will trigger a dopamine boost, and that is exactly what brands utilizing nostalgia marketing tactics intend to take advantage of.

In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of consumer research, it was observed that participants were willing to shell out more when they were consumed by nostalgia. 

No wonder why brands have incorporated nostalgia marketing into their strategy! It opens the doors straight to people’s wallets.

Brands that have executed Nostalgia marketing to perfection

Over the years, Brands big and small have used nostalgia as a marketing tool to capture the interests of their target market. Regardless of the industry and vertical, the companies are in, brands that use nostalgia marketing have cut through the clutter of conventional marketing communications and stood out from the crowd.

The following are examples of nostalgia marketing campaigns of some of the prominent brands that have won over their audiences: 

Apple

Apple’s attempt to bring in the renowned muppet, the cookie monster for their iPhone 6 commercial was a huge success. They even launched an array of bloopers featuring the muppet, after their Advertisement garnered a lot of attention.

Target

Target’s Star Wars campaign promoting the movie’s merchandise was a massive hit. The campaign struck a chord with the fans, both old and young, and received a lot of press. As part of the larger campaign, Target released a two-minute compilation, where fans dressed up in Star Wars attires and made impressions of their favorite characters.

Spotify

Spotify hit the nail right on its head with their 30-second Ad, bringing back the once loved duo, Falkor and Atreyu from the acclaimed movie “The Never Ending Story”. The Ad received tremendous support, as it featured the beloved duo who once ruled the hearts of their target audience.

All of the aforementioned campaigns were runaway successes and were able to carve a  place for themselves in the minds of millennials.

Why do millennials resonate with Nostalgia marketing?

Today’s millennials are burdened with a ton of responsibilities, shoulder the onus of their families, and are desperately gasping for breath in this hyper-competitive world.

The only time millennials caught a break was back in their childhood or during their adolescent years, where they were free of any form of responsibility. Watching their favorite TV shows, tuning in to their loved radio channels, and listening to their favorite tracks, hitting the theaters to watch movies, millennials lived every second of their lives back in those days. 

With their glory days behind them, millennials today can only think of those cherished moments with great fondness. It is those memories that offer them solace during this turbulent phase of their lives. Needless to say, rekindling those memories by flashing their cherished moments in front of them through visual media and messaging would tremendously benefit brands.

Tapping into those long-lost memories and using them as leverage in marketing communications would be a sure shot way for brands to get millennials on board with their offerings.

Where do cartoon videos fit in this equation? 

I know it’s a no-brainer, but nevertheless, let me put it into perspective for you all. 

Cartoons, for the most part, were at the crux of every millennial’s childhood. Right from when they were kids to when they turned into adults, millennials got to experience their fair share of cartoons. Heck, some millennials are obsessed with cartoons even today. Talk about Anime!

Source: Google trends

The upward trend in anime viewership in the last 5 years stands as a testament to the popularity of cartoons, even when “Netflix and chill” is still hot! 

With cartoons taking up a major piece of the nostalgic pie, it is only logical that brands leverage cartoons in some way or the other to target today’s millennials. And what better way to do that than cartoon videos! 

Here are some examples of a brand putting cartoon videos to the test.

1. McDonald’s Mobile app launch campaign

2. McDonald’s Tom and Jerry TV commercial

McDonald’s cartoon video campaigns were an instant hit with the millennials. 

Here’s why:

• They were able to seamlessly convey complex messages with ease
• They stood out from the rest of the conventional video campaigns with their creative and engaging visuals.
• They were able to hit the nostalgic nerve of the millennial generation by featuring their beloved cartoon characters.
• They also induced a sense of virality among viewers, augmenting the brand’s image.

How can startups leverage cartoon videos

One key difference between mainstream businesses and startups is that the former has an abundance of resources to bank on. Startups have limited financial resources and have to put them to use very judiciously. 

You may wonder how this adds to the overall context of this article. Well, to put it short, the copyrights of mainstream cartoon characters such as Tom and Jerry, Starwars etc used by brands in nostalgic marketing communications cost exorbitant sums of money, which as you may have guessed, can only be afforded by affluent businesses. 

Hence, startups have to come up with workarounds to use cartoon characters for their marketing communications. This is where online DIY cartoon makers come into play. Tools like Animaker’s cartoon maker can help startups create stunning cartoon characters and videos at budget-friendly prices, helping them execute nostalgia marketing to perfection.

What has Animaker got in store for Startup Marketers

Animaker’s cartoon maker is a startup marketer’s best bet to deploy nostalgia marketing campaigns using cartoon animations. 

With Animaker’s cartoon character builder, marketers can build a ton of lifelike cartoon characters with easy drag-n-drop manoeuvres.

With Animaker, you don’t have to build a cartoon video from scratch. Using its cartoon video templates, you can create a cartoon videos in no time. All you have to do is to pick the template of your choice, customize it and roll out the video.

Also, Animaker’s cartoon maker offers a myriad of animated assets such as stickers, emojis, etc using which you can customize and enhance your cartoon video, making it look as creative as possible.

Free DIY tools have become the lifelines of a lot of startups and Animaker is no exception. Cartoon videos are now that easy to create and affordable to roll out with Animaker. In a way, Animaker has helped democratize nostalgia marketing for startups of all sizes, and it is now up to them to effectively put Animaker to the test.

The bottom line

With cartoon videos becoming an integral part of contemporary business’ marketing strategies, it is pretty clear that they are here to stay and are working wonders for brands across industries and verticals. 

If your brand still hasn’t boarded the cartoon video bandwagon, it is high time that you did, as most of your competitors would have already taken the plunge and might have started gaining the innumerable benefits that cartoon videos and nostalgia marketing have to offer.

So, stop contemplating and start creating your own cartoon videos using Animaker.

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How to make YouTube intro [The simplest way]

The first few seconds are very crucial for a Youtube video.

It decides whether the viewer would stick longer or bounce away to another one.

via GIPHY

Now, in these few seconds, you have to create a strong hook that makes the audiences look forward to more.

Typically, having an intro into the first few seconds of the video will give your audience a clear understanding of what they can expect from your video and your channel. 

It does not only make them hang out throughout your video but also makes them decide whether you are worth “subscribing”.

An intro is not just something that leads a viewer further but also something that helps you brand your channel. It sets a vibe that makes people resonate with your personality, ideology, and your content.

A good intro can certainly be a game-changer.

But, keep in mind that the intro can’t be long and boring. It needs to be attractive and engaging. So, if you are wondering how to make a Youtube Intro for your videos, this article covers everything that you need to know about creating YouTube Intros easily.

What is a YouTube Intro? 

A YouTube intro is a short clip that appears at the beginning of most YouTube videos. Typically, it displays the channel name, title, brand logo, colors, animations, and other elements accompanied by some background music. 

Before we get into the details of how to create a Youtube intro all by yourself, let’s look at some classic examples!

Here are some examples of attractive YouTube intro videos – 

MKBHD is a tech-centric YouTuber who is considered one of the best tech influencers in the smartphone industry.  

A father-son duo who is keen on knowing What’s Inside (Quite literally) by cutting random things to see what’s inside. 

Linus Tech Tips (also known as LTT) is the top watched technology channel that covers everything you can think of in tech. 

Did these examples spark some inspiration in you?

Do you want to create such stunning intros too?

Animaker makes it super easy to make a YouTube intro straight from your browser. Let’s see how you can make one by yourself. 

How to Make YouTube Intro using Animaker?

For those who are unaware of what Animaker is, Animaker is a cloud-based video-making tool used by more than 10 million people across the globe. Animaker helps both designers and non-designers to create professional YouTube intros and high-quality videos in just a matter of minutes.

Animaker’s YouTube intro maker is a super simple and straightforward app. It comes with tons of beautiful templates, a massive stock library, a character builder, music tracks, and more to help you make a professional-looking YouTube intro. 

In this tutorial, we will show you how to create a YouTube intro in two ways.

1. 1. Creating a YouTube Intro using templates
   2. Creating a YouTube Intro from scratch 

So, let’s begin with option 1

Creating a YouTube Intro using templates

With templates, creating your YouTube intro is super simple. 

Here’s how you do it – 

Step 1: Signup or Sign in to Animaker

Get started by creating an account on Animaker here. If you already have an account registered with Animaker, you can login to your account here.

 

Step 2: Pick and edit a template

• In the dashboard screen, head over to the search bar and search for ‘YouTube Intro’. Once you search, you will find a wide range of professionally crafted YouTube intro templates.
• On this page, when you hover over any template, you will see two options – “Preview” and “Edit”. You can preview the templates by clicking on ‘Preview’. Once you finalize which template you wish to use, you can simply click on ‘Use’.This will launch the project.

Step 3: Customize the intro the way you want

The template will open in a new tab as a project.

• First, we’ll see how to replace the default logo that comes along with the template.
  Upload your logo by heading over to the upload section of the library. Once you click on it, you will see an upload button. Click on that button to upload your logo from your PC to your Animaker account. Once you have uploaded the elements, it’s time to put them to use. To replace the logo, click on the existing logo to open the ‘Item Menu’. Under that menu, click on the ‘Swap’ option to replace the existing logo with the one you just uploaded.
  By clicking on the ‘Swap’ option, you can replace the default logo with your personal logo. Once you click the swap button, head over to the uploads section and select your logo. This immediately replaces the default logo with the logo you just uploaded.
• Now that you have replaced the logo, it’s time to customize the next element. The text. Now, we are going to customize the text element, and to do that simply click on it and type in the text you want to replace the default text with. If you want to further format the font style, size, color, or effects, do that by clicking on the settings panel that appears on the right side of the selected text element.
  
  Note: If the default text elements are not enough, you can add pre-built animated text to your intro. With a single click, you can choose one from the text pre-built section.
• Once you are done customizing the logo and the text of your intro template, it’s time to customize the background music. To view & preview the existing track, head over to the video timeline. There you can find the music track in the timeline (see below).To preview or edit the track, click on the music track to open the music menu where you can preview the track, or remove it. To add a different music track to your intro, first delete the default music track that came with the template. Once you have done that head over to the music section of the library. Here will find a wide range of royalty music tracks. Once you click on any of them, you will see that the new music track is added to your timeline. Now you can adjust the music track the way you want. Alternatively, you can also upload your own track to your YouTube intro. You can upload the music tracks the same way we uploaded the logo.

Step 4: Download YouTube Intro

That’s it! You’re done. You are good to go. To download the video, you can click on the ‘Publish Video’ button on the top right, select ‘Download Video’. If you wish to see your creation once before downloading, click on the ‘Preview’ button.

Creating a YouTube Intro from scratch

This part of the article will guide you on how you can create a YouTube intro video from scratch. It’s super simple and you just have to follow the steps below.

1. Login to Animaker and head over to the dashboard if you already have an account. If you haven’t created one, you can register yourself for a free account here. Once you are in the dashboard, create a new blank project by clicking on Create —> Create a video. Once you click on ‘Create a Video’, you will be taken to the moments page where you can choose between three predefined dimensions for your blank project. In our case, we have to choose the Horizontal Dimension.
   
   
2. Before even getting started with the actual creation, let’s first gather all the assets that you wish to use in your YouTube Intro. To upload, head over to the uploads section and click on the Upload button. Once you click on it, you can select and upload the assets you want from your PC.
3. Now that we have the assets ready, we can now start creating the youtube intro. To get started, you need a background for your intro. You can add a background in four different ways using Animaker:
   
   – Backgrounds
   – Images
   – Videos
   – Uploading your own asset
   In our case, we are going to create a minimalistic intro for the text logo reveal video. Here, we will be using the Stock asset library to find the right background video for the YouTube intro.
4. To add the same, head over to the video library section and search for ‘Logo Intro’. You will see a ton of options. Explore and click on the one you like. Once you click, the clip will be directly added to your project. If you want to add a different video, simply use the search bar to find what you are looking for.
5. Now that we have the background set, we can start by trimming the video. An ideal intro can be around 5 to 8 seconds. So, to trim the video head over to the Animation Timeline and click on the ‘ – ‘ button to decrease screen time.
6. Let’s spice up the intro by adding some placeholder for the text, and some basic animations. In our case, we will be adding a white circle to blend in with the white animation in our background video.
   
   To add a circle property in the scene, head over to the properties section and pick a circle. To make the circle go along with the background animation, let’s change the color of the circle to white. To do so, click on the circle and a settings tab will appear on the right. In the settings window, you find the options needed to change the color of the asset.
   And now to add some text, simply head over to the text section and add a default text. Pull the sides of the text box to fit inside the circle. Once your text box is inside the circle, you can now customize it and add the text you want.
   
   
   You can also change the font style and other formatting options. In our case, we will be using the font ‘Major Mono Display’.
   
   To get the text inside the circle, we have to change the object duration for the text which can be done by dragging the left black bar inwards and adjust it in a way that the text appears right when the circle appears.
7. Let’s spice it up by adding some animations to the text. To add animation, simply click on the element and click on the Settings icon from the item menu (see below). The settings tab on the right side has the option to add animations to your scene. Scroll through tons of different entry/exit animations and add it to your element.
   Under the entry animations section, add the fade animation effect to both the elements and there you go, you have a beautiful animation added to your intro that can blend along with your background video.
   Once you add the animation, you can see the change on your timeline. Here, the pink section on the timeline shows how long the animation effect will last in your intro. You can customize the duration by dragging the black bar inwards to reduce & outwards to increase.
   You can animate any element on your scene in the same manner.
8. Take your video to the next level by adding music. Head over to the music section and select one that would go along with your YouTube intro video.
9. That’s it. It’s ready to download. But before downloading it, check the preview of your Intro by clicking on the ‘Preview’ button. Once you are satisfied with the preview, click on ‘Publish’ and click on ‘Download Video’.

In Conclusion

The steps shared above are just the tip of an iceberg. There’s plenty of opportunities that you can further explore in the Animaker app. Be it a simple text intro or a beautiful animated intro, you can do it all.

PS: If you have any doubts or queries regarding this article, drop them in the comments section and we will be happy to answer them.

Also read: Top 11 YouTube Channel Ideas [Based on most Subscribers and Views]

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10 Netflix Movies/Series to watch for building awareness on Pandemics

Everyone is inside their homes, locked down and maintaining social distancing to protect themselves.

Who would have imagined being in the situation we are in right now?
Definitely not me.

A casual conversation with my colleagues at Animaker started this topic. “How really aware are we about pandemics?”
We discussed the information we knew among ourselves but since no one had experienced this kind of pandemic earlier and we didn’t come to a conclusion.

Later at home, during a conversation with my grandmother (who lived through World War 2), she mentioned that the current lockdown was more strict than any of the lockdowns she had seen in her time. 

It became clear to me that COVID19 was more serious than anything we have seen in the last 100 years. So it is very important for people to understand the seriousness of the situation.

But, the issue is that people aren’t really taking things seriously. While most people have self-isolated themselves, there are some people still visiting malls, partying with their friends and even having sleepovers.

This got me thinking “What would it really take for people to understand the seriousness of things?”

Movies are the answer. 

Stuck between a section of people who have responsibly isolated themselves and people who are yet to realize what is happening right now, Movies seem like the only way to connect and convey the dos and don’ts in this time.

So here is my list of 10 movies and series that can spread awareness about Pandemics. From Empty roads, Empty supermarkets, and million more empty places, these movies not only connect with our current situation but also increases our awareness about pandemics.

1. Pandemic: How to prevent an outbreak (2020) – Netflix

A documentary showcasing how the doctors fought the war against lethal virus Influenza and how they abolished it with the cure.


Available on: Netflix

2. 93 days (2016) – Movie

A movie with the story outline of the Ebola virus in Nigeria. It explains how the virus was contained before it became an epidemic.

Available on: Netflix, PrimeVideo

3. 12 Monkeys (1995) – Movie

This movie is about a deadly virus named Kalavirus that is released by an army named 12 Monkeys. The plot of the movie involves travelling back in time and finding the cure for the virus.


Available on: Netflix, iTunes, YouTube, PrimeVideo

4. Train to Busan (2016) – Movie

A virus leak from the biological factory caused the humans to become Zombies. The apocalypse happens as the train moves from Seoul to Busan.


Available on: Netflix, iTunes, YouTube, PrimeVideo

5. Outbreak (1995) – Movie

A deadly virus wipes out a village in 24 hours. Skilled army doctors research & struggle to find a cure for the virus that was brought into the city by an African monkey.


Available on: iTunes, YouTube, PrimeVideo

6. Carriers (2009) – Movie

A movie about a virus that sweeps across the United States. The movie focuses on four characters who were the only survivors and how they survived throughout the pandemic virus spread.


Available on: PrimeVideo

7. 28 weeks later (2007) – Movie

This movie is about a rage virus that turned Britain into Zombies. The isolated survivors helped by the US Army fight against these zombies to survive.


Available on: iTunes, YouTube, PrimeVideo

8. Contagion (2011) – Movie

This movie is about an infection that is transmitted by Fomites and the doctors, healthcare professionals put their hands together to find the cure for this pandemic disease.


Available on: iTunes, YouTube, PrimeVideo

9. Virus (2011) – Movie [Malayalam]

This movie is based on the Nipah Virus that breaks out in the state of Kerala and how a group of individuals tries to contain the virus.


Available on: PrimeVideo

10. 28 days later (2002) – Movie

An award-winning film about the accidental release of a deadly virus and how the four survivors struggled against it.


Available on: iTunes, YouTube, PrimeVideo

Now that you have some handpicked pandemic movies to watch from your home, isolate yourself and maintain distance from people as much as possible to avoid the further spread of the deadly COVID19. 

Right from the series Pandemic which shares the struggles of different doctors battling against the deadly influenza virus which shows us the precautionary measures that has to be followed during the virus outspread. This can help us with what we should do and what we should not do during this lockdown.

The other movies like Train to Busan, 28 days later, and others show how we should support ourselves, helping each other out when there’s nothing outside and the social forgiveness & the tendency to help each other is going to keep us going during this pandemic days. 

What else can you do to keep yourself safe right now? 

1. Wash your hands – You have already heard this a million times but washing your hands is still the most effective way to keep yourself safe from the virus. Our hands are the no.1 way in which we interact with this world. So washing your hands every couple of hours can minimize your chance of infecting yourself.  WHO also recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to ensure best protection when you don’t have quick access to running water.
2. Maintain distance – In case you are going out to buy essentials or loiter around your house, maintain social distancing of at least 1 meter or 3.2 feet. This distance will protect you from any germs if anyone coughs or sneezes around you.
3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth – If your hands contact any material or you touch anything, your hand can pick up viruses. Once your hand is contaminated, Viruses can enter your body when you contact your hands to your eyes, nose or mouth.
4. Be responsible – If you have any of the COVID19 symptoms namely – Fever, cough, dry throat, difficulty in breathing. Seek medical care immediately, get yourself tested. If there are no such testing centers isolate yourself and avoid contact with anyone to avoid further spread.
5. Abide by the rules & regulations – The experts are trying so hard to ensure the safety and wellness of the people. So, please abide by the instructions they give.In short, avoid public gatherings, maintain social distance, work from home, isolate yourself, go out only for necessities.

We at Animaker are fighting against the Corona outbreak by isolating ourselves and working from home. Check out what our CEO says : How we are fighting the Corona outbreak at Animaker.

We have also introduced new templates, characters for your needs during this outbreak to ensure the right information is passed everywhere. Check out out the blog on Response to COVID19. 

 

And finally #StayHome & #StaySafe

 

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Top 10 Free & Paid Tools to Work from Home [2020]

Be it any part of the world, right now everyone is isolated in their homes, protecting themselves from a deadly virus. The increasing cases of COVID 19 all over the world have made the authorities of different countries announce a lockdown to reduce the spread. The lockdown forces us to stay indoors and do our day to day office work from home.The work-from-home culture might seem difficult to adapt to at the beginning. But with dedication, focus and the right tools, the work done from home can be as effective as work done from an office. These tools not only help us to get the job done but also help collaborate with your team-members online. 

CoronaVirus or not, communication is the key here. 

Effective collaboration leads to better flow of work, so here are some basic categories of the tools that we recommend for collaboration and communication:

Collaboration – Apps for tracking the projects at the company level, team level and user level.
Communication – Apps used to communicate with your fellow colleagues at ease.
Remote connection – Apps to connect to a computer & transfer files, connect remotely.
Mass communication – Apps for conveying the message to the mass in a single click.

An effective work collaboration starts with effective communication. With proper communication and the right information passed, anything can be achieved. There are tons of free communication and collaboration tools that can be used by anyone. Here are few that we felt will add value and help you achieve your goals: 

Collaboration

Slack – The super famous Slack is the go-to tool for any team collaboration. Right from project management to individual messaging, everything is possible here. The freemium tool also lets you integrate with different apps to improvise the workflow.

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Discord – Discord was originally made as a communication base for gamer communities. The app is also packed with almost all the necessary features for a workplace to collaborate and a bit more as well. Separate channels for specific teams, text-only channels, voice-only channels, etc can be made with discord.

Pro tip: Slack and discord put together have their own pros & cons. Slack being the ultimate collaboration tool with tons of integrations and discord with the powerful VOIP technology for Voice & video calls. 

Communication

Teamspeak – Teamspeak is a famous VOIP app that lets you communicate with your team at ease. Discord & TeamSpeak is very similar but just the UI being too old here and discord being modern.
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Google Hangouts – Google hangouts is a powerful communication tool that allows users to create their own channels, groups, etc to facilitate the group channel communication among different teams. 

Pro tip: While Google Hangout is packed with a bunch of useful features such as HD Voice call, Group call, Inbuilt screen sharing, etc Teamspeak is integrated with Military-grade security level for enhanced security.

Project management

Trello – The ever famous Trello is the best project management tool to track and maintain projects. This will help you keep a track of all the projects in progress as well as the upcoming projects in a single dashboard.
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Asana – Timeline view of the projects lets you view all the projects in a single screen and automation makes project management much easier by avoiding manual tasks. 

Pro tip: Accelerate your tasks & projects by managing them with Project management apps and tracking them to completion. The timeline feature available in Asana gives you an overview of all the projects, tasks currently handled by the respective team members which make it easier to know who’s doing what during the current scenario.

Remote connection

AnyDesk – Anydesk is an app that allows you to connect to computers remotely. This will come in handy if you want to connect to your colleague’s computer & explain or demonstrate something which cannot be done through a call.
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TeamViewer – Teamviewer is yet another remote connection application that allows you to connect to your colleague’s computer or to your customer’s computer. 

Pro tip: Always turn on auto-connect in TeamViewer or AnyDesk (Unattended access) in case you want to access your machine remotely through internet & transfer files. This will come in handy when your files aren’t available in the cloud but the computer. 

Mass communication

Picmaker – The easiest tool for all your Picture making needs. Right from Instagram post to a YouTube Thumbnail, Picmaker got you covered.

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Animaker –  Communicate to the masses by making an eye-appealing video online easily & for free. The template library in Animaker makes it way easier for those who don’t know how to edit a video. 

Pro tip: Use the free templates to make eye-catching animations & pictures easily and quickly. You don’t have to be a designer to make eye catching media posts.

Now that you know all the right tools you need to get started with work from home, it’s time to think about how you can work from home effectively.

1. Time your work – Work between a set time and ensure you have complete focus towards your work. Be it 9 to 5 where you work for client timing or clocking your hours for a day, plan it a day ahead so you can schedule your day.
2. Plan your day & aim for execution – Before starting the day, write down the list of tasks that have to be completed by you and follow them. Keep a track of your projects with the above-mentioned project management apps to easily track and complete the projects & tasks.
3. Take breaks – Give yourself time to relax. Take adequate breaks for lunch and a 15 min walk or a 30 min power nap when you feel tired. This boosts your work efficiency.
4. Dress properly – Even though you work from home no one is going to look at you. So, dress something that keeps you comfy while you work. Plus if anyone decides to skype you, you won’t be running around searching for your work clothes.
5. Create a distraction-free environment – Ensure your work environment is filled up with the right items & tools that you need for work and nothing else. Dedicating a desk for your work would keep you focused and distraction-free.

With the right set of tools & best practices, Working from home will be the same as any other day at the office. Let it be any tools or any best practice, the best practice for work from home begins from the personal commitment to work. 

So stay motivated, stay focused. And never stop hustling! 

How do you work from home? Do you have any tips for us?

Share your views in the comment section down below.

#StayHome