Dash Two’s Favorite Digital Tools For Extreme Productivity

Buying media for music and entertainment might sound like a cushy gig but it’s a demanding profession that requires extreme productivity and tools one can count on. So the Dash Two team put their heads together to pick out their favorite tools and extensions for getting the job done in a digital environment to share with you.

From password manager Last Pass to site research app Wappalyzer, these tools were chosen, as founder Gino Sesto notes, because “these are the ones that endure. They work. They’re reliable.” In addition, most are free or low-cost making extreme productivity accessible to all.

You’ll note that these tools make it possible to work efficiently with a wide range of clients and a large number of websites. Though that sometimes requires direct access to client accounts, many of these tools allow Dash Two to gather needed information rather than requiring full access to all accounts or having to seek out technical details from busy IT departments.

Tools & Extensions for Extreme Productivity

LastPass:

LastPass is a password manager, auto form filler, random password generator and secure digital wallet app.

LastPass is “super important” in handling a huge number of accounts that need to be accessed by multiple team members. Dealing with a changed password would be a lot more labor intensive than simply updating the team’s LastPass account.

Sesto says they’ve tried other services in the past and this was the one that “worked the best for us over the years.”

FileMaker Pro:

FileMaker Pro is powerful software used to create custom apps that work seamlessly across platforms on the web whether via desktop or mobile.

In particular Dash Two uses Filemaker Pro to manage Facebook and Google APIs and retargeting lists. Not only is it customizable but it also provides the best solution for their workflow allowing them to download raw data to their desktops and manipulate it from there.

Facebook Ads App:

Facebook Ads app allows you to manage your Facebook ads on the go providing powerful and efficient tools to quickly create and track your ads on iOS and Android devices.

Dash Two team members typically use the Ads app for simple tasks away from the office such as pausing a campaign while out at a show or pushing specific ads in response to live events.

Facebook Pixel Helper:

The Facebook Pixel Helper is a tool that helps you check whether your Facebook pixel is working properly.

Tag Assistant by Google:

Tag Assistant helps to troubleshoot installation of various Google tags including Google Analytics.

Facebook Pixel Helper and Google Tag Assistant provide similar tools that allow one to check in on sites and make sure such elements as retargeting pixels are on the site and are firing properly.

Wappalyzer:

Wappalyzer is a browser extension that identifies software on the web and uncovers the technologies used on websites. It detects content management systems, eCommerce platforms, web servers, JavaScript frameworks, analytics tools and many more.

Dash Two not only uses Wappalyzer to keep up with trends and find out more about specific tech solutions. They also use it to identify what tools and services are being used on client accounts without having to chase IT staff.

Google Page Analytics:

The Page Analytics Chrome extension allows you to see how customers interact with your web pages.

Sesto considers Google Page Analytics a “key basic analytic tool.” Rather than having to log into an individual analytics account, one can check basic stats on the go via the live site itself.

Outlook Email App:

The Outlook email app takes Microsoft’s Outlook mobile.

As Sesto put it, “the Outlook app delivers the best email experience for your mobile device no matter what phone you’re using. It’s better than Mail, better than Gmail.”

Described as “Outlook Lite,” the mobile app doesn’t crash and provides seamless performance on the go.

Ghostery:

Ghostery’s Marketing Cloud Management (MCM) platform works to accelerate site speed, ensure compliance and protect digital assets. A free web browser extension shows tracking used on a site.

Sesto says Ghostery is a must have and asks that all team members install it on their computers. It’s an extremely useful information gathering tool that can provide such data as “every cookie that’s being dropped on a website.”

Of course, these aren’t the only resources Dash Two relies upon. In addition to publicly available tools Dash Two is keeping a few proprietary tricks up its sleeve from RUDI, a system for tracking digital ad campaigns named after George Jetson’s work computer at Spacely’s Space Sprockets, to a much more sophisticated version of the free url shortener and tracker Flyt, recently profiled at Hypebot.

Bonus: Recommended Websites

Dash Two team members keep up with the ever changing worlds of advertising, technology and music via the following sites.

Adweek:

Adweek is a magazine and website that covers media news including print, technology, advertising, branding and television.

Morning Becomes Eclectic:

Jason Bentley hosts KCRW’s signature daily music program featuring new releases from emerging and established artists, underappreciated gems, live performances and interviews.

TechCrunch:

TechCrunch is a leading technology media property dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products and breaking tech news.