JMPR Communication

Confession:

I am a social media beta tool junkie.  If it’s new (or new to me), I want to try it.

Truth:

Most social media tools are either useless, or they are a re-designed version of something that already exists.

But sometimes…

I find a tool that’s so useful and intuitive it would be a crime not to tell people about it.

Enter Jing- a free software that allows you to add visuals to online conversations.

One of the things I do is to work with companies to develop blogs and communities.  This means that I work closely with Web developers with a focus on achieving corporate vision.

I send a lot of e-mails that say things like:

• Can we move the text over to the left side so it aligns with X.
• Can we put a Twitter/Facebook icon on the right side under the search bar?

You get the idea.  Sometimes the verbal communication gets the job done.  Sometimes these changes require phone calls.  But with Jing, I can copy the screen (which I could do before), and enter my notes to visually send a message pertaining a task in record time.  The best part?  It saves time and reduces confusion between parties.

Here’s a silly little sample I put together to show you how it works:

Jing: Improving Productivity

This week I have used Jing to:

• Communicate changes with Web developers.
• Show clients reports and make notations directly on said screenshots.
• Communicate specific visual concepts that are well done to clients building out their blogs.

I have not tried to “record a video of onscreen action” yet.  It allows you to verbally discuss a screenshot while making notations like the ones I demonstrated above. You can then send that video.  I believe when I finally utilize this feature, I will feel very John Madden-like in a good way.

Do you Jing?  Do you think this kind of application would be useful for you?