Having trouble keeping track of the things you save? Or just want to make the most of your bookmarks? Here are 5 ways that social bookmarking could improve your life
1. Save on your desktop, read on your phone
If you’re anything like I used to be, you probably have links saved everywhere. Think bookmarks saved in your browser, liked tweets and Instagram posts, favorited YouTube videos and a phone album filled with photos and screenshots. One of the things I love about social bookmarking sites like Wakelet is that I can save everything in one place and access it anywhere, on any device.
Forget scrambling to remember where I saved that all important link. Now, I can save an interesting article on my desktop but read it on my phone on the train home. Or snap a picture of a dress in a shop window and have it saved on my computer when I’m shopping online later. I can save links to my bookmarks or directly into collections to keep things organized. And with the Wakelet browser extension, it couldn’t be easier – it just takes two clicks.
2. Learn from like-minded users
When you’ve saved a few links on one topic or theme, you might find it helpful to group them into a Wakelet collection. Not only does this make it easier for you to find them again – and allows you to organize and give context to your links – but it also makes it easy to find by people who share your interests. Wakelet is home to a lively community of like-minded users who love to exchange knowledge and ideas in a visual, engaging way. People can follow your profile, like and save your collections, or save them with others.
3. Find the best content quickly
Just as other people can enjoy your collections, you can use social bookmarking sites to enrich your own research. Enter a keyword into the Wakelet search bar and you’ll be presented with a list of collections that have been carefully crafted by people passionate about their subjects. I’ve found collections on almost everything imaginable on Wakelet, from a rundown of every A$AP Rocky guest verse to the ultimate South Africa travel guide.
And unlike a blank list of links on Google, every collection has a mix of different types of information. Travel guides, for example, offer links to great restaurant reviews in Cape Town, photos of the best views from Table Mountain, and Spotify playlists to soundtrack your South African road trip. What more could you need?
4. Give context to your bookmarks
One of the things I love most about social bookmarking is the way it allows me to add context to the links I save. Unlike the bookmarks in my browser, I’m never just left with a list of links, wondering why I’ve saved what and what it has to do with anything else I’ve saved. On Wakelet, I can add text between links in my collections and even amend the text on the links themselves to remind myself why I saved them. Think something would make a great gift for my best friend? I’ll note that in the description. Saved a map along with a restaurant review? I can remind myself to book it for my birthday.
5. Build your personal brand
With social bookmarking, the links you save say something about you. They reflect your interests, passions or areas of expertise. When you curate them and create collections, you’re making something that speaks to you and your personal brand. Are you an expert in your field looking to cement your reputation or a writer wanting to showcase your portfolio? Wakelet can do both. Gathering high quality links, curating them and adding your own notes and images to give context shows that you really know your stuff!