Let’s take a deep-dive into the role bookmarking plays in today’s world!
Whether or not we want to admit it, the majority of the information we attain throughout the day comes from the web. Think about it- from checking the weather, mapping your commute for the best drive time, ordering lunch, finding out when the next episode of your favorite show will air, or figuring out the name of that actor you just can’t quite place while watching TV, we depend on internet searches to access the content we require each day.
The beauty of the internet is having all of the content we could ever need right there at our fingertips. See a commercial that sparks your interest? Instantly search the product for any and every detail. With that kind of endless knowledge comes the need to organize and sort through the abundance of information available to us.
Whether it’s researching topics for work, planning a vacation for your family, or finding a highly rated washing machine, we are constantly using this vast information source to drive our lives. How can a person keep it all straight? Share it with others? Use it to collaborate with peers? That’s where a bookmark manager comes in. Take all of that information and organize it to make it easy to access and more manageable through customization tools. The days of saving an endless list of websites has proven that there must be a better way to catalogue the different aspects of web searches that are worth revisiting.
At this point, you might be thinking to yourself that you’ve been using a bookmark manager forever. Who doesn’t have a list of bookmarks in their browser? Typically, this is a place for those commonly used websites that you frequently visit. Too often, we get to a certain number of sites and just stop bookmarking. Or -worse yet- we don’t utilize the bookmarks and instead constantly type out or search for the website instead.
So what can a bookmark manager offer beyond an underused list of websites? Unlike the common bookmark managers that come embedded in web browsers, the more sophisticated bookmark manager add ons can help you to organize and save different types of web content. That means you don’t have to scroll through an entire webpage to find the picture of that bathroom fixture you were eyeing. Instead, you can simply bookmark the image. Bookmark managers offer a more personalized approach to gathering and arranging worthwhile texts and media for more efficient use by its users.
Imagine taking only the best, most relevant content and being able to manipulate it in a way that makes sense for your needs. A bookmark manager allows you to customize the way you interact with bookmarked items so you can easily access just the information you need. Many managers offer folders and subfolders that allow you to categorize your findings into topics.
Searchable tags can also help you sort through a ton of content to zero in on the websites that you’ve already determined are relevant to your search. Some managers allow the user to make notes, annotate, or highlight content for further clarity when revisiting the article.
The goal of bookmark managers is to create a collection that goes beyond a list of websites. As an example, Wakelet offers a way to visually organize articles, videos, images, and other content to create something meaningful, engaging, and collaborative. Whether you are creating a collection for research, compiling a list of recipes, or creating a portfolio a bookmark manager can help keep all of your content organized and accessible.
Using a bookmark manager can help you to discern the most relevant aspects of a website and only bookmark the piece that benefits your project. This is much more efficient than trying to sift through the immense amount of information as you would from a list of websites. Clicking each link and scrolling to find the information that led you to bookmark it in the first place wastes your time and is redundant. Instead you could spotlight only the information you require.
Collaboration is also an important aspect of using a bookmark manager. Being able to share content with team members can be challenging. Sure, you could send them a list of links to check out, but how do you emphasize the content that is relevant? Bookmark managers allow you to streamline your work, create a clear focus, and work with others to accumulate meaningful content.
In terms of who should use a bookmark manager, it really is a versatile solution for anyone who spends time absorbing content online. College students, teachers, researchers, bloggers, travel enthusiasts, along with anyone who works collaboratively can use this tool to better access content that is relevant to their daily lives.
Educators have found bookmark managers to be an effective way to compile the best content in a centralized location for classes. Instead of giving a student a list of reference websites, this can create an online classroom where students can find pertinent information in an organized, purposeful collection. Likewise, students can create presentations and portfolios with the use of this organizational tool. Instead of creating a presentation with embedded links, display the content visually through a bookmark manager to help organize your findings and present a captivating, content-rich display.
Bookmark managers seek to give everyday people the power to organize the content that is meaningful to their jobs, interests, and everyday lives. Through the available tools, users can make sense of the abundant material they find online and simplify the job of deciphering what is useful for their goals. Instead of revisiting an entire website, feature only material that is worth recalling at a later time. Through visually appealing images, embedded videos, annotations, and customized layouts bookmark managers can help content consumers make sense of the information they find. The ultimate goal being to make it easier for individuals to share, search, and collaborate.
Amanda DiSilvestro is the Editor-in-chief for Plan, Write, GO. She has been writing about all-things digital marketing as a ghostwriter, guest writer, and blog manager for over 10 years. If you’re interested in outsourcing your content, check out her blogging services to learn more!