If This Then That (Part 2)

So about 2 weeks ago I first posted (see post here) about this website called If This Then That (iftt.com).  I've now had some time to play with it and I have a few uses for it.  But it could be really useful for business professionals or artists.  Basically anyone connected to more than 1 social network could benefit from this.  Even just for the sake of archiving things.

The way the site works is by connecting your various accounts across the internet.  Then, using a simple If-Then statement (called a 'Recipe') you "put the internet to work for you" (the websites slogan).  By simple I mean SIMPLE:

Step 1:

Once you've created an account, click the Create button at the top.  To create the first part of your Recipe click the this in the ifthisthenthat logo.

Step 2:

Select from the list of channels you've activated (coloured) to create the trigger.  This is where you set the action that will trigger a recipe.  It can be that you published a new blog post, recieved a new type of email, have a new follower on twitter, etc


Step 3:
Now you need to click the that part of the logo and then the channel you want it to affect.  For example, I've selected my trigger to be when I publish a new post on my Blogger account.

Step 4:
This is the part where you tell the recipe what to do with the trigger.  Do you want to announce your new post on Twitter with a shortened url?  Do you want to post a link to it on Facebook?  Do you want to email it to a group of people?  Do you want to create a backup copy in Google Drive?

Step 5:
Write a description (so you know what it does) and then press Create Recipe.

I think the best use of this website is for people who use Twitter and Facebook.  There are even some work-arounds to connect your Google Plus account.  But it can be as simple as getting a text message before you leave for work to take your umbrella because it's supposed to rain.