The Toolbox: 5 ways Instapaper helps me manage content

[Note: I'm continuing a series on Saturdays called "The Toolbox." My intent is to highlight some of the software, products, and services that have become invaluable to me in my work. I think they will be helpful to you, too. I'd welcome your suggestions on what to review. You should know that these are not sponsored posts, and I'm not acting as an affiliate or receiving any funds for this series.]

I monitor about 200 blog feeds per day. That doesn’t mean I read all of them. But this is a list that I’ve cultivated over the last five years. I add a few and delete a few from time to time. This list of blog feeds is core to content generation because it keeps me focused and in touch with what’s being said, who is saying it, what to watch for, and what topics or ideas don’t matter.

Until Instapaper came along I was using Del.icio.us. (Remember that?) It was the first social bookmarking service that became very popular just a few years ago.

Instapaper helps me manage content in five specific ways:

Instapaper is simple in design and concept which makes it easy to use and implement. I need simple. I can also export that information stored in my account should I decide to no longer use the service.
Instapaper allows me to store content I’m skimming for easy access and further review in the future.
Instapaper allows me to save blog posts directly from Google Reader or from my Web browser with the click of a button. (You can also e-mail your content to your account.)
Instapaper allows me to organize my links into folders where I can sort the links I collect based based on the clients I’m writing for. Then, when I need an idea for content, I go search in the client folder I created.
Instapaper can be used and accessed using my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro.

Are you currently using Instapaper? Thoughts?

Ben Stroup is a content activist in a post-paragraph world. He is chief broker of opportunity at Ben Stroup Enterprises. Connect with Ben via email, Twitter, and Google+. Subscribe via email to learn how to use content to move people to action.