Learning Microsoft word features has never been more critical. In today’s social media competitive society, every advantage you can etch out will place you strategically ahead of your competition. Needless to say, grasping Microsoft word features and functions is a great place to start.
Truthfully, what small business owner or entrepreneur isn’t looking for ways to keep down expenses. If you’re hoping to find ways to increase productivity, Microsoft word features and functions just may do the trick.
Microsoft Word Productivity Functions are Invaluable
As a former SEO strategist and current content writer, I found these word productivity functions invaluable. Naturally, some you may be familiar with, others, not. Needless to say, if you’re an SBO, (small business owner) entrepreneur or biz coach these features are the Bomb!
Remember the penny compounding interest lesson? What may seem insignificant, can potentially produce massive ROT (Return on Time). Remember, In business, Time translates to Dollars.
Read below our chosen top 15 Free Microsoft word features. When incorporating these under-utilized features expect to witness massive time-saved. As a result, you can create docs more efficiently, improve page aesthetics, and store and retrieve frequently used data, all from one click.
Learning Microsoft word features
There’s more; you can input quick duplicated content and research shortcuts at your fingertips. And that’s not all, we share a few other amazing functions, all can be completed without leaving your Microsoft word document.
And it is all ELI5 (explain like I am 5 yrs. old… “email biz text lingo”).
Ready to Save Time…let us Dive IN!!!
A complication that will enhance your skills in Microsoft word
#1. Line Spacing
To change the line spacing on your text click inside any paragraph click CTRL 2 for double. CTRL 1 for single and Control 5 for 1.5.
#2. Dictate
Office 365 is off the chain. In fact, you can transcribe your voice on Office 365 version directly into a word.
While in your document. Scroll over to the far right, click on the word dictate. Start talking. Note from under the home tap, you can select from different languages.
#3. Aloud
Graciously, not only will Microsoft Word allow you to record your text. It will read it back to you.
Just highlight your text
Review tab
Click on read aloud.
There are also other options. You can change to a different voice and reading speed This is a great way to listen to what you wrote. Maybe even a way to pre- proofread!
#4. Quick Lines
Want to draw lines quickly into your document?
Tick 3 (dashes, then) — enter—
You can create more following the same format… I.e., 3 underscores, get creative.
#5. Researcher
It is a great tool to add external content to your document.
Click on reference,
A window will open click “start here.”
Type in your subject or topic.
It brings up a list of relevant topics you can choose from. It will populate adding text and including a link from the original sort. You can also search for photos. There are a few other options such as: choosing from book, website, publication, content type. it uses the Bing search tool.
#6. Quick Font Size
Wanting to change font size:
To increase your font size: highlight text, hold down the CTRL + Shift +>
The way to decrease your font size: highlight text, hold down the CTRL + Shift +<
To vertical highlight: hold down the CTRL + Alt Holding down the alt key. Also, you can change color, size, font, etc.
#7. Clipboard Multi-Paste
Copy and paste are normal, here you can do multi-paste.
From the toolbar, at far left under Paste.
Click on the “clipboard” little down arrow.
A side panel will open.
Highlight the text you want to copy.
CTRL C to CTRL V to paste
To insert hover over the text in the clipboard and a box with an arrow will appear, click on the arrow and the text will paste into your text.
Here is another neat option, when the clipboard is closed, scroll down under the clipboard side panel.
Click on the option, a dropdown will appear, next choose “Show Office clipboard when CTRL C is press twice “click so when the clipboard is closed, highlight the text, and hit CTRL twice it brings up the clipboard.
#8. Shrink One Page
If you have text that runs over onto a 2nd page, and you want to shrink it down to one page.
There is an easy remedy. Go to the quick access taskbar, click on the tiny down arrow. Click on more commands. A box will appear, scroll down to shrink to one page, add it and click ok. Highlight the text, click on the button on the taskbar to shrink.
#9. Share to Email
Typically, the way we send an email; we save, go to your email attached, and send. Now we can go to file, share, save in one drive word doc, choose the doc, open outlook, and send, without leaving Word.
#10. Insert Hyperlinks
Easily insert a hyperlink, highlight a word you want hyperlink, click on control K, this brings up a screen with options to choose your location: IE. inside your text, webpage. If a webpage, input the location, www.pytalkbiz.com Etc… in the address section, and can also place links inside your word document.
#11. Smart Lookup
Smart lookups are another way to search for additional information for your doc. Just highlight the word, from the drop-down click on smart lookup, from the right side a panel will appear, browser the information…it is just that easy.
#12. Remove Leading Spaces
To remove leading space, IE, if you copy text and spaces are at the beginning of the word.
A quick fix, highlight the text, click on bullets, then undo bullets.
#13. CTRL Key
A control key is used to navigate through your document.
CTRL + right arrow moves you over to the right one word.
CTRL + left arrow moves you over to the left one word.
CTRL + Backspace deletes the previous word.
CTRL + down arrow moves one paragraph down.
CTRL + up arrow moves one paragraph up.
CTRL + Shift + down arrow; highlights one paragraph at a time.
CTRL + Shift + up arrow: un-highlight it
CTRL + Home; takes you to the beginning of the document.
CTRL + End, this takes you to the end of the document
CTRL + Left click: Highlight the entire sentence.
#14. Translator
Here is an easy way to translate your doc. Highlight the section or whole doc. Click on review, then on Translate click on the arrow to the choice of language. The left panel box will open, click on insert and the translated version will be added to the doc. If the section were left highlighted the chosen version would replace the English version.
#15. Get Add-Ins
Microsoft has hundreds of add-ins; (Microsoft office 365 users) from the taskbar, click on insert, a list of add-ins. Click on “add” and they will be installed into your Microsoft word application, remarkably like WordPress plugins.
#1 Bonus Auto Text
Auto text is a great way to store frequently used phrases to speed up your project. You can save phrases, paragraphs, and signature blocks into an area called quick part. Go to insert, highlight the text you want to store, click on quick part, go to auto text. Save the text into the auto text gallery. You can name it, select a category, description, and choose how you want to input the info. When working on a document auto text is an easy way to insert duplicate content. Such as signature block, conclusion, summary, or any other stats.
#2. Bonus – Split into Columns
To build columns within your doc. First, highlight the area you want in the columns. From your taskbar click on layout, next click on columns, select the numbers of columns you want, and save.
If the columns are uneven, go back to the home tab, click on justify, under the paragraph section this will even up the text within the columns.
Conclusion:
Without a doubt, familiarizing yourself with Microsoft word features and shortcuts can increase productivity. Especially since social media marketing is the new norm. Further, content writing is the lifeblood to building your online presence and:
- Business website
- Email marketing campaign
- Social media messaging
Undoubtedly, the more efficient our office skills are, the more proficient, effective, and timely we become. Multiplied by the number of employees; the results can be staggering. Remember it is the little things that sets us apart from our competitors.
If you are not utilizing Microsoft word features which are FREE!… then now is a good time to start!
Which features are your favorites? Which favs did we Miss?
Let us know by leaving a quick comment below.
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To Your Success
P.Y.
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