5 Free Marketing Tools & Apps for any Small Business
Originally posted on RonWaveDesign.Com
Marketing is easier than ever, but it is also confusing as ever. So many tools exist and hundreds of companies have created marketing solutions to make your marketing campaign easier to track and more effective. It's hard to know which one is right for your team and your business.
Every business and its team will have its own preferences on tools, but the best way to figure out which is best for you is to use free tools to give you an introduction and sometimes these tools are all you need! I created a list of free tools that can introduce and power your marketing campaign.
1. MailChimp
MailChimp is an extremely popular tool that thousands of companies use. The service offers a free email marketing solution for the first 2000 subscribers which most small businesses probably will never even come close to!
The interface is simple, easy to use and only takes a couple minutes to get started. It seamlessly integrates with Google Docs and Excel which severely cuts down on the time needed for data input. If used in tandem with proper design tools and merge tags, your email campaigns will look as professional as any large corporation.
2. Canva
Canva is the tool that will save you if you don't have the money or time to learn Photoshop or Illustrator. Though the tool is not as easy to use, it offers many free templates and designs that can easily be changed. The tool saves you the headache of having to worry about different dimensions and sizes for different material. Canva figures it out for you.
The company also has announced a new design school for those who would like that extra little bit of help on their work. My best advice, use Canva to create quick small designs that don't require the extensive partnership with a graphic designer.
3. PiktoChart
PiktoChart helps your business ride the wave of Infographics. It's quite probable that you have seen infographics on your Facebook timeline and in local magazines a little more in the last year. Infographics allow for an easy to read and visually appealing way for readers to digest a large number of data.
You can see the graph to the left to get a picture of how much infographics have grown in popularity.
I've used this tool a lot to create my own infographics for clients. The interface and feel of the tool is smooth and easy to use. With many available pictures and icons to choose from, you can make your infographics look fun while having the flair of a professional design studio.
If your using a free account though you will have to include a watermark however, it is definitely worth it for those who are just starting out.
4. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the Microsoft Word of Data Analytics. The tool is widely used and accepted by the marketing and web design industry. The tool is free and easy to start, but one of the most deep and complex tools that exist. Most likely you will have already installed Analytics onto your website or you have probably already heard a lot about it.
The key with Analytics though is to have a tool and a proper understanding of what your goals are. Many bloggers and marketing figures regularly discuss topics regarding analytics and how to manipulate the tool to better maximize your analytics. Some people to follow include Avinash Kaushik , Neil Patel, and Rand Fishkin.
5. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is an extremely popular tool for many social media marketers. With services for Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, the tool can help you manage all your activity on these different pages. You can schedule posts, monitor comments, reviews, and hashtags.
I personally have started to go away from the tool because Facebook allows for scheduled posts, however, for those businesses who have multiple social media accounts that they are highly active on, Hootsuite is a great way to manage everything.
