We’re not talking about your Swingline Optima or the best ergonomic office chair that money can buy. We’re talking about easy-to-use marketing tools that provide you with the resources to be creative, save time, keep organized, and gain insight. Who doesn’t want that, right? The best part is that all of these tools are available right at your computer so you don’t have to weather the crowds or put on pants (I mean, shoes) to get your hands on these gems. Here are 4 of the best marketing tools for your small business that agencies don’t want you to know about! Did I mention that only one of these costs you money?
Be creative
Consider Canva your secret weapon for incredible design. That’s right. Be the graphic designer that you know that you’re not! No graphic design degree needed and no expensive and complicated design software required! Canva lets you play with stock images, custom dimensions, and templates to knock out design projects such as a brochure or business card. The best thing about Canva? It’s free. There are three tiers, ranging from free to $30, depending on what your business needs. Are you a nonprofit? Apply for free access to their level 2 tier, Canva Pro. If you know how to drag, drop, and click, then you can use Canva.
Save time
In our digital world, social media is a must, but it can be time consuming to get on every day and post meaningful content between new client meetings and personal obligations. HeyOrca! lets you plan out your social media content ahead of time and schedule it for posting weeks or even months in advance! If you have more than one business, you can manage both from the same place. It’s a calendar for all of your social media channels and it couldn’t be easier. It has collaboration and approval features if you’re working with a team and it’s extremely user-friendly so you don’t have to be a magic tech wizard to figure it out. You can get a 14-day free trial or jump right in for $99/month.
Stay organized
Create those professionally branded emails that make you look like you know what you’re doing (even if you don’t!). Email marketing technology is used by more than 80% of B2B and B2C companies, and Mailchimp is at the top of that list! It is free for companies with less than 2,000 subscribers, as long as you don’t send more than 12,000 emails per month. You’ll even get insights such as your average open rate and your average click rate, which can help you tailor your messaging, depending on how your audience responds. And how about some real-time analytics? Yes, please! See how your email is performing right before your eyes!
Gain insight
We know that you drool over data; we do, too! This free tool from Google lets you understand your users and check on the performance of your marketing strategies. Google Analytics is a serious must-have for your small business website, as it provides key information so that you can make the right marketing moves when the numbers say it’s time! Get a clear and comprehensive picture of the traffic to your small business website with the click of a button and see which ads are bringing more conversions. Check out your bounce rate, the average time on your site, and demographics of your visitors. For all of you data lovers out there, you’re going to go nuts when you get in here. You can even download the app on your phone so that you can check it all day (we get it!).
Whether you’re on a mission for new clients, want to continue your upward growth, or desperately need a change, these 4 tools will do wonders for your small business. It may be shocking that there are actually tools out there that are worth your time, but they do exist. From our experience, they can all help your small business in different ways, and paired together, you’ll find yourself taking your business to new heights.
Interested in customized Canva templates instead of the ones that other businesses are using? Need creative social media or email content? Is it time for a new website? Contact us at Lillian James Creative so we help your small business reach its goals. We can help answer any of the questions you have about these 4 marketing tools.
Like what you’ve read? Want to share similar content with your organization at your next event? Aaron Fulk, CEO of Lillian James Creative, has graced many stages and speaks about finding your creativity, storytelling, personal branding, and more. Book her for your next event!