In the marketing world things are always evolving – from the most-loved social platform to the average length of a video. But you don’t have to go through all of these changes alone (or spend a ton of money)!
We compiled our favorite free marketing resources to make your day-to-day tasks easier and more efficient. Check out our eight marketing resources:
Blogging: You can be your own media outlet, sharing your expertise in your field, and your blog is your content hub. While direct traffic is growing again, there are a number of places that can refer people to your amazing content. In addition to your blog, you should consider reposting your content to LinkedIn using its blogging feature or Medium. It’s a quick easy way to repurpose your content and reach more people.
Email Scheduling: Design your emails to represent your business’s brand with MailChimp. This email marketing tool allows you to create email templates, schedule emails in advance and even segment your email list (segmented campaigns have a 55 percent higher click rate than other campaigns). MailChimp’s forever free plan allows you to send up to 12,000 emails per month and have 2,000 subscribers on your list. One helpful hint: MailChimp offers marketing guides from Instagram to website landing pages. They are a one-stop shop for marketing.
Design Tools: Want to keep your brand’s graphics fun and engaging, but don’t have an in-house graphic designer? Play around with Canva – a free design tool to create social media, email, marketing materials and more. This tool is easy to use and stores all of the graphics you create. And, if you have little to no design experience they have tutorials to get you started.
Photography: Are you always searching for that perfect photo? Whether it’s a business meeting or humorous image, Pexels has you covered. This tool has some of the best free stock photos all in one place. With over 40,000 photos you’re be sure to find just the image you need.
Social Media Scheduling: Keep your social profiles active without the daily fuss. Hootsuite is a content scheduling tool where you can queue up posts, set it and forget it. The free version allows up to three different accounts, and is usually robust enough for a small business, but there is always an option to upgrade. Basic analytics are included in the platform to give you a better idea which posts spark the most engagement. Need a social media crash course? They have that, too.
Video Editing: Smartphones have made shooting short, fun videos simple – and if you want to be seen on social media it’s becoming an essential for any brand. While the tools to edit straight from your phone are getting better, we personally like free tools like iMovie for Mac users and Lightworks on a PC.
Website Analytics: Google Analytics is a free tool that provides real-time data that help you understand your website performance, such number of users, where they are coming from and what they’re clicking on. As a business owner or a marketer, it’s important to capture and analyze this data to inform your sales and marketing efforts, and focus on what’s most profitable. Check out Google Analytics for Beginners to get started with free online training. If you’re a nonprofit, see if you are eligible to take advantage of Google Ad Grants for in-kind AdWords advertising to get your organization seen in Google Search.
More Marketing Resources: If you need access to an expert or have a specific, unique challenge, reach out to Chamber affiliate, the Denver Metro Small Business Development Center. They offer no-cost, confidential consulting with industry experts to tackle your wickedest business challenges. Find a consultant.