Marketing Tools for Everyday Activities

Add Some to Your Marketing Strategy

There are so many marketing tools available, it can be incredible overwhelming so we have gathered a list of digital marketing tools that can help you on your journey. We have chosen our top favorites that we use weekly if not daily in our work. To help those of you who are new to marketing or on a budget, we did focus our efforts on picking those tools that are free or rather affordable (when we could).

Search Engine Optimization Tools:

If you are looking for data around search engine optimization (SEO) we recommend adding these to your marketing stack:

  • Google Search Console – By providing detailed insights and data, Google Search Console enables website owners to monitor their site’s performance, track keyword rankings, identify indexing issues, and optimize their content for better search engine visibility. With its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, Google Search Console empowers webmasters to make informed decisions and enhance their website’s presence in Google’s search results.
  • Bing Webmaster Tools – In addition to providing insights into a website’s visibility in Bing’s Search Engine, Bing Webmaster Tools offers a range of features such as crawl control, sitemap submission, and backlink analysis, allowing webmasters to optimize their website’s performance on Bing.
  • AHREF – AHREFS is a highly regarded SEO tool that offers not only a robust SEO scan tool but also a wealth of valuable keyword information. With its comprehensive features like backlink analysis, competitor research, and site auditing, AHREFS empowers users to optimize their website’s SEO performance and uncover valuable insights to improve their online visibility.
  • Screamingfrog –Screaming Frog is a powerful website scan tool that offers extensive capabilities for in-depth analysis. While it does come with a fee, its comprehensive features like crawling websites for broken links, analyzing metadata, and identifying duplicate content make it a valuable tool for professionals and businesses seeking a detailed understanding of their website’s performance and technical SEO issues.
  • SEMRush – SEMrush is a premium SEO tool that offers a wide range of features, including competitor analysis, keyword research, and website auditing. While it may be the most expensive tool among the options mentioned, its ability to compare your website’s SEO health to competitors provides valuable insights and helps you identify areas for improvement to stay ahead in the competitive landscape of search engine rankings.
  • Google My Business – Google My Business is a free and powerful tool offered by Google that allows businesses to manage their online presence and appear in local search results. By creating a Google My Business listing, businesses can provide essential information such as their address, phone number, business hours, and customer reviews. This helps potential customers find accurate and relevant information about the business, boosting visibility and credibility in their local area.
  • Bing Places – is a free online listing service provided by Microsoft’s search engine, Bing. It allows businesses to create and manage their business profiles to enhance their online presence and visibility on Bing’s search results. By claiming and optimizing their Bing Places listing, businesses can provide essential information, such as contact details, business hours, photos, and customer reviews, to attract potential customers searching on Bing.

Content Writing & AI Tools:

Please consider the tool list above regarding SEO as those tools will also help you write more effective content.  More specifically, if you are looking for help on generating topics and or editing support may we recommend:

  • Hemingway Editor – Hemingway Editor is a valuable tool for writers as it analyzes the readability and clarity of their content. It provides suggestions for simplifying complex sentences, highlighting excessive use of adverbs or passive voice, and identifying areas that may be difficult for readers to understand. This makes it particularly useful for independent writers who lack immediate access to colleagues or editors for proofreading and feedback, ensuring that their work is clear, concise, and effectively communicates the intended message.
  • AnswerThePublic – is a powerful content ideation tool that helps users generate a wide range of content topics based on popular search queries. By analyzing search data and presenting it in a visually appealing format, AnswerThePublic assists marketers and content creators in understanding the questions and topics that users are searching for. When combined with keyword research tools like SEMrush, users can further explore the search volume, competitiveness, and potential keyword variations associated with the content topics generated by AnswerThePublic, allowing for a comprehensive content strategy based on user intent and search demand.
  • ChatGPT – is an advanced language model developed by OpenAI. It leverages the power of deep learning to understand and generate human-like text responses across a wide range of topics and conversational contexts. With its ability to comprehend and generate coherent and contextually relevant responses, ChatGPT serves as a versatile tool for various applications, including virtual assistants, customer support systems, and language-based tasks where natural language understanding and generation are essential.
  • Jasper – is an innovative AI writing tool developed by OpenAI. It harnesses the power of natural language processing and machine learning to assist users in generating high-quality written content. With its advanced algorithms and capabilities, Jasper can provide helpful suggestions, correct grammar and spelling errors, offer writing style recommendations, and aid in the overall improvement and refinement of written works. 

Design or Image Sourcing Tools:

We have gathered a list of tools below to help you in your marketing and/or website design journey, some will be better for those of you just starting out or those of you with more advanced design skills:

  • Canva – is a user-friendly design tool that caters to both non-designers and designers looking for a quick and easy solution. With its intuitive interface and a wide range of customizable templates, Canva allows users to create visually stunning graphics, social media posts, presentations, and more, even without prior design experience. The fact that Canva offers a free version, along with regular updates and feature releases that align with user needs, makes it a standout choice for individuals and businesses seeking a versatile and cost-effective design tool.
  • Photoshop and Illustrator – both developed by Adobe, are industry-leading software tools for photo editing and graphic design. While Canva offers convenience and ease of use, Photoshop provides professionals and advanced users with unparalleled control and capabilities for image manipulation, retouching, and complex design projects. With its extensive toolset and advanced features, Photoshop is a recommended choice for those seeking precise control and sophisticated editing options, albeit as a paid option.
  • Unsplash – is a popular platform that provides a vast collection of high-quality stock photographs and images, which can be used to enhance visual content created using tools like Canva. While Canva offers its own built-in library of stock photography, Unsplash acts as a valuable supplement, offering a diverse range of visually appealing and professionally captured images that can add depth and variety to designs, presentations, social media posts, and more.
  • Pixabay – is a reliable and popular alternative website for accessing a wide variety of free stock photos. With its extensive collection of high-quality images contributed by a global community of photographers, Pixabay offers users a diverse range of visual content to enhance their creative projects. Whether it’s for personal or commercial use, Pixabay serves as a valuable resource for finding visually appealing and professional-looking stock photos.
  • Adobe Photos – is a popular service provided by Adobe that offers a vast library of high-quality stock photos, illustrations, vectors, and videos. It serves as a valuable resource for creatives, designers, and businesses looking for visual assets to enhance their projects. With Adobe Stock, users can license and download royalty-free content directly within Adobe’s creative applications, making it convenient and seamless to integrate professional visuals into their creative workflows.

Email Marketing Tools:

  • MailChimp – is an excellent choice for beginners in email marketing, offering a user-friendly platform and a free version that provides essential features to get started. With its intuitive interface and a range of customizable templates, MailChimp simplifies the process of creating and managing email campaigns. By maintaining clean and well-organized contact lists, businesses can leverage MailChimp as a cost-effective tool that scales with their growth, ensuring effective communication with their audience as they expand their customer base.
  • Klavio – For businesses that require more advanced email marketing capabilities beyond what MailChimp offers, Klaviyo is a highly recommended option. With Klaviyo, users can access a wide range of powerful features such as advanced segmentation, personalized automation workflows, and comprehensive analytics. However, before choosing Klaviyo, it is crucial to ensure that your existing technology stack integrates seamlessly with Klaviyo’s platform, enabling you to fully leverage its impressive features and maximize the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.
  • Constant Contact – Constant Contact is a popular email marketing platform that caters to small businesses and nonprofit organizations. It offers an easy-to-use interface and a wide range of customizable templates, making it simple to create professional-looking email campaigns. With features like contact management, automation, and detailed reporting, Constant Contact helps businesses effectively engage with their audience and drive results through targeted email marketing efforts.

Social Media Marketing Management Tools:

  • Meta Business Suite (Formerly known as Facebook Business Suite) – We recommend utilizing Meta Business Suite (formerly known as Facebook Business Suite) for managing your Facebook and Instagram accounts, as it reduces the risk of security issues associated with third-party software. With the recent launch of additional features, Meta Business Suite offers a wider range of posting options, providing businesses with more flexibility and control over their social media content management on these platforms.
  • Canva – If you need to schedule posts outside of Meta Business Suite or want to publish content on other social media platforms, Canva can be a convenient choice, especially if you are already using it for your campaign designs. With its user-friendly interface and integrated features, Canva makes it easy to create and schedule posts across various social media outlets, providing a seamless experience with just a few clicks.
  • Nextdoor – Nextdoor is not only a neighborhood-based social networking platform but also a valuable marketing tool for businesses targeting local communities. It provides a unique opportunity for businesses to connect directly with residents in their target areas, allowing them to promote their products or services and engage in meaningful conversations with potential customers. 
  • Facebook – Marketing on Facebook offers immense power and reach to businesses of all sizes. With over 2.8 billion monthly active users, Facebook provides a vast audience for targeted advertising, allowing businesses to reach their ideal customers with precision. The platform’s advanced targeting options, robust analytics, and diverse ad formats enable businesses to create highly personalized and effective marketing campaigns, driving brand awareness, customer engagement, and conversions.
  • Instagram – Marketing on Instagram harnesses the power of visual storytelling to captivate audiences and drive brand engagement. With over 1 billion active users, Instagram offers businesses a vast and highly engaged audience to showcase their products or services. The platform’s emphasis on visually compelling content, influencer partnerships, and features like Stories and Reels, allows businesses to creatively connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and generate meaningful interactions that can translate into conversions and loyal customers.
  • Threads – Threads is a powerful marketing platform that offers businesses a unique way to engage with their audience through private messaging. With its focus on intimate and personalized conversations, Threads enables businesses to establish one-on-one connections with customers, fostering trust and loyalty. The platform’s features like automated responses, customized messaging, and targeted promotions provide businesses with the opportunity to deliver tailored marketing messages that resonate deeply with their customers, driving conversions and long-term customer relationships.
  • Twitter – Marketing on Twitter holds significant power in reaching a wide and diverse audience in real-time. With over 330 million monthly active users, businesses can leverage Twitter’s platform to engage directly with their target market, build brand awareness, and foster meaningful conversations. The platform’s unique features like hashtags, retweets, and trending topics enable businesses to amplify their message, gain viral exposure, and connect with influencers, making it a dynamic and influential marketing channel.

Website Data Gathering Tools:

  • Google Analytics 4 – GA4 remains one of our preferred tools for in-depth analysis of website traffic and user engagement. Its seamless integration with other Google products like Google Search Console and Google Ads provides a comprehensive view of data across multiple platforms. While it may require some initial learning, Google Analytics offers a wealth of training resources and articles to assist users in harnessing its full potential for insightful reporting and data-driven decision-making.
  • Microsoft Clarity – Although still in beta, Microsoft Clarity is a promising tool for identifying and understanding friction points on your website. By capturing user recordings, it enables detailed analysis of user interactions and behavior. We eagerly anticipate the future enhancements and features that Microsoft Clarity will introduce, as it holds the potential to provide valuable insights for optimizing website usability and enhancing the overall user experience.
  • HotJar – Hotjar remains a popular choice for website analytics, offering a free option with a range of useful features. With Heatmaps, User Recordings, and Surveys, Hotjar provides both implicit and explicit data about user behavior and preferences. This valuable combination of insights allows businesses to understand how users interact with their website, uncover pain points, and make informed optimizations to improve the overall user experience.

Again, there are so many tools out there to choose from so we limited this blog to our top favorites for each high-level marketing channel that are free or considered affordable options. We wish you luck on your marketing journey and let us know if we can help. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more marketing tips and marketing tool recommendations!