As a business owner who focuses on marketing, I’m always on the lookout for the best deals. I’m a frugal person in my personal life, and the same goes for my business life.
I found that most things I want to use some software for, I can usually accomplish with a free version.
That’s why I put together this full list of my most favorite free marketing tools!
1. Gimp Instead of Photoshop
I am by no means a professional graphic designer, but when you’re a marketer you have to at least have some knowledge of graphic design. If you’re like me and don’t do design work all the time, turn to Gimp for those quick one-off projects.
While Gimp and photoshop are very similar, there’s of course going to be a difference in the way they work and their functionality. Expect there to be a learning curve, like there is with any new software you try. Thankfully there are a ton of online tutorials that will walk you through completing any task you need.
2. Canva for Quick Editing
For those times where you don’t have to create something from scratch or do extensive design changes, I like to use Canva. Canva does have a free and paid version but I’ve had great success with just using the free version for years.
Canva makes creating social media posts and cover images a breeze, and you can even do light video editing and creating as well.
I also really like that Canva offers so many templates and has a decent variety of free stock photos. These make it much easier to create posts quickly and efficiently while still keeping them high-quality.
3. Hootsuite Free Version for Social Scheduling
As long as you don’t have too many accounts you’re managing for one business, Hootsuite is an amazing free option to consider for social scheduling. Their free version lets you connect 3 social accounts and make up to 30 posts per month.
For some people this is plenty and there’s no reason to pay for an account. Also if you consider that for Facebook you can use their publisher tools to schedule posts, meaning you won’t have to waste your Hootsuite posts for Facebook.
4. Hoth SEO Tools
There are a plethora of SEO tools out there and the price ranges vary wildly. I love using many of the tools that The Hoth offers for free. Of course, these tools are limited but when you’re just trying to get a basic understanding of a website’s performance they work great.
5. Searchvolume.io for Quick Keyword Volume
For those times that I just need to check if a keyword is worth continuing to look into I turn to Searchvolume.io. You’re able to input your keywords and it’ll quickly tell you how many searches on average that words gets.
If nothing is returned then it’s not worth continuing to look at that specific keyword.
However, if any search volume is returned, then I know it’s worth continuing to research those keywords.
6. Google Keyword Planner for in-Depth Keyword Research
There’s nothing better than a free tool from Google. If you have a Google Ads account I’m sure you’ve used the keyword planner more than a few times. This tool is great to find similar keywords to ones you’re trying to rank for, as well as telling you a more accurate reading on how often the word is searched.
What I find to be extremely useful with this tool is the ability to see how much competition there is around that keyword. It’s important to go after keywords that are searched, but not so competitive that you’ll never rank for it. That’s why I love using this tool as a free resource to see where our efforts are best spent.
7. Grammarly
Okay, this may not exactly be a marketing tool. Grammarly is great for general proof-reading and ensuring that you’re not making simple grammar mistakes.
If you have a hard time writing because you’re not the best with grammar, then Grammarly is a great choice for you.
8. Free Stock Photos
Unless you’re looking for a very specific photo you can get away with using stock images. My favorite stock photo sites are Pixabay and Pexels. Both of these offer a variety of free images without having to jump through a ton of hoops in order to properly credit them.
Put These Free Marketing Tools to Work!
Now that you know my eight favorite free marketing tools put them to work today!
If you’re struggling with your marketing or need a helping hand, give me a text or call! I’d love to help your business grow online today.
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