I make it a habit to search for the latest tools that are free to use and makes life a little bit easier. I have detailed some that I have been using for years and some I have recently discovered. From social media scheduling tools to keyword tools, so you can write the kind of content your target audience will love.
BufferApp
This is one of my all time favourites and if you pay attention to my Twitter posts in particular, you will notice that I use Buffer to schedule my tweets ahead of time. Sometimes it's for a day and sometimes it's for an entire week. Doing this means I don't have to think about going on Twitter all the time to post content, it does it while I'm in a meeting, out with my family or asleep. This tool is free to use up to a certain amount of posts. To pay for this tool doesn't cost much and in all honesty, it gives you a lot more than what it may cost to pay for it.
You will also be able to view your post analytics, so you can see how many clicks, likes or shares your posts receive. It's a good way to adjust your content and social media strategy, so you continue to post the kind of content your target audience enjoys.
Answer the public
This tool is completely free to use and helps when it comes to content marketing. You can tap in the keyword you want to work on to rank higher, and this tool will give you a list of questions your target audience has asked Google or Bing using the keywords you choose.
It's a brilliant way to make sure you are answering the questions your target audience has been asking online. Being able to do this is just absolute genius if you ask me.
Pablo
Another fantastic tool free tool delivered by Buffer. If you want to edit images fast and in a short space of time, this is the tool for you. You can upload your own images or use one of the thousands of free images Pablo has to offer. You don't need to worry about sizing, because you have the option of simply clicking on the social media platform you plan on sharing the image on and Pablo will adjust to suit that platform. You can also add text or logos to any image.
Canva
This tool has been an integral part of my life for the last 3 years. I am able to create ebooks, ad banners, blog images and social media posts amongst many more just by using the free version. I cannot express how important this tool is to me and my brands image. If you are not that savvy with Photoshop and don't want to spend hours trying design a good ebook in Microsoft word or paying to create an ad banner then this is the tool for you.
Google Analytics
A lot of people are aware of this tool, but they are not as aware of how important it is, especially for a small business. Google has made it easy for you to find out how many people visit your website, how they found you online, what content they find the most interesting, what journey they take when they visit your website and of course where they leave.
The amount of information you can find out about your target audience is powerful, just by using Google Analytics. You will need to add it to your website in order to view the analytics, which in most cases you can do on your own, or your web designer can drop the code in for you.
Mailchimp
All my emails go out through this tool. It's fantastic for delivering well thought out campaigns that look and read professionally. Not only can you send emails, but you can build that much sought after mailing list by attaching a sign-up box to your website that pops up when a new customer visits your site or via a newsletter form at the end of each blog post for instance.
As your mailing list grows, so will the price of using mailchimp, but it's worth the price, because in most cases you won't miss the 8 quid a month.
Unsplash
If you are stuck for free images, then this is the place to go. All you have to do is type in the kind of image you are searching for and it will show you a list of them. The images on Unsplash are free to use however you please as they have been licensed, so you won't need to worry about getting pulled for copyright breaches .
These tools a just a tip of what is out there for you to take advantage of to grow your business. It just shows that it's not as scarey as you may have thought to get online and create content your target audience will love. Managing various areas or carrying out research on your ideal customer is easier and faster than it was a few years ago, and that is simply because we are all online now. It's easier to reach the kind of people you created your business for. Everyone out there has a need and the whole point of starting a business is to fill that need.
