Currently, there are hundreds of online marketing tools out there and some of these tools are free to help get small businesses off the ground within minutes. At times, finding the right marketing tool for your business can be an overwhelming task because of the range of options, especially when trying to consider how each tool helps improve every piece of your marketing plan such as digital content, social media, email, search engine optimization (SEO), etc.
Below we’ve identified ‘easy to use’ marketing tools that can drastically improve your online presence while allowing you to get more insight into your leads/customers without spending a penny.
- For Website Analytics: Google Analytics
This may not be a surprise to most of you; however, it can’t be said enough. Google has a free website analytics tool that must be understood and utilized. It allows businesses of all sizes that have a website to track visitors and how they interact with the website. You can identify which pages and links your visitors click the most and the site allows you to segment your visitor base as well in order to get more insights about leads, thus allowing you to fine-tune your site.
- For Design: Canva or Pablo
These design systems make it easy for a “non-design” person to create content templates, social media images, info graphics, etc., which looks professionally made. Blog posts or social media posts with images have proven to attract more clicks and engagement, so what are you waiting for?
- For Email: MailChimp or Benchmark
Email is not dead. It’s critical to grow your subscriber base because they are your loyal followers who will help share your content online or offline. Providing them high-quality content that serves their needs and wants is an important piece to any company’s marketing program, therefore, working with easy to use systems like MailChimp and Benchmark can help get you started.
- For Social Media Management: Buffer or Hootsuite
Buffer or Hootsuite allows you to monitor all social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn in one place. You can schedule posts in advance on this platform and respond to leads or customer who have engaged through your social media channels for more efficient customer service.
- For Video: Wistia or Vimeo
Videos are taking over. Before you know it, videos will completely take up your newsfeed as text posts are a thing of the past. Being able to create high-quality, free videos that have a simple call to action (CTA) at the end will allow you to stay ahead of the game and keep you audience engaged. Video systems like Wistia or Vimeo allows you to create videos in minutes.
- For an “All in One” Marketing System: HubSpot
HubSpot has released its free version of its Marketing System for 2017. This all-in-one system allows small businesses to keep every piece of the marketing program in one place. You will be able to create landing pages, blogs, forms, etc., while gathering data on your visitors – all tied in with a flashy dashboard. HubSpot also has a free "Marketing Grader" that grades your website based on SEO performance.
How EXIM Supports Small Businesses
If you’re a small business that has invested in online marketing tools and you’re starting to generate interest abroad, speak to your local EXIM Bank Rep to help you navigate how to do business overseas. EXIM Bank currently has export finance products aimed at helping small business exporters double their sales. These products include our Trade Credit Insurance allowing small businesses to safely extend credit terms to their foreign buyers by insuring against nonpayment risks for commercial or political reasons. In addition, we provide Working Capital Loan Guarantees, which provides a 90% loan-backing guarantee and it expands the borrowing base with more attractive advanced rates compared to traditional financing options. To find out more about how our programs can support your small business, request a consultation with one or our specialists below:
