Essential Tools Every Business Owner Needs to Start Owning Their Marketing
After over a decade in the sales and marketing industry, I have used my fair share of digital marketing tools and resources, and, I can tell you, not all of them are created equal.
The below list includes my favorite digital marketing tools, from website building, email marketing, graphic design, and more! All of these I have either used for marketing a client’s brand, or my own and gladly recommend to anyone looking to kick start their digital marketing efforts.
Website Building Tools
HostGator: Web hosting that scales from easy to expert.
HostGator provides a ton of website hosting options, 99.9% uptime guarantee, free SSL certificate, easy WordPress installs, and a free domain for a year.
Whether you are looking for a personal website hosting plan or a business website hosting plan, HostGator is the perfect solution. I am currently using HostGator for my website and couldn’t be happier! Their customer support is top-notch, very responsive, and actually helpful! Plus, I haven’t had any issues with security hacks, website outages, or site speed, which I have had issues with, in the past, working with another (very popular) website hosting platform. 😉
Envato Market: Find the perfect WordPress theme!
Envato Market is a collection of themed marketplaces, where creatives sell digital assets to help bring your ideas to life. Buy anything from Photoshop actions and video footage to advanced WordPress themes and plugins.
Just about every website I’ve built, over the years, has started with a search through WordPress themes on Envato Market. Even if you don’t end up using any of the themes, it’s an excellent place to start for inspiration when designing a new website. Plus, with the endless options available, you’re bound to find a theme you’ll fall in love with!
Leadpages: Create code-free landing pages!
Leadpages is the easiest, most effective way to sell your services online: easily build code-free, high-converting landing pages, pop-ups, alert bars, and beyond.
I have used Leadpages to build ALL of the Socialography landing pages. It is the most user-friendly landing page builder I’ve used, to date. They make it easy by providing template options to work with so you’re not just starting with a blank screen. And integrations with Facebook and Google Analytics are seamless, making the process of setting up your tracking tools that much easier!
Email Marketing Tools
Constant Contact: Email marketing made easy.
Constant Contact’s email marketing tools make it easy to stand out while you get the word out. They offer a free Email Template Builder as well as hundreds of mobile-optimized templates for every purpose—from promoting a sale to launching a new product. Then track your success with real-time reporting and robust analytics.
Constant Contact is one of my favorite email marketing platforms for a reason. My experience with this platform is pretty extensive, as I’ve managed several multi-location email marketing campaigns using Constant Contact. However, whether you’re managing a multi-location campaign or building an email list from scratch, Constant Contact is easy to use and provides just about every tool, you could imagine needing, to communicate with your customers easily and effectively! 📧
Graphic Design Tools
Canva: Design anything… no really!
Canva is the design software that makes design simple, convenient, and reliable—create what you need in no time!
Canva is seriously one of my favorite digital marketing tools… like ever! If you’re not a designer, but want a quick and easy way to make high-quality images, Canva is literally all you need. I have used Canva to design everything from social media cover photos and posts, to website designs, email designs, video thumbnails, book covers, wedding invitations, Facebook and Instagram ads, and the list goes on.
Canva offers an always-free account by signing up with an email address, but the Pro plan is more than worth it. I’ve had it for years and have never had to use another design software. Give it a go, I promise you’ll fall in love with Canva, too! 😊
Learn More About Digital Marketing
Online Course: Creating Ads That Convert
Creating Ads That Convert is a step-by-step guide for creating professional-looking, attention-grabbing, lead-generating ads that actually convert. Learn how to write ad copy, design custom images, and build trackable links for your ads like a pro!
I’ve compiled all of my best tips, tricks, and processes for creating high-quality Facebook ads into an online course that you can easily complete in as little as one day! Whether you’ve run a Facebook ads campaign before, or ready to try it out for the first time, this course will walk you through my step-by-step process for creating ads from scratch.
Socialography on YouTube!
Check out my YouTube channel for even more marketing tips and advice for business owners, just like you!
Some of the links provided are affiliate links and I will make a small commission if you purchase a product through that link.