As a small business, we are always striving to do more with less. We are sharing free marketing tools that we use to optimize our results without increasing our spending.

HARO

HARO stands for “help a reporter out” and is designed for organizations (big and small) to gain media coverage. HARO sends out a daily email of journalists’ requests for stories that anyone can reply to for the chance to be featured. We’ve used this resource for clients, and it is not only a great way to gain coverage, but an opportunity to create relationships with media outlets where you may otherwise have a hard time finding a contact.

Google Analytics

Simply put, Google Analytics tracks website traffic. This free tool tells you which pages on your website receives the most views, where your site’s traffic is coming from, how long users are staying on your website, and so much more.

Google Alerts 

Google Alerts notifies you when you are mentioned in the media. This free tool allows you to track any keywords, not just your company’s name. We suggest tracking industry trends, the names of you business’ stakeholders, and any other information that would be relevant to your organization.

Hootsuite

This platform is one of many social media management platforms that can be used for scheduling, engaging and more. While it is best to post on social media sites in real time, tools like Hootsuite are beneficial in organizing, planning and posting content on your organization’s social media profiles when needed.

Mailchimp

A free email marketing platform, Mailchimp is a tool that we use weekly at Frances Roy! We think an email list is essential for all businesses (read more about that here), but if you are just starting out, this website is user-friendly and an effective way to help you communicate directly with your audience.

Asana

Asana is an extremely helpful tool that can assist teams in managing tasks and projects. This site is particularly beneficial for organizations with remote workers because every team member can check the progress of assignments without contacting another team member.

Pexels

While we highly suggest investing in quality brand photography, we understand this can be a hefty expense. Stock photography can be a great substitute to use when you don’t have an adequate amount of brand photos to use for promotional materials. Pexels is a website that has thousands of free stock images that are available for individual or commercial use.

Canva

Canva is a simplified graphic design tool that can help amateur designers create beautiful images, brochures, flyers, logos and more. The simple drag-and-drop format makes it possible for anyone to use, no matter the level of design experience.