Marketing and creating a presence for any new business is essential for attracting new clientele and expanding your brand. Every new business undergoes the growing pains of learning the dos and don’ts and maneuvering daily tasks. Trying to stand out from the crowd and promote yourself can be stressful and oftentimes repetitive. With so much on your to do list, you’ve got to work smarter not harder and get the help you need. Sometimes you wish you had a personal assistant or whole team behind you to aid with these tasks, but it’s okay to start small. Take some stress and tasks off your to do lists by opting for FREE online tools that work for you.

I recommend checking out a few online tools that have been found helpful in showcasing your growing your business:

Canva– Canva is a user friendly platform that allows you to be your own design team. Canva has the ability to create posters, flyers, and video ads/posts specifically formatted for your socials. Not only are you able to create your own designs with their easy to use templates, but you are able to download and share them directly onto your platforms. The best part, it’s free!

Disclaimer: Canva does offer a PRO option that allows access to more images and templates, but just starting out, the free version is more than enough! Slow and steady wins the race.

Mailchimp– Email blasts are a great way to market your business and stay connected to your clientele. Mailchimp offers email campaign templates which can be filled out and formatted; it’s easy to use! Mailchimp also offers formatted contact forms and subscription boxes that you’re able to place on your website or send out, in which clients are able to input their information into the form. Once filled out, that information auto populates on your Mailchimp platform. With that information, you are able to send out the email campaigns you created to each client on your contact list.

Disclaimer: There is a contact limit when first starting out, so as your business grows to over 2,000 contacts, Mailchimp recommends upgrading to their paid subscription platform, which provides more services to you. For start up companies, I believe Mailchimp’s free mail campaign access is a great start.

Hootsuite– Social media marketing is one of the biggest and most effective ways of bringing awareness to your brand. Hootsuite is like having a social media manager right at your fingertips. With the free version, you are able to link up to 3 social media accounts and schedule social media posts onto the 3 platforms of your choice. It’s fast, efficient, and you don’t have to constantly remember to get on your phone and post on each domain. You’re able to schedule specific time and dates for the posts and interact with your followers all in one easy to use place.

Disclaimer: There is a paid feature on this platform that does allow you to connect to more platforms and do more, but if you regularly post content on social media, this online tool is a must-have and the free version definitely lightens the load.

StreamYard– If you produce live videos and communicate to your clientele via online streaming, then StreamYard is your friend! With the use of StreamYard you are able to broadcast your live videos onto multiple sites all at once. Now you can stream on Youtube, Facebook Live, LinkedIn and more by linking your socials together onto StreamYard.  You are also able to chat to others and have live interviews all with the push of a button. Super easy, super convenient, and very efficient way to connect to a larger number of people all at once.

Disclaimer: Streamyard does place their logo onto your videos, which you can pay to remove and replace with your own. Also opting for their paid version allows you to connect with more participants in a video call and record the live streaming, so depending on your use or need there is room for more with their paid options but of course, for starters Streamyards free version is quite useful. 

Alignable– Network Network Network! Alignable is a website and a mobile phone app that allows you to connect with small businesses in your area. It provides you exposure to other small businesses where you are able to connect and offer services to one another. By connecting, sharing, and providing great feedback, not only are you growing your exposure with other small businesses in your area, but you are also creating a rapport for your brand that can go a long way.

Disclaimer: You must be willing to put yourself out there and reach out to others. Taking lead is key when using this site, but it will be of good use once the ball starts rolling and you put yourself out there and make use out of the resources it provides.