If you’re an entrepreneur, you know how demanding life can be. There’s a never-ending to-do list, and you’re constantly pulling an all-nighter just to make sure your product is going to be launched at the right time. You’re expected to work hard, and think hard, and not always have time for the little things that make you happy. That’s what makes being an entrepreneur so exciting, but tiring at the same time.
One of the things that helps keep your energy up is marketing. Entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for new ways to market their products or services, and many of them turn to social media to spread the word about their businesses. But did you know that you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money on ads to get results? There are a lot of free (and almost free) marketing resources available online that can help you get the results you’re looking for without the hassles of paying for expensive ads.
Here are 5 essential marketing resources for entrepreneurs looking to succeed in a business world full of competitors.
#1: Product Hunt
Product Hunt is a community that helps you discover new products that have yet to be released. Created by entrepreneurs who were tired of trying to grow their businesses in a traditional fashion and needed a better way to surface new products for customers to discover, Product Hunt offers a variety of benefits for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. They are essentially an online marketplace where users can discover and try out new products, and in return, gain access to useful information about the products. If you’re a small or medium sized business looking to succeed in a world full of competitors, Product Hunt can be a useful tool for you.
If you’ve ever tried to navigate the world of online marketing and web development by yourself, you’ll know how immensely valuable a resource Product Hunt can be. They have experts who are available to help you with anything you need, and they’ll also give you enough information to be able to take care of any issue yourself. In addition to that, they offer a variety of tools and resources to make your life a little easier, which can help you get more work done so you can focus on growing your business.
#2: Hootsuite
Hootsuite is one of the world’s most popular social media management platforms, which also provides marketing tools to help you grow your business. For a nominal fee, you can create a free account that allows you to manage all of your social media accounts from one place. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll find a dashboard that breaks down all of your social media activity in a clear and concise manner, so you can easily track the results of your efforts. You can also use Hootsuite to engage with your audience and find new followers.
There are a number of benefits to using Hootsuite. First of all, it’s extremely easy to use, so even if you’re not tech-savvy, you’ll be able to get involved. Second, it allows you to manage all of your social media accounts from one place, which can be incredibly handy. Third, it provides you with detailed analytics so you can track the results of your efforts in terms of growth and engagement. Forth, it’s very affordable, especially considering all of the features it offers.
#3: Social Media Today
If you’re looking for an all-in-one platform that can help you create and manage social media content for your business, you’ll find it in Social Media Today. This tool is designed for businesses of all sizes, and even if you’re a small business owner who wants to expand your reach to a broader audience, it’s still an affordable option. All you need is a YouTube account to get started (you can use your own YouTube account, or you can connect one of YouTube’s Premium accounts to your account), an RSS feed that contains your business’s content, and a Twitter account (you can use your own, or you can connect one of Twitter’s premium accounts to your account).
Once you’ve got those basic elements taken care of, all you need to do is populate your channel with content using either the free YouTube tool or the SMT tool. From there, you can take advantage of the platform’s built-in automation tools to get content out on schedule without having to think about it too much. You can use the platform’s native tools to engage with your audience or schedule live videos with customers or stakeholders to take your business to the next level.
#4: Google Analytics
If you’ve ever tried to grow your business on a shoestring budget, you’ll know how expensive it can be to try and find the sources of your traffic and then figure out how to convert that traffic into paying customers. That’s where Google Analytics comes in. Not only does it offer you the ability to learn more about your audience and gain a better understanding of what exactly they’re looking for, but it allows you to monitor the results of your efforts in real-time. That means you can adjust your strategy as needed to generate more leads and grow your business.
Google Analytics is a free tool offered by the Google family of companies, and it’s trusted by millions across the world for providing insights into how people are using the web. If you’re serious about growing your business, it’s one of the first items on this list, because without it, you’ll never know if your efforts are paying off or if you’re just wasting your time.
#5: HubSpot
If you’re looking to get the most out of your marketing dollars and want to see measurable results without having to break the bank, you’ll find what you’re looking for in HubSpot. This all-in-one marketing tool allows you to create and track marketing campaigns, analyze the results, and adjust your strategy as needed. It’s extremely popular among entrepreneurs because of its many features that allow you to effectively plan out your marketing strategy and then track its results. You can use HubSpot to create and send out e-mails, post on social media, and much more.
HubSpot’s pricing plans are affordable, and you don’t necessarily need to have a lot of experience to get the most out of it. Plus, it comes with a free trial, so you can take it for a spin and see how it works without having to commit to a paid subscription right away.
The Bottom Line
While you can’t know for sure what will work for your business and what won’t, the key takeaway from this article is that you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to get results when it comes to marketing. Because there are so many tools available on the market today that allow you to gain insights into your audience’s behaviors and needs, it’s possible to form a solid strategy that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. If you’re an entrepreneur who wants to succeed in a world full of competitors, these are the tools that can help you do that.