20 Free Online Marketing Resources for Small Businesses
So, you have made the decision to take the leap and start your own business. You will already know that taking on such a venture is time consuming and can get expensive. To help you with your marketing budget, we have compiled a list of free online marketing resources that you can use to help you get started.
Website Tools
1. WordPress
To start any business, big or small, you will need a website. WordPress can help you do this for free and without the colossal fees of a website designer/developer. Of course, with any website building platform, if you want to have a personalised domain name you will need to pay for this, but you can create a professional looking website completely free.
2. Wix
Wix is another website building platform that through the use of templates, can create a professional website for free. The added bonus is their Wix ADI feature, where you answer a few simple questions and the Wix platform will create the web template for you based on your answers.
3. Google Analytics
Google offers several free tools that are extremely useful for marketing and running a business, many of which we cover in this list. First up is Google Analytics, by far the most extensive website analytics platform available for free. It covers traffic insights, audience behaviour, popular content and so much more. You can even link your other Google platforms, so it can all be tracked under one roof in conjunction with the others.
4. Google My Business
Google My Business is an easy to use platform that manages your online presence on Google, covering areas such as products and services you offer, managing your reviews and Google Search and Maps insights. You can also add blog posts and articles, as well as images to try and improve your search rankings.
SEO
5. Google Search Console
Another useful resource from Google, the Search Console helps you understand and improve your Google search results. It’s a great way to crawl, index and troubleshoot your site and track your ranking position. As far as SEO tools go it’s more basic but as a free resource it is a must have.
6. Moz
Moz is an SEO tool that offers free usage for up to 10 queries a month including being able to run an SEO site audit and doing keyword research. Originally starting as an SEO blog, the platform was developed by experts in the field. Their ethos is focused on earning customers rather than buying them, so we recommend taking advantage of the 30-day free trial for the Pro option too.
7. Ubersuggest
Similar to Moz, Ubersuggest allows you free access to the platform for a limited number of tasks per day. However, unlike Moz you don’t require an account to do so. The site is comprehensive yet easy to use and extremely useful for keyword research and content ideas.
8. SEMrush
Another great SEO platform is SEMrush. It covers a vast number of features that will ensure you are optimizing your website for the best results. While you do have limited access for free, you can still use all of the tools on offer, which include traffic analytics, SEO, brand monitoring and much more.
Social Media Tools
9. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that does in fact cost money. However, they offer a lot of information and resources on the website for free. Including a 30-day free trial, if you wanted to get a feel for how the website works. The free resources include webinars, guides and their social ROI (return on investment) calculator, which helps you with investment and revenue projections.
10. Buffer
Buffer on the other hand allows you pre-schedule and publish content to your social media accounts – Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn – absolutely free. Instagram however is a part of their Pro package for which you are charged an annual or monthly fee.
11. Social Media Platforms
Arguably an obvious, but still incredibly useful free marketing tool. It is common for certain business areas or those unfamiliar with social media, to think they won’t need it and their website will suffice. However, platforms like Facebook and Instagram are the leading outlets for brand discovery. Having Twitter and LinkedIn business profiles are great for customer interaction and networking respectively. And if you have the time, create a YouTube account for video marketing.
12. Canva
Canva is a free graphic design tool for people who don’t have the first clue about graphic design. It offers hundreds of free templates that allow you to create the perfect social media posts or ad campaigns, all of which are editable so you can personalise them to your brand. It can also create invitations and flyers, perfect for events.
Email Marketing
13. Hubspot
Hubspot offers a whole host of free marketing tools, but are probably best known for their marketing automation. However, their free tools also include CRM software, email marketing, analytics and creating social media advertisements. It is a great way to get a feel for the website and decide, when the budget allows it, to opt for the paid packages. To fast-track your HubSpot onboarding, including technical consulting, HubSpot setup, and marketing campaign assistance, we recommend working with a HubSpot partner, such as Whitehat SEO. Learn more about Whitehat to ensure your first campaign is a success.
14. Sender
Sender is a free email marketing platform that allows you to create newsletters or email updates through a range of templates. You can also personalise the emails for each recipient. One of the best features of Sender is the comprehensive analytics, covering who opened the emails and when, click through rates and helps build buyer profiles.
15. MailChimp
MailChimp is another free email marketing platform that, similar to Sender, lets you easily create newsletters and email automations with limited or no HTML knowledge. They have also recently added a website building platform. MailChimp’s free package offers ‘all the basics for businesses just getting started’.
Further Education
16. Google Digital Garage
Google Digital Garage is an incredible resource for developing your skills as a business owner. It offers a range of free online courses that you can do at your leisure, covering areas such as basics of code, online business security and AI. Some of the courses also include a certification.
17. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is another great education outlet and actually covers a far wider range of subjects than the Google option. Many of the courses are free and are split into short instructional videos so that you can quickly and easily digest the information.
18. QuickSprout
QuickSprout is an information hub that offers helpful tips that will help you grow your business. They cover a range of topics from how to create a website to email marketing and much more. All of their helpful information can be accessed completely for free and there is very little they don’t cover!
Content Marketing
19. Google Trends
Google Trends is a free tool that allows you to see what search terms are trending over a certain period of time. And it can be filtered per country. Once you’ve chosen your term you can find various insights such as popularity over time or by region and related topics. This is great for content marketing, as well as planning ad campaigns or product offers.
20. Medium
For many businesses, blogs and articles are great ways to drive traffic to your site and establish yourself as an industry expert. However, even if your content is amazing, it can sometimes be difficult to get it in front of the right audience. With Medium, a free publishing site, you can expand your reach that little bit more. It can be linked to a social media platform for writers, you can create an account and submit your best work, making sure to keep it ad free!