Of course, the best marketing tool for event professionals is The Bash (formerly GigMasters). But in terms of your web design, branding and management tools, there are a number of awesome free applications out there. So if you can’t afford a Graphic Designer or a Project Manager, do it yourself!
The idea for this post was inspired by the 2014 Inbound Conference hosted by HubSpot last week. There were a number of great keynotes and sessions that covered a variety of marketing topics. Some of the companies below were mentioned at the event, while some are just our personal faves.
BEGINNER
SlideShare
According to Site Meter, the average reader spends 96 seconds reading the average blog. So if you have writer’s block, grab your audience with a fancy slideshow! SlideShare isn't just a way to share photos, but a creative way to tell a story to your friends and fans.
Over (Mobile App)
If you’re pressed for time, you can whip up a great Facebook image on-the-go. Simply install the Over app on your phone, then add/edit text to your photo. This style of posting creates an eye-grabbing image that will stand out on crowded social feeds.
This photo was taken at the Inbound Conference in Boston. You can barely see them in the background, but those are tasty food trucks surrounding us.
INTERMEDIATE
COLOURlovers
This one requires some web design skills (do you know what a "HEX" means?), but it’s a great way to get some inspiration for the colors of your promotions. You can quickly browse palettes to find the best combination of colors and patterns to be used in your entire marketing campaign.
Google Fonts
Some things are right under our noses. Did you know that Google has an interactive directory for fonts? You can browse and download from this open source site to give your text a makeover to fit your brand and overall style.
Canva
Canva is a free online tool for creating web graphics, social media images, flyers, posters, etc. No need to spend days going back and forth with a web designer about your Facebook cover. Simply pop on Canva.com and create your own image from their easy-to-use templates. Hey, you could even design a cool image to feature in your profile gallery on The Bash!
ADVANCED
Screaming Frog SEO Spider Tool
Our SEO guy, Rob Inconstanti, says this is the best site for search marketing. Screaming Frog’s free SEO Spider tool allows you to quickly analyze and review your site from an onsite SEO perspective. They also offer more in-depth services to better optimize your business across the board - website, social media, and pay per click.
Trello
This tool is more for mid to large size companies, however, it’s still APPlicable for DIY marketing (see what I did there?). Trello is a web-based project management tool to assign and track tasks for larger projects. Its user-friendly interface has a cool drag and drop feature to move and close tasks. Check out Trello with your team before you plan your next big event, tour or marketing campaign. It’s a great way to keep daydreaming creative types on schedule!
