The internet can be an overwhelming place, especially for small business owners. There are tons of tools and resources out there begging for our attention, all promising similar results when it comes to improving your online presence or creating high-converting Facebook ads. Here are some tools I’ve found over the years that I swear by.
10. Hemingway App
Great writing tool to help with making sure word counts are on point, you’re not using too many adverbs, and your writing doesn’t get overly complicated. It’s a simple editor without many bells and whistles – but what it does, it does very, very well.
9. Supermetrics
This one may be more on the digital marketing side, and for those that are analytics driven. But if you need to gather data from multiple sources into one place to analyze it – and hate doing things by hand, Supermetrics is your tool of choice.
8. Adobe Capture
For those with an eye for design – have you ever seen a sunset and wish you could save all the colors to use in a project? Here ya go.
7. SkillShare
Curious on learning Adobe, Digital Marketing, How to Start a Business, Animation or Photography? Skillshare is #1 resource for all of that. I think I’ve watched every course that Daniel Scott has on Adobe on that platform. It’s pretty affordable ($99/year) and well worth the investment. (If you use the link posted, you can test it out for 2 months Free.)
6. Red Square Game
Looking to clear your mind a bit? I can’t tell you how many drawn-out conference calls in my early days were spent playing this – I just played it for the first time in maybe 5 years and couldn’t make it to 20 seconds. I feel like I’ve disappointed my former self…or perhaps I’m happy that I don’t get a chance to play it anymore….
5. Quicksilver
If you’re a Mac user – this is the first app I install whenever I get a new Macbook, ok, so that’s been twice. Set-up a short-cut (mines CTRL + SPACEBAR) and type the app, folder, or website you want open – hit enter, and boom.
Which shows us the next app that I love:
4. Skitch.
It’s a great screenshot app, now owned by Evernote. You might have your favorite screenshot app – this one’s mine.
3. Background Noise
Ok, maybe this one is filed under Cool Things. Nature Mixer is a close second.
2. Feedly
A relatively newcomer to the list (within the past couple of months). Consider this an RSS feed of your favorite sites or blogs – eliminating all the noise, and just showing you articles and stories about things you care about. (Do people still know what RSS feeds are?)
1. Emotional Word Chart
Looking to take your writing game to the next level? Tired of using the same words all the time? Use the Emotional Word Chart to help find the word you’re looking for. Can’t find it there? Take a look at my list of Power Words.
As a longtime internet veteran, I’ve gathered these and more and use them often! They’ve helped me build my own brand, as well as help others improve digital marketing strategy for their own small businesses. You can do anything, as long as you have the right tools.
