101ish free/cheap tools for marketing & communications people

101ish free/cheap tools for marketing & communications people*Jo Walters, Digital Engagement ManagerUniversity of Sussex Students’ Union@jowalters ~ #sucomms ~ #su14

* the best sort of people

The observant amongst you will notice there are not 101 things in this list (yet)

101 things was a joke that became a real 60 minute conference session which became a 30 minute conference session so let’s see how many we can get through...

* the best sort of people

@jowalters ~ #su14 ~ #sucomms

Websites


❏ Curate & publish content❏ Great for events &

freshers❏ Add content from

Twitter, YouTube etc❏ Embeddable❏ Good sharing - notify

people included

Storify

1

FreeFree


Picmonkey

2

Free

❏ Easy to use online image editor

❏ Good for speedy screenshots

❏ Quick cropping & editing

❏ Novelty themes


Google Maps

❏ e.g. where to live in our city

❏ e.g. where our Varsity fixtures are

3

Free


Batchgeo

❏ Plot addresses onto a Google Map in bulk

❏ e.g. postcodes for housing campaign

❏ e.g. voter nationalities

4

Free


Google Alerts

❏ Track key terms/people/topics

❏ e.g. your union/University

5

Free


Flickr Commons

❏ Images you can use for free as long as you credit the creator

6

Free


Google Drive

❏ Easy collaboration & sharing

❏ I particularly love Google Forms

7

Free


Google Analytics

❏ Understand how people use your website

❏ Track social media/email/publicity

8

Free


IFTTT

❏ Link stuff together to automate it

❏ e.g. if a news story is put online email me

❏ e.g. post Instagram pics directly to Twitter

9

Free


Trello

10

Free

❏ Project management❏ Collaboration❏ e.g. track work through

comms process


It’s Almost

❏ Embeddable countdown timer

❏ Great for deadlines and to build excitement

❏ e.g. ‘the close of voting’

11

Free


Followerwonk

❏ Search Twitter bios

❏ Analyse followers

❏ Compare accounts

12

Freemium


Tweetdeck❏ Manage

multiple accounts

❏ Search keywords

❏ Monitor lists

Hootsuite also recommended

13

Free


Doodle

❏ Schedule stuff by finding the most suitable time

14

Freemium


Typeform

❏ Make beautiful forms & surveys

❏ Works on any device

15

Freemium


Eventbrite❏ Ticket sales

(incl free events)

❏ Super customisable

❏ Paperless ticket option

❏ Track attendance

16

Free


Concept Codify

❏ Card sorting❏ Improve your

website navigation

❏ User input to organise information

17

Free


GA URL builder❏ Easily create

links to track your campaigns using Google Analytics

❏ e.g. links for Facebook & Twitter back to your site

18

Free

gaconfig.com/google-analytics-url-builder/


Hemingwayapp

19

Free


Canva❏ Awesome online

design tool❏ Easily make great

presentations & images

❏ Loads of templates & components to choose from

❏ My current favourite!

20

Free


Share link generator

❏ Create social sharing links, e.g. Facebook, Twitter "tweet this"

21

Free

www.sharelinkgenerator.com


Buffer

❏ Schedule & publish on social media

❏ Analytics

22

Free

Recommended by Colin Gibson & Malcolm Alden


Facebook insights

❏ See what content is popular

❏ Find out about your Facebook fans

23

Free

Recommended by Colin Gibson


Graph search

❏ Analyse Facebook info

❏ e.g. how many of our fans like band X?

24

Free



Topsy

❏ Search Twitter archive

❏ Monitor trends

❏ Analyse tweets

25

Free



Free RSVP

❏ Gather RSVPs for events or meetings

26

Free

Recommended by Malcolm Alden


Aweber, MailChimp or Campaign Monitor

❏ Email newsletters❏ Automatic series, e.g. training,

new students

27

Cheap

Campaign Monitor recommended by

Tom Flynn


Piktochart

❏ Infographics❏ Interactive maps❏ Charts

28

Freemium(non-profit education)


Sprout Social❏ Manage

social media

❏ Monitor, publish & respond

❏ Share accounts

❏ Analytics

29

Cheap

Recommended by Tom Flynn


Software & plugins


FastStone Photo Resizer

❏ Manage images in bulk

❏ Watermark❏ Resize❏ Rename❏ Portable app

30

Free


Eye Dropper

❏ Colour match images, branding etc

31

Free


LastPass

❏ Remember your passwords

❏ Great when managing multiple accounts

32

Free


MeasureIt!

❏ Measure things online

❏ e.g. plan image sizes

33

Free


Custom search

❏ Search sites you commonly use directly from your browser using a keyword

❏ e.g. Flickr Creative Commons❏ e.g. sites that don’t have a very good search

engine

34

Free


Rise Vision

❏ Digital signage platform

35

Free

Recommended by Vic Casambros


Read stuff


Predictably irrational

❏ Understand what influences people’s decision-making

36

Cheap


Made To Stick

❏ Learn how some ideas stick around

❏ How to stand out and be memorable

37

Cheap


Nudge

❏ Understand what influences people’s behaviour

❏ Behavioural economics

38

Cheap


Organizations Don't Tweet...

❏ Useful to help persuade others of the value of the social web

❏ I particularly like the idea of ‘trojan mice’

39

Cheap


Feedly

❏ Find blogs on relevant topics to learn and be inspired

❏ e.g. marketing, digital, writing, feminism, cats, democracy, local government, higher education

40

Free

joannawalters.co.uk/other-internet-things/reading-the-internetSome of my favourite

blogs are listed here


Other stuff


Charity Comms

41

Cheap

❏ Loads of great events, blogs, training & resources

❏ Discount for NUS members on organisational membership


Learn to code

42

Free

❏ Understand how digital things are built and how they work

❏ Make easy changes to your digital content


#sucomms

43

Free

❏ Twitter hashtag for people working in students’ union communications

❏ Share ideas & ask questions


Rough Agenda events

44

Free

❏ Free events for digital marketers

❏ My favourite is the Content Marketing Show


Comms by the Coast

45

Free

❏ Annual event for Students’ Union communications people

❏ Talks from students’ union people❏ Talks from non-students’ union

people❏ Sunshine (usually)❏ Pastries (always)


LinkedIn group

46

Free

❏ Discuss things and share resources more easily than via a mailing list

❏ Make new contacts


University &local libraries

47

Free

flickr.com/photos/neilt/9685321345


Look beyond your sector & be curious

48

Free

❏ If you only look within your sector you’ll only ever be as good as the best organisation in it

Help get the list to 101+ free/cheap tools for marketing & communications peoplejoannawalters.co.uk@jowalters #sucomms