You, as a small business owner, can definitely learn to do it all. However, you do not have to. Managing the social media for your small business, creating content, and distributing that content is a big job all on its own. Some people do just these things as professionals. As in, they work for small businesses, big companies, and brands to do these things. Here is a little tip, the very applications we are going to share with you today, they use! The reality is not every small business owner can hire and outsource their work. It may be they are just starting out, that their budget does not allow for outside help, or just that they don't want to. All of those reasons are perfectly acceptable and valid. However, the work still needs to be done. So here it is, the final blog in our Back to Basics: Social Series. A short, sweet and to the point blog where we list our top FREE applications that you can use as a small business owner that are going to make creating, sharing, marketing, advertising, and connecting on social media easier, oh and they are FREE. Note that some of them have limited paid features but they are an option. Welcome to Back To Basics: Free Apps To Help You Add Value To Your Social Media, Content & Marketing.
We are going to keep this super short. Here are our top 6 apps that we think any small business owner can benefit from having to make their social situation easier! Or at least make it faster and more effective.
1. Design - Canva
So much of social media marketing and content creation is visuals. This may be the most popular selection on this list, and that is because it is the best. This app is going to help you create amazing graphics, posts, and videos. That is just the tip of the iceberg. There isn't much this app cannot do from a design perspective. An essential tool in any small business owner's toolbox.
2. Stock Images - Stock Vault
Sometimes you need photos for something, and the reality is that not everyone has super great photography skills. Nor do they have the time to do a photoshoot after photoshoot. This app solves one big issue: where to find photos you are allowed to use? For that, you only need to check out Stock Vault. Consistently updating and adding new images regularly. They have photos, backgrounds, and textures for whatever you may need.
3. Video Editing - Davinci Resolve
If you have been hanging around on social media as of late, you may have noticed that videos are kind of popular. They are a fixture on almost all platforms that are powerful and reach wide audiences. You will need to make videos, and this app helps you to edit and polish them so they look professional, creative, and engaging for your growing audience.
4. Ideas - Quora
This may actually be the last place most people would think to look for content ideas. They would be very wrong; it's the first and best place to look. Why? Content is about giving your audience what they need! It entertains, informs, and educates them. When they are entertained, informed, and educated, they are more likely to become customers and clients. With millions of people on Quora daily, they are all doing the same thing: asking questions about anything and literally everything. People are telling you what they want to know. So you can use this platform and app as a tool for content ideas related and adjacent to your product, service, or industry. They ask the questions and there is probably a high chance that your growing audience has the same questions and interests. Now all you need to do is create the content that answers those questions in a creative way, discusses the topics, and relates to their curious nature. People will always tell you what they need, you just need to be listening. Well in this case, looking!
5. Social Posting - Hootsuite
Let's be honest, without a doubt, all small business owners have lives outside of operating and growing their small businesses. They have families, relationships, hobbies, and even other professions. No one can be on social media ALL the time. However, that does not mean the desire to stay consistent with one's posting and engaging isn't there. So how do you manage your time, keep your posts consistent, and give yourself a break from constant social media overload? You can use an app to schedule your content and share it from one place. An app like Hootsuite, which is arguably the most popular app around for this purpose. You sit down, take some time to craft your posts, content, and videos. Then you have it posted across all your platforms in one place at a time you have decided on. It's that easy. This is great for the small businesses who like to be very organized and on top of it, or the ones that want to be!
Social media does not have to be all consuming of your time and energy. These five apps we are sure will help to make the work of handling your small business's social media easier, more effective, and less burdensome! This is the last piece in our Back To Basics: Social Series and for all the content in this series simply scroll down and click the links to each blog piece. Thank you for joining us and we hope that these educational and resource-sharing posts have been useful to you as a small business owner. Feel free to share with your fellow small business owners because sharing is caring and helps all small businesses in our community become more successful!
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More In The ONSBC Back To Basics Series
Instagram Basics: A Guide To Using Instagram
Facebook Basics: A Guide To Using Facebook For Business
Hashtags & Captions
The Five “W’s” In Media
Ghosting On Your Posting
Content Creation Foundations
Social Do’s & Do Not’s
Free Apps To Help You Add Value To Your Social Media, Content & Marketing
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