Below is a list of digital marketing tools I use on a regular basis.
Just so you know, some, not all, of the resources below, are paid services or products.
If you purchase them because you've clicked on a link, I may make a few dollars (At no cost to you, don't worry). So, if you do purchase anything from this page… smart move and THANK YOU!
If you have any questions about any of this stuff, let me know by using the contact form.
Here is a list of resources (tools and services) I used and recommend.
All-In-One Marketing Tool
High Level – I am putting this one right at the top because it replaces nearly every tool listed below for a fraction of the price.
You can build websites and landing pages with it. Build out fully automated email and SMS campaigns. Track and record calls. Automate reputation management with review requests. Invoice and collect payments on desktop and mobile. Run quiz and survey funnels. Schedule social media posts. Create membership programs and courses. Manage your entire team.
It also integrates with just about every tool listed below (if you are using one already). And I am sure I am missing something.
Overall, it is a fully loaded CRM that you can use to manage and track your entire sales funnel. Get a free 14 Day Trial to test it out.
Build Or Host A Website
Hosting
SiteGround – At the beginning of 2017 I switched all my websites to SiteGround. I love them. I cut my hosting fees by 2/3. Nice and organized dashboard on the back end.
And they have awesome support. I experienced this first hand because after 10 years online, I have a ton of cyber junk (old sites, unused email servers, broken this, broken that, etc). They helped make the switch pretty smooth.
WP Engine – If want premium, dedicated WordPress hosting, check out WP Engine. It's a larger investment than SiteGround but the site speed is phenomenal and the support is above and beyond.
Website Creation
WordPress – Every one of my sites is on WordPress. You can do pretty much anything with WordPress. Collect emails, start a blog, and add plugins to sell your music or play your tunes.
Oh, and did you know 24% of websites on the entire web (yep, the ENTIRE WEB) is running on WordPress? Sites like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Just saying.
StudioPress – The theme I am using for this website is StudioPress. It has served me well. However, I am considering changing it over the next theme though…
Elegant Themes – For the last handful of websites I've built I've used the Divi theme by Elegant Themes. They are incredibly well-designed, are updated all the time, and the Divi theme is extremely versatile.
Shopify – Probably the top platform for building out online stores.
WooCommerce – Also, checkout Woocommerce if you'd rather build out your store on WordPress.
Landing Pages/Website Enhancement
Unbounce – Landing pages a very useful for creating and testing out web pages fast for paid ad campaigns. I've used a handful of other landing page services, they are all pretty solid, but I've always come back to Unbounce. Great support, some awesome new AI features and always adding new features. Try it free through my link and get 20% off.
Carrd.co – This is a free “one-page” website builder. Super handy for getting a website up really fast. Built 2 pages with Carrd so far (here's one). Both sites took less than an hour to build. It is very slick. It was actually fun and I found myself wanting to creat more pages. May not have everything you need to run paid ads but it is fast and easy even for a total beginner. Sign up here.
Research, Tracking, and Analysis
Google Analytics – Google's free tool gives insight into every step of your customer’s journey on your website as well as measures your advertising ROI. You'll be able to track traffic from your website from most other websites, social networking sites, videos, and applications. Totally free and absolutely essential.
AdEvolver – This tool helps me manage and optimizes Google Ads campaigns. It saves me a bunch of time and offers another set of eyeballs on all my accounts. I switched from Optmyzr (below) for a couple of reasons.
- I really like the clean and minimalistic dashboard that helps keeps a tighter focus on top-priority information (budget, search terms, and CPA/ROAS).
- To save on monthly fees. Since I am about 90% Google Ads, I can accomplish what I need to with AdEvolver. When testing it out, I felt I was paying for a ton of stuff I wasn't using with Optmyzr. That said, Optmyzr is more than worth it if you are able to take advantage of all its features and/or run ads on multiple platforms.
Optmyzr – Another great tool that helps manage and optimize Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Amazon PPC, and Facebook too. Get a free trial and see for yourself.
** more to come **
Newsletter and Email Services
beehiiv – I started a newsletter using beehiiv in February 2023 and I love it. Compared to many of the services I've used over the years (at least 10), the interface is very user-friendly and intuitive.
I like that you can publish your publish as an email, a web page, or both. That is a great feature if you don't want to have to manage a blog and newsletter separately.
They also have some handy tools built right in like surveys and a referral program. The referral program allows you to reward your subscribers for referring friends. A feature like that can help your list grow faster. Go try beehiiv now for free.
Mailchimp – This WAS the email service I use for projects in the early days and there are a few clients of mine who still use it. Very solid. It's free to get started but if you want to use autoresponders and save time, you need to get paid in which case you might be better off using…
ConvertKit (free) – I switch over to this service very years back. If you don't mind paying a few bucks and/or are looking for an email provider that provides made-for-you landing page templates, ConvertKit is awesome. It is also one the easiest to use for beginners and feature-rich for more advanced users. Lots of ready-to-use templates for forms, landing pages, and autoresponder sequences. Clean, visual interfaces make it easy to understand and they have excellent training and live support (which is huge). Speaking of support, they moved my lists and subscribers over for me when I joined. That's huge. Saved a ton of time. Try the free tier to see what you think.
Klaviyo – If you have a Shopify site, this might be the best solution for you. There are a few annoying things about it (like not being able to easily resend to unopened) but it is great at automating follow-up with past customers and cart abandoners. Used by a couple of my clients with heavy traffic and very large customer bases. It's powerful.
Grow Your Social Media Presence
TweetHunter – This tool (and the next) helps you build a following on Twitter. You can scheduled posts. They have a bunch of AI-generated scripts you can use to create your own Tweets (when you're not sure what to say).
I really like the CRM feature TweetHunter has. Helps you organize and keep tabs with everyone you are following. Plus gives you a simple dashboard you can quickly engage with people in your network and or other places like lists or hashtags. Speed things up rather than clicking back and forth between windows on Twitter.
It will save you a ton of time. Go start your trial of TweetHunter.
Hypefury – Other than the CRM features, Hypefury does many of the same things as TweetHunter and more. Their scheduling is better at finding the best times to schedule Tweets. You can cross-post on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook which is handy if you are active on those others. And it is a bit more inexpensive. Click here to try Hypefury.
Overall…
I actually use both of those tools. I just could not choose. Hypefury will work fine for most Twitter users who want a lower price point and if you cross-post. The TweetHunter CRM is a big feature and the higher price investment is worth it if you plan on being very active networking with people, and you want to save a bunch of time.
YouTube
TubeBuddy – Been using this handy optimization tool for personal and client projects. It saves a ton of time and really optimizes your channels to get the most out of every viewer (especially for YouTube beginners). They have a feature-filled free tier. If you do any YouTube Marketing you'll see the value instantly. Try it and you'll see. It's a no-brainer!
Tubesift – If you are running YouTube Ads, these tools will save you a ton of time finding lists of very specific videos and audiences to target. They also have very good YouTube Ads training.
Books / Courses
80/20 Marketing by Perry Marshall – I've been following Perry since like 2005 when I read his first book on Google AdWords. If you are serious about marketing online or off, this book is essential. This is the kind of book you keep within arm's length because you'll be referring to it often.
Google Business Execution Plan – If you are a local business, this is a great course that walks you through setting up your Google Business profile to help double or triple your customers. I reference it every time I help out someone local and its an invaluable resource.
** more to come **
Audio / Video
Filmora Video Editor – I use this software for creating some of my videos that require heavier editing. It's very intuitive, has a ton of drag and drop type templates to get you rolling out of the box AND it is very reasonably priced compared to higher-end software (just as powerful).
Loom – Video screen recording software (More below under Utility/Productivity).
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface – Super low latency. And as long as you are using quality microphones and gear, very clean, excellent sounding recordings.
Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording Microphone – I use this mic for podcasting and for audio on any desktop recorded videos requiring higher production value. This mic was recommended to me by the Podcast Answer Man Cliff Ravenscraft.
I always thought that if you want people to take you seriously, you gotta sound good. I love the way it makes my voice sound and I get a lot of compliments.
Sennheiser HD 212Pro Headphones – This exact model is discontinued but they are awesome. I think it is a pretty safe bet that the newer model Sennheiser is offering is just as awesome.
Shure MV5 Digital Condenser Microphone (Gray) + USB & Lightning Cable – If you've watched any of my short videos, video reports, or Zoom calls you probably heard it in action. I have a bunch of mics already but this one goes directly into my smartphone, laptop, and desktop which saves time and is pretty damn convenient especially when going remote.
Looks a little funny but it does a great job. They have dedicated audio and video recording apps you can download and use with it too which really help get the best sound out of them.
Utility / Productivity
Loom – This may be the most utilized tool on this page. I use it for so many things. I record video reports for clients, over-the-shoulder instructions for team members and how to's and pitch videos for sales and marketing. Totally free and very versatile. Sign up for a free account.
Calendly – Super handy scheduling app that saves a bunch of time when scheduling meeting and consultation. Just send a link with your available times, the other person chooses the time that works for them and the meeting gets added to both calendars.
Pretty Links – This is a great WordPress plugin to use for shortening links as well as for tracking clicks on and sharing affiliate links. You can even turn existing copy on your WordPress site into an affiliate link. You create a link, enter in the word on your site that you'd like to make into an affiliate link, and every page on your site containing that word becomes a potential revenue stream. Pretty Links is pretty cool! Check it out.
** more to come **
Questions?
Remember, if you have any questions about any of these recommendations or want help setting it up, let me know by using the contact form.