Getting the job done always relies on having the right tools at your disposal.

Want to drive home a nail? Use a hammer and put the screwdriver away. It’s just common sense.

Marketing has its own set of tools. And if you know how to use them, you can successfully elevate your digital brand and win new customers like never before.

But you have to know which tools to use – and for what.

In this post, I’m sharing some of the tools of the digital marketing trade. You’ll be introduced to six tools that many digital marketers use almost every day – and that you can easily pick up to help improve your brand.

You may not adopt or use all of them, but I highly recommend checking them out to see if they’re right for you:

Tool #1. Canva

Designing images that help you engage with your online audience is difficult – but necessary.

But any old image won’t do. All those stock photos that you painstakingly matched to the content on your site aren’t as effective at engaging website visitors as custom-made images, at least according to a recent study.

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So what can you do about it? If you want to keep your audience interested, you’ll need to work on creating custom, high-value images.

One solution for that is to hire a graphic designer full time – but that’s not always a realistic possibility. It’s costly, and you may not have enough work to justify the expense.

Or you could hire a freelancer, but it’s not uncommon for some of your data to get lost in translation.

That’s why – sometimes – the solution is to just do it yourself, and that’s what Canva helps you do.

Think of it like a library of designs and ideas that still allows you to customize everything to your exact need. All you have to do is sign up, find a design you like (some are paid, but many are free), and then get to work.

You can have a unique design for your business in no time for minimal cost. It may not have all the glam of a custom design, but it definitely helps when you’re in a pinch and need a design fast.

Tool #2. Google Analytics

How do you know if your digital marketing efforts are working?

That’s a question that everyone asks, but few put in the legwork to uncover. But the reality of your online performance is just a few clicks away – and it’s totally free thanks to Google Analytics.

All you need to do to get started is sign up and claim your business’s domain. You can then use the vast dashboard to track minute aspects of your digital presence – including where people find your site, the paths they take once they get there, and how long they’re reading your content.

If you don’t have Google Analytics set up yet, do it now. It’s a no-brainer for anyone who wants to elevate their digital marketing game.

Tool #3. Yoast

SEO is crazy. Let’s just be honest.

Google changes their search engine somewhere between 500-600 times each year. If you don’t feel like keeping up, it’s pretty easy to fall behind in terms of best practice for your website.

But that’s where Yoast, our next tool, can make a huge difference.

If you create content on a regular basis, you need to install Yoast’s WordPress plugin right now. It will give you a real-time update of the content on your page and how Google sees it – including keyword density, readability, and the meta information on your page.

The best part? You don’t really need technical knowledge to use this application. It’s very user-friendly and can help you attract more traffic to your site through organic SEO.

Tool #4. Hootsuite

Regularly updating your social media is time-consuming at best, and most people don’t have the bandwidth in their day to carve out time to post. The result is that many businesses have dead social profiles and virtually no following.

And despite the naysayers, there’s still plenty for businesses to gain from social media. It’s a great way to track overall brand engagement, and even retain your customers:

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That’s why out next tool – Hootsuite – is such a gamechanger for so many businesses. It allows you to schedule out your social media posts all in one place. All you have to do is carve out some time to create the images and copy for your posts, then select the days and times for your posts.

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If time is a factor for you, this is a must-have tool. Stop letting your social presence suffer!

Tool #5. MailChimp

Email marketing is always going to be helpful, no matter who you are.

Sure, the kids these days are all on Facebook and WhatsApp, but email is still a proven way to gain and retain customers. For one thing, email still has a higher average conversion rate than organic search results or social media efforts.

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But setting up, scheduling, and sending all those emails is tiresome work. If you try to do it all manually, I’d venture to say you’ve taken on an impossible task.

Enter MailChimp.

MailChimp is an email automation platform that lets you create custom, beautiful emails for a wide variety of situations. New customer? You can send an email. Haven’t seen an old customer in two months? Send an email.

And better yet, you can automate all of this in their platform, which can save you time while you make money. The platform has a bit of a learning curve, but if you have a customer’s email address you need to consider a tool like MailChimp.

Tool #6. Basecamp

How do you keep track of everything you need to do this week?

More importantly, how do you share that information with your team?

If you’re relying on journals, emails, text messages, or meetings to convey everything to your team each week, you’re probably falling behind. No matter how diligent you are, keeping track of all those tasks is a task itself – and that means you’re wasting time.

And it’s precisely why a tool like Basecamp should be on your radar. It’s a one-stop-shop for coordinating work with your team, scheduling to-do’s, and tracking due dates as they come and go.

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Ditch the pen and paper and move to a digital task manager this year. You’ll be more efficient, get more done, and delegate much better when you do.

Conclusion

Long story short, there are a ton of helpful tools out there that can revamp your digital marketing and your day-to-day that are worth considering.

At the very least, I hope our list motivates you to find a new way to tackle an old problem in your business. You may just find that it helps you win more customers, spend your time more wisely, and make a little extra money in the end.

You don’t need everything on our list here, but if you can benefit from any of them, then what are you waiting for? Go sign up.