In this age where social media is one of the best ways to market, social media management is something that can be regarded as that of greatest importance – however, access to good tools can cost you, and undeniably, most new businesses or entrepreneurs don’t have that much to invest for such tools yet, so we rounded up the best free tools there is that could help everyone with their social media management needs.
To make things easier, we subdivided them into different categories, mainly: graphics, free images, scheduling, grammar checking, and content creation.
1. GRAPHIC DESIGN – CANVA
Starting off with one of the most important aspects of marketing which is creating not only good graphics but must also be eye-catching yet not too jarring, informative, and clear all at the same time – that is aside from being visually pleasing.
CANVA is an online graphic design platform, used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents, and other visual content. The app includes templates for users to use. The platform is free to use and offers paid subscriptions such as Canva Pro and Canva for Enterprise for additional functionality.
With a wide array of available templates for all types of social media content – even professional and business ones too -, you are able to create eye-catching graphics anytime, anywhere.
Canva allows you to create a wide range of graphic designs even if you are only on a trial/free account. You have access to a number of templates that could suit your needs which is very helpful especially if you are just starting off with your business. But of course, a paid subscription gives you access to more resources and higher quality of files to be downloaded plus the very handy option of removing backgrounds on certain objects which can be very useful for product-related posts your brand/business may need.
Related: The Ultimate List of Free Graphic Design Tools for 2022
2. FREE HQ STOCK IMAGES – UNSPLASH
In line with graphic needs, is the need for high-quality images, and not everyone has access to a good camera (because phone cameras just can’t achieve that crisp shot sometimes) nor have the financial ability to have a model take photos for them. Though some graphic design tools like Canva offers free HD stock images (and more for their paid accounts), not every tool has the same offering.
UNSPLASH is an online platform that offers crisp, high-definition, and quality, free images and photos that you can download and use for any project. The choices may be limited but we can say that it is better than any royalty-free or stock photos. They aim to revolutionize how people view stock photos.
There is a wide array of choices of different categories of images available for download for free. From: Wallpapers, 3D Renders, Textures & Patterns, Architecture, Experimental, Nature, Business & Work, Fashion, Film, Food & Drink, Health & Wellness, Current Events, People, Interiors, Street Photography, Travel, and more.
Above are sample images that are free to download from the Unsplash site.
Related: Sites That Offer Free HD Stock Images
3. CONTENT CREATION ASSISTANT – JASPER
Having relevant and evergreen content is not easy – but is vital to keeping your social media engagement up to par, gladly, there are now a lot of free resources that offer content generation. We are not suggesting you rely mainly on them for content, but it helps you give inspiration and a different perspective in writing from time to time.
JASPER is a web-based GPT-3 AI writing tool developed by a small team of copywriters and marketing professionals that have revolutionized the way marketing copy is written.
Jasper is able to create content simply by inputting a few things and the AI will do its magic. Take this, for example, you are promoting an item/brand, simply type in the company/product name, describe it briefly (your personal tone/take on this can help greatly with how the overall content will turn out), and input the tone of voice you’d like it to adapt; should it be encouraging, informative or descriptive.
TIP: Of course, like most AI tools, human intervention and checking will be needed. After Jasper creates content, no matter how reliable the tool can be, checking for errors and facts are a must.
Related: AI Content Generation Software
4. GRAMMAR CHECKING – GRAMMARLY
We are now down to weeding out any grammatical errors your content may have – or maybe there is a better way to phrase or say certain things and for such, grammar-checking tools can best help you and your team.
GRAMMARLY is a cross-platform cloud-based writing assistant that reviews spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, engagement, and delivery mistakes. It uses AI to identify and search for an appropriate replacement for the error it locates.
Grammarly has since been the leading grammar-checking tool online, it works perfectly for businesses as well as it can be set to Australian, British, or American English settings which is ideal for when you need to submit proposals to clients.
Related: Free Grammar Checking Tools and Software
5. SOCIAL MEDIA SCHEDULING – HOOTSUITE
Finally, when all is checked, and created and you have a good amount of social media content you can post, having them scheduled is ideal to make sure that there is always content ready on your page for social engagement with your followers.
HOOTSUITE is a social media management platform, wherein the system’s user interface takes the form of a dashboard and supports social network integrations for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. You can schedule posts on all the aforementioned sites using an account and even edit on there as well and it updates in real-time.
Related: Efficient Scheduling Tools for Your Social Media Management Needs
The social media age is a blessing for marketers, however – competition is rough so you’ll have to step up your game as much as you can so you won’t be left behind. Trying out these free tools can give you leverage and if you and your business scale, all of these tools have premium paid offerings that can grow with your business.
And if you ever find the need to get these tools, apps, and programs to work hand in hand together, we at FULCRUM DYNAMIC can make it happen.
Be it integration, automation, or even creating custom applications tailored to your needs, we make IT possible.