Marketing Must-Haves
Things you may want to use, from my alter-ego 'My Frugal Marketer.' :-) Feel free to check back, from time to time I'll add to this list. If you know of something I should include, please let me know. (if you click on the title, the link will open up in a new page)
Blurb
Make your own physical book. Buy as little as 1 copy. Very clever idea. Thanks to my friend Laurie for sharing this idea.
Here's some background info (from 2007):
Watch some more video's from their youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/blurbbooks
Cynopsis Classified Advantage
A great resource for those that are developing their career in the media, advertising and entertainment industries. A very extensive list of top available jobs, expert advice and tips on interviewing, networking, etc. Good stuff.
HARO (Help A Reporter Out)
Looking for a media opportunity? This is a great resource for reporters (local, regional and national) that are looking for qualified sources as well as resources looking for coverage. The homepage will give you the full scoop on this great company started by big-wig PR guy Peter Shankman. (I've secured press coverage for others in Women's Day Magazine, Reader's Digest, and more). Also, if you've got a message you want to advertise to a quality audience, look no further. Nice advertising opportunities are here, worth it.
I WEAR YOUR SHIRT
Awesome company and site created by Jason Sadler. He gets paid to wear your message on a shirt and then goes wild promoting your company online, in videos, on his website. You can read a bunch of success stories from happy clients. Another great advertising opportunity, well worth the investment. His 'sister' site is very cool 'Plaxico The Dog' http://www.plaxicothedog.com/, his dog promotes your company/message, with proceeds going to charity.
Godaddy Promo Codes
Great resource for online codes when you are purchasing domains or other services from Godaddy. This link will take you to a current list of active codes, and then it's always good to click on the last page of the forum list, to see if there are any more codes listed, or if anyone is sharing info on expired codes.
Cheapskate Freelancer
This isn't a specific resource, more like AMAZING resources. As Beth Ziesenis' slogan says 'free and low cost tools you can't live without.' I don't remember how I stumbled upon her site, but man, I am so glad I did. I highly recommend signing up on her email list to get these tools delivered to your inbox. Good stuff!
How to set up a vanity url for your Facebook fan page
You can have a fan page that isn't long and has a bunch of numbers, this link takes you through the short process:
Avast! (anti-virus program)
I only have great things to say about their free version for my own use, and others I've spoken with have shared similar stories. Their pro version offers additional bells and whistles to businesses and users. They have over 130 million users worldwide as of Sept, 2010.
Flippa
The place to go if you want to buy or sell websites. They provide comprehensive information about websites that are for sale. And for those looking to sell, you have access to a large crowd of buyers.
TheBrain.com
As they say 'Think Fast and Work Smarter.' Mind-mapping software that allows you to retrieve digital information (web pages, documents, images, notes, etc) very quickly and easily. Have your ideas and to-do's available from your desktop, web browser or mobile device anytime.
Animoto
This software automatically creates video pieces from your photos, video clips and music. It's pretty slick. They have a free version and a pro/paid version. I am an affiliate for this program, so if you purchase a paid account I get a small commission.
Statcounter
I've heard good things about Google Analytics, I found this program and have used instead for my projects. They free version serves me well, they offer paid versions as well. Free Demo Click Here. Go ahead and click on the links on the left navigation to learn more.
Bit.ly
bit.ly allows users to shorten, share, and track links (URLs). Reducing the URL length makes sharing easier. bit.ly can be accessed through our website, bookmarklets and a robust and open API. bit.ly is also integrated into several popular third-party tools such as Tweetdeck. A more full list of third party tools can be found on the bit.ly blog. Unique user-level and aggregate links are created, allowing users to view complete, real-time traffic and referrer data, as well as location and metadata. Tracking stats are available after users shorten their long links with bit.ly by clicking on the “Info+” link on bit.ly, or just adding a “+” sign to the end of any bit.ly link.
Tinyurl
Are you sick of posting URLs in emails only to have it break when sent causing the recipient to have to cut and paste it back together? Then you've come to the right place. By entering in a URL in the text field below, we will create a tiny URL that will not break in email postings and never expires.
FreeConferenceCall.com
With over a million registered users, they are doing something right. A company I use and have told others to. Simple, reservationless, free call recording, playback and download option. Good support too. Suggested uses from their website include:
Regional / National Sales Meetings
New Product Training / Launches
Multi-Vendor Conferences
Project Management Team Meetings
Cross Functional / Divisional Meetings
Crisis Response Meetings
Teaching / Educational Seminars
Motivational Seminars
School Group / Organization Meetings
Sports Teams Meetings
Distributing Anonymous Phone Numbers To Your Online Friends
Family Reunions
Religious / Bible Study Groups
You Send It
From their website: free accounts allow you to transfer up to file size of 100 MB, paid accounts up to 2GB, storage from 2-6 GB. Easily send your large file by uploading it through a web browser, from your desktop or right from within your favorite application such as Microsoft Outlook. We store your file securely and email your recipient a link to click on and download the file. Your recipient receives the email notification, clicks on the link in the email and downloads the file. Done! I'm a satisfied user. Click Here to compare plans.
Dropbox
Sync: Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically. 2GB of online storage for free, with up to 100GB available to paying customers. Sync files of any size or type. Sync Windows, Mac, and Linux computers. Automatically syncs when new files or changes are detected. Click Here to take a tour.File Sharing: Sharing files is simple. It takes only a few clicks. Shared folders allow several people to collaborate on the same files. See other people's changes instantly. Use your "Public" folder to link directly to files. Control who has access to your shared folders. Kick people out and remove the shared files from their computers in the process. Automatically create shareable online photo galleries out of regular folders.
Picresize
Easily crop and resize your images online for free. PicResize is one of the first image editing tools on the Internet (over 7 million and counting).