With over 20 years of industry experience, our team of professionals at IMP Digital have used our fair share of technology. We have tested hundreds of apps, tools and technologies, determining which ones will help us to do our jobs in an efficient and consistent manner, to deliver the highest quality of results to each and every client. In this article, we will walk
The Parable of the Cheesecake Factory
Have you dined at the Cheesecake Factory?
Almost everyone comments on the size of the menus. Their typical menu stretches 21 pages long and features 250 items. That’s a lot of food options! In addition, they offer 160 sauces and dressings. Not surprisingly, many customers struggle with making a decision. Using the menu feels like reading a book.
Did you know Cheesecake Factory actually requires employees to memorize the entire menu? In fact, they face a rigorous testing system. Along the way, they study flashcards to help them memorize the look, names and descriptions of the many offerings.
Likewise, business leaders face the same struggle. When it comes to the hundreds (or maybe even thousands?) of marketing options out there, businesses can feel overwhelmed.
When companies look for marketing software options, they’re often paralyzed with the avalanche of resources. The common questions are:
- What do we need?
- How much is it?
- How hard is it to learn?
Luckily, our experts at IMP Digital are here to help.
The Reality Facing Most Businesses
A few years ago, one research firm discovered most marketers use over 100 software programs. There are apps, website analytics, and software for content marketing and social media management. There are also productivity suites, calendars, email, recording tools, customer relation resources, and video conferencing. The list goes on and on!
For businesses, it feels like staring at a Cheesecake Factory menu. With so many choices, you might need a helping hand. That’s why we created this list.
We’ve handpicked these resources for our clients and now you can use them for your ongoing marketing efforts. In our opinion, these are the most effective apps, tools and technologies in digital marketing. You can select exactly what you need without fearing a bad mistake.
Bon Appetit!
Recommended Digital Marketing Apps, Tools and Technology
Our experts at IMP Digital are always here to provide you with guidance and support throughout your digital journey. Without further ado, here are our favourite and most recommended apps, tools and technology for digital marketing!
1. Elementor for WordPress
What is it?
Elementor is a tool to help build landing pages, eCommerce stores and full-blown websites. Provides responsive design for desktop and mobile devices. You can create professional web pages, landing pages, and pop-ups – all with little previous experience.
How does it work?
The drag-and-drop tools make design easy, and the interface gets you up and going fast. It’s a breeze to handle complex designs and animations.
What are the benefits?
- Fast, inexpensive, and powerful
- Enjoy a faster and more effective approach to web design and development
- Can be used for small or large websites
For more information about Elementor for WordPress, click here!
2. Chatbots
What is it?
Chatbots provide interactive software that works much like texting. Offered on a website or an app, it simulates a customer’s conversation with a real support person.
How does it work?
Chatbots can help your company in many ways:
- Receive a bill payment
- Answer questions
- Solve complaints
- Add someone to a database
- Book reservations
- Promote other products and services
- Schedule meetings
- Recruit and onboard new employees
What are the benefits?
- Cheaper than hiring more support staff
- 24/7 customer service availability
- Great for upselling
- Spotlights your brand personality
- Provides consumers with an easier approach to communicating with your business
For more information about Chatbots, contact us today!
3. Sendible
What is it?
This social media tool manages all your platforms and helps grows your influence.
How does it work?
From one place, you can monitor your social networks and publish to all of them at once. It’s simple to schedule posts in advance and preview what they’ll look like on each platform. Along with suggested content options, you’ll interact much better with your online audience.
What are the benefits?
- A hub for all your social posts
- Up and running on day one with barely any effort at all
- Easy to collaborate with other team members
Click here to learn more about Sendible!
4. Zoom
What is it?
A video teleconferencing software program that provides a platform for meetings, chat, phone calls, webinars, and online events.
How does it work?
You connect with people from any location in an easy-to-use video format, whether on your computer or mobile device. The simple interface helps you easily schedule meetings. In addition to video, you can also send files and pictures.
What are the benefits?
- The free version can handle the majority of your needs
- The user interface is intuitive
- Can be used with an internet browser with no desktop app necessary
Learn more about Zoom and how it can help your business connect with others!
5. Loom
What is it?
A resource to send quick videos capturing your screen, webcam and/or microphone.
How does it work?
You create screen recordings and share them instantly, with notifications when someone views your video. Build your own video library to easily share with your team or any person.
What are the benefits?
- Fast uploads (videos are available instantly)
- Reduces the possibility of misinterpretation of written text
- Easier and faster to explain an issue in a screen recording rather than in written words
- Convenient Chrome extension to start recording quickly
Could your team benefit from a screen recording tool? Take a closer look at Loom!
6. Envato Elements
What is it?
A library featuring over 1 million digital resources including video, audio, images, and assorted templates.
How does it work?
This design marketplace is your all-in-one platform for stock audio, photos and videos, among many other digital assets. It’s easy to find the digital assets you need, including audio, photos, templates, plugins, and themes. Options are available for almost any platform.
What are the benefits?
- Unlimited downloads for a single fee
- One commercial license for all content
- Simple to find the right resources
Explore thousands of digital resources with Envato Elements!
7. Adobe Creative Cloud
What is it?
A collection of desktop and mobile apps and services for photography, design, video, web, and UX. Our three favourites are Photoshop, Lightroom and Premiere Pro.
How does it work?
PHOTOSHOP
A powerful photo editing software providing image manipulation, creation and enhancement. You can also use it for animation and graphic design work.
LIGHTROOM
A sleek photo management system from which you can edit the files. Considered the place to begin for photography because of its user-friendly nature.
PREMIERE PRO
This video editing and production software dynamically links elements with other Adobe programs. Offers a great interface and has wide industry adoption.
What are the benefits?
Photoshop: you can do just about anything you wish to a photo
Lightroom: a gift for people with no or minimal prior knowledge of Photoshop
Premiere Pro: produce high-quality videos within a short space of time
Click here to learn more about Adobe Creative Cloud!
8. Canva
What is it?
Online graphic design software offering simple and intuitive layouts for beginners and experts alike.
How does it work?
The simple drag-and-drop interface delivers fonts, illustrations, stock photography, video, and audio content. Templates are available for almost anything. Default sizes provided for assorted projects and social media platforms.
What are the benefits?
- Free to use and offers paid subscriptions with additional features
- A multitude of free theme layouts
- The option to upload your pictures to the site
- Saves your work automatically
Learn more about Canva!
9. MailChimp
What is it?
A comprehensive email marketing and automation platform.
How does it work?
Makes it easy to craft great-looking email campaigns and landing pages. Offers the ability to segment contacts while analytics reveal information about open rates, click-throughs, and unsubscribes.
What are the benefits?
- Free as long as your list remains less than 2,000 subscribers and 10,000 email sends a month
- All the features that small and medium-size companies require
- A variety of templates
Find out more about MailChimp here.
10. Unbounce
What is it?
Software to create and publish your own landing pages without the need for coding experience.
How does it work?
A simple way to build and test landing page designs. The tool suite allows for expressive design, and the results are easy to rack. Integrates with many of the customer relationship management software systems. Helps to convert more of your visitors into leads and sales.
What are the benefits?
- A/B testing
- Smart Traffic tool automatically sends traffic to the page most likely to convert a user
- The pages generally load faster than a standard website and are ideal for digital ads
- Integrates with nearly everything
Click here to learn more about Unbounce!
Finding the Right Tools
Let’s imagine you’re working on a home project. You need a special type of bolt.
You drive to one of the super-sized home hardware stores, hoping to find the right one. Entering the doors, you’re greeted with 53 aisles, each the length of an airport runway.
Where do you even begin? You look for direction signs, and if you do find the aisle, you face a hundred yards of assorted bolts, screws, and thingamajigs. It takes a lot of trouble and time to locate the specific bolt.
But then you ask a worker. This friendly employee points you to the exact row, the precise shelf, the correct bolt. Voila! In minutes, you’re out the door with your problem solved.
Each day in the business world, leaders waste time and money looking for the perfect marketing products. Their days overflow with endless searching. But the solution is simply asking the right person, someone experienced in the field, and they’ll point you to the exact resources you need.
Taking your project a step further, imagine the time and money that could be saved, simply by hiring a contractor or industry expert? Not only do they come equipped with the tools and knowledge to handle the job perfectly, but also the expertise to handle your unique project with ease.
The same can be said for businesses who choose to work with a digital marketing agency.
How IMP Digital Can Help
We love to help business leaders like you. The above recommendations provide amazing tools, and with enough time and practice, you can master them. The challenge is learning each of them and overseeing the results among your team.
We’ve learned that businesses are often too busy to worry about the nuances of these software packages. With all the individual subscriptions, it’s a lot to manage.
That’s why we recommend using a digital agency like ours. With us, you’ll have access to all of these tools. Plus, our team of professionals will bring you results in the shortest time.
The best part? You’ll focus on running your business without juggling all the marketing software. And you’ll gain a greater return on investment than if you did it all yourself using trial and error.
Finally, no more guessing. No more wondering if you’re using the best software.
Our team is ready to help. Let’s get moving and improve the success of your brand, connect with your target audience, and grow your sales.
At IMP Digital, we make sure your marketing sticks out from the crowd. Who wants to look and sound the same as everyone else? Your marketing requires more than copycat messages and images. It’s about talking to your ideal customer in ways that grab their attention.
Your company can benefit from our pay-per-click campaigns, web design, social media management, and search engine optimization services. Whatever you need, our passion is to create a plan to improve your online presence and grow your business
To get started, contact us through a phone call, email, or fill out a form today, or:
