Startups can’t afford to avoid building a social media presence just because they are on a shoestring budget.
The good news, however, is that there are plenty of free tools available for bootstrapped businesses looking to build or maintain a social media presence on the cheap. Here are five of the best social media tools that won’t cost your startup a dime.
Cyfe
No social media strategy is complete without a good analytics tool. Cyfe is spectacular because it unifies all your other tools in one, centralized location. No longer will you have to chase scattered information across all your platforms. This all-inclusive dashboard gives you a snapshot of WordPress, SalesForce, MailChimp, Google Analytics, Amazon, Facebook and Twitter. All analytical information is unified and updated in real time.
Woobox
Contests, giveaways and lotteries are a great way to drum up interest and generate buzz around your brand or product. Woobox is a comprehensive tool that enables users to launch quizzes, photo contests, video contests, brackets, group deals and much more. Simply draw up a gift certificate template and start engaging followers with Woobox social promotions and contests.
SumAll
SumAll is designed specifically for startups and small businesses. SumAll allows startups to connect with 42 different services at the same time, making it the last social dashboard a small business owner may ever need. SumAll can send daily updates to your email inbox about your progress on networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, while also keeping you up to date on your standing on PayPal and Google Analytics.
Rapportive
While Rapportive is used mostly for LinkedIn, it can be used across many other networks. Rapportive is one of the most unique tools because it lets you monitor your social networks directly through your Gmail (if you don’t have a Gmail account, you can easily get one for free). The simple email addon, which is also compatible with MailChimp, BatchBook and BookingBug, enables you to search social on the Internet, without the need for you to ever get on social media — or even the web — in the first place.
Easel.ly
Infographics are still the crown jewel of the visual content world. Infographics are perfect for social amplification and they can drive traffic — but they can also be expensive to create. With Easel.ly, however, you can join the hundreds of thousands of users who have created amazing, compelling infographics for free.
Businesses need a good analytics tool, a good content creation tool, a tool that allows remote teams to work effectively, and a good brand monitoring tool — but they shouldn’t stop there. Free tools can help businesses launch contests, hold giveaways and, most importantly, organize and centralize their campaigns so they can get back to the business of doing business.