Free vs paid online marketing tools and services (4 posts)

Topic tags: online marketing
  • Profile picture of
    Trailblazer
    Albert Mora said
    7 months, 2 weeks ago:

    When you are planning your online marketing efforts you have a myriad of possibilities to choose from. Sometimes you take the free ones, sometimes the paid ones, and sometimes you do it yourself. What do you take into account to make your choice?

    @albertmora | # | Top
  • Ann at greenoak
    Guru
    Ann at greenoak said
    7 months, 2 weeks ago:

    we do almost everything ourselves….. if  i  could  find a really good public relations  person  locallly   to  take over some of the  burden i would  do it, they would need a few hours in the store every week   and  good  photography skills….i would aim  for  a  wide and  marketing  effort with all the parts  working  together..

    just having someone who  really knew our situation  would  be  great…i wouldnt  be interested in online help

    .on our own,  we have  gotten  3600  facebook  fans…mostly  organic…and now  who  knows  whats  going on there!!!  very frustrating…..

    @annfurnivall | # | Top
  • Profile picture of
    Whiz
    Geoffrey Gordon said
    7 months, 2 weeks ago:

    @albertmora My take is a this subject is a simple one, there are several options:

    1. DIY (Free) takes time and a lot of research, if you are keen to learn then this option is for you.
    2. Paid Learning – this option requires you to invest in premium courses, software and materials. Its kind of a DIY, but you learn a lot quicker and you learn the right way. Often just once off costs, or a low monthly membership cost.
    3. Outsource – If you large or profitable company, its easy to palm this option off. It is not cheap, but the right marketing agency could do wonders. There is also the risk of picking the wrong agency. Also costs are on going.
    Personally I do a lot of one and two, I feel option two is really worth it. Every time I have invested its been worth it.

    A great example is you could spend a ton of time in this forums and learn a lot about social media, yes it would take time. Or you could go to their ”Social Media Marketing World” conference and learn what would take weeks or months in a couple of days and from the best of the best.

    Like @mike-stelzner ,  @amyporterfield , @andrea-vahl found on this website and many others which are not.

    @geoffrey-gordon | # | Top
  • Valerie Keys
    Adventurer
    Valerie Keys said
    7 months, 1 week ago:

    I agree that there can be a lot of research that goes into the DIY model. There are a few social media marketing companies out there that offer free options, but these are limited as well.

    I agree, forums are a great place to start. Ask your fellow marketers – it’s usually best to ask for a referral before diving into hours of research. The forums here are great, you can also check out Quora.

    Personally, I use YUPIQ’s viral promotion builder… but I also work for YUPIQ, so obviously I am biased. We recently moved to add a free option because we found that a lot of companies (particularly small businesses) desire a product that is professional but doesn’t hurt the bottom line. 

    @valerie-keys | # | Top

Add your voice to the discussion

Existing members: . If you do not have a SME account, .

 
 
 
Sign Up / via