Resources

We've compiled some of our favorite marketing tools, websites, and resources to help small businesses and nonprofits succeed - no matter your budget, bandwidth, or marketing know-how!

Design & Branding Tools

Design and branding tools are essential for marketing because they help create a consistent, professional look that builds trust and recognition. Strong visuals and cohesive branding make your business stand out, communicate your values instantly, and leave a lasting impression that turns audiences into loyal customers.
Canva

Canva: A drag-and-drop design platform with templates for social media posts, flyers, presentations, and more. Easy to use, even for beginners. The free plan includes tons of templates and elements.

Coolors: A free color palette generator that helps users find cohesive brand colors.

Meta Business Suite

Meta Business Suite: Official tool by Facebook/Instagram to schedule posts, respond to messages, and view insights—all for free. (This is what we use at Grow Different. Sometimes, free and straightforward can be best – if it works with your goals of course.)

Buffer: Allows you to schedule posts across different platforms (like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter). The free version lets you manage up to 3 accounts and schedule 10 posts per account.

Later: Visual Instagram planner with drag-and-drop functionality. Good for planning aesthetic feeds. The free version supports one user and one social profile per platform.

Social Media Management

Social media management and scheduling tools are crucial for marketing because they save time, keep your content organized, and ensure consistent posting across platforms. They help you engage your audience strategically, track performance, and make data-driven decisions to grow your brand effectively.

Copy & Content Writing

Content and copywriting tools can help out by making it easier to create clear, engaging, and persuasive messages. They streamline the writing process, keep your brand voice consistent, and support content that connects with your audience and drives results.
Answer the Public

Answer the Public: Great for content ideas! It shows real search queries people are typing into Google based on a topic.

Reddit: If you operate in a niche industry, don’t underestimate the power of online forums – search your niche’s Reddit thread and look for questions, concerns, or interests people may have.

Before we make any recommendations here, we’d like to make an important distinction: by no means should you blindly trust AI tools and use them to write content in its entirety. We encourage you to do your own research on the benefits and drawbacks of using AI for such tasks. We also encourage you to use these tools as supplementary to your own abilities and efforts. We understand that especially for organizations with a smaller bandwidth, the kind of support AI offers can be very beneficial. Keep in mind that hiring an employee to write such content is just as beneficial! In the end, how you choose to operate is up to you. With that out of the way, here are some tools we recommend. 

    • Koala AI: helps write blogs with built-in SEO & data access.
    • ChatGPT: pretty much does it all.
    • Claude AI: provide context and a custom style of writing for the tool. It will mimic the style you provide it with and generate pieces of content tailored to your organization.
Mailchimp

Mailchimp: An email marketing platform with a free plan that allows up to 500 subscribers and 1,000 sends per month. Includes basic templates, automation, and analytics.

Sender: Another email tool with a free plan that allows 2,500 subscribers and up to 15,000 emails per month.

Email Marketing

Email marketing tools make it easier to create, send, and track emails. They enable consistent communication, personalized messaging, and performance insights to build stronger relationships and grow your audience.

Website & Landing Page Builders

Website and landing page builders simplify creating professional, user-friendly sites without needing coding skills. They help showcase your brand, capture leads, and provide a seamless experience that turns visitors into customers.
Wix

Wix: An easy drag-and-drop website builder. Choose from customizable templates and launch a professional-looking site, no coding needed.

Google Sites: Free, easy-to-use site builder with no coding required. Basic but effective.

Mailchimp Landing Pages: Free tool within Mailchimp to build simple landing pages that can collect emails or promote products.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics: Tracks website traffic, behavior, and audience demographics. Great for understanding how visitors find and use your website.

Meta Insights (via Meta Business Suite): Provides analytics on Instagram and Facebook posts, followers, and engagement.

Analytics & Insights

Analytics and insights tools track trends and performance, helping you understand your audience and measure what’s working. They provide data-driven guidance to make smarter marketing decisions and optimize your strategies.

SEO & Visibility

SEO and visibility tools improve your online presence by helping your content rank higher in search results and reach the right audience. They guide keyword strategy, track performance, and increase the chances of being discovered by potential customers.
Semrush

Semrush: Offers keyword research and SEO audit tools, a content writer, and website and market data. On the pricier side. 

Google Business Profile: Lets local businesses show up in Google Maps and search results. Critical for visibility.

Google Search Console: A free tool that helps you monitor your website’s performance on Google Search. Great for spotting SEO issues and improving how people find your site.

Google Trends: Shows what people are searching for in real time. Use it to discover trending topics and keywords to guide your content strategy.

Ubersuggest: Offers keyword research, SEO audit tools, and content ideas. The free plan has daily limits.

Capcut

CapCut: Free video editing app for mobile and desktop. Popular for Reels and TikToks due to its templates, text features, and transitions.

Google Vids: Insert a prompt and the application will put together an outline for your video, complete with captions, transitions, & stock footage. Edit as needed. This can be a great way to repurpose content from blogs, newsletters, etc.

Animoto: Drag-and-drop video maker for social media, event promos, or storytelling videos. A little more professional looking and advanced than Google Vids, but the free plan has limitations.

Video & Animation

Video and animation tools make it easier to create engaging, dynamic content that captures attention and tells your brand’s story. They help bring ideas to life, boost audience engagement, and make your marketing more memorable.

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