Technology changes, we learn new things, trends in marketing change, and our ability to blend new ideas with existing programs can be different depending on circumstance. The list of software and tools, for me, will change frequently. I love to try out new things, and just because I like it for a few months doesn’t mean that I’ll use it next year. For that reason, I want to write posts about what I’m currently using – so that I can look back and remember my folly fondly.
Can’t Live Without
The cream of the crop – the bee’s knees. This tool or technology is something that I use every day.
Microsoft Power BI
The king of consolidation. Power BI is a business intelligence and data aggregation tool. Competitors like Domo and Tableau crowd it, but Power BI shines through with ease of use and almost no barrier to entry. It can aggregate from many sources to provide a clear view of ROI and sales success. I like to use it to combine marketing and sales data to provide precise data to company stakeholders. Hands down my favorite piece of software.
Best of the Rest
Choozle
Programmatic advertising. It’s a display network that lets you target lists, IP addresses, or contacts with graphical advertising content. Choozle is a competitor to Google’s display ads and many more. What I like about Choozle is the available information they have pre-populated in their system. I have seen it work reasonably well in niche markets, and it certainly brings quality traffic. They have tons of lists that you can freely access and provide paid access to a variety of additional services.
Google Ads (Formerly AdWords)
Not sure how much I need to say here, but you should be using Ads. I spend quite a bit of time making sure I’m not advertising for terms that I show up for in the top three, but other than that I make sure I show up. Being a part of this network is also essential to aid in your understanding of the search habits of your customers. If you have an advertising budget, please start to use AdWords if you’re not.
Facebook Pixel
Although I’m not a Facebook fan, this little snippet of code and the supporting platform are impressive. Scary impressive. If you plan on advertising on Facebook or are curious about the demographics of your website visitors, this is the place to start. It’s easy to use and fun to look at.
I’m not positive I’ll use this as anything more than a curiosity right now, but I do see how it is immensely valueable.
VWO
VWO is an A/B testing platform, among other things. If you’re not familiar, that means you can create different user experiences for different people. You can cater experience based on the entry point, acquisition source, or any number of other criteria. I like VWO because it’s easy to use, joins nicely with a variety of different software packages, and is not that expensive. Historically I’ve always used Optimizely, but they have recently moved to an enterprise-only model that prevents me from having the money for it.
Never Limit Yourself
Like many people, I enjoy changing up my daily routines. Constant change creates a bunch of problems, though when you invest in a tool or technology. You have to commit to that tool or technology for some time, and you will make other people commit as well. When I write these lists, I keep that in mind. Every time I write one of these lists, the things I talk about will change, but the idea is the same – Do I feel safe with a commitment?
