Best Web Tools/Software/Applications that Won't Cost You...or Won't Cost Much

Oh the tasks Marketer's have to endure. Not everyone has fully staffed elaborate marketing departments or the budget to hire freelancers. Here are some challenges you may have come across:

• You have 5 minutes to get some graphics on a PowerPoint
• How do you resize or edit a photo without PhotoShop
• You need to repurpose video files for Podcasts
• You need to get an CD out or DVD out the door and don't have time to get a designer to do it
• How the heck are you going to change that JPG to a GIF without Photoshop
• You want to edit your podcast professionally but don't have the budget to have a professional do it
• You want to put a website or a draft of one in a few hours, but their aren't any website designers around
• You need to convert a document into PDF but don't have Adobe

Now let's solve them. Most of these solutions won't cost you. However, one or two may cost a bit but have the potential for saving you lots.

Working with photos

• Picasso: http://picasa.google.com/
• Fotosizer: http://www.fotosizer.com/
• Andysnap: (great for screen shots): www.bigbeanbag.net/andysnap/download.html

Working with CD', DVD's & Media Files

• Autoplay Media Studio (Create autorun menus): http://www.indigorose.com/autoplay-media-studio/
• DVDfab: http://www.dvdfab.com/
• Audacity (opensource): http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Transferring documents to PDF's

• CutePDF: http://www.cutepdf.com/

Putting up a Website Quick or Editing one

• http://www.adobe.com/products/contribute/

Hope these help and please send any you can recommend my way.

Do You Need a Website?

An ex-boss once told me that the range of costs for a new website goes from a 6 pack of beer to thousands of dollars.

1. The critical question that few seem to ask let alone answer before they start web design is, "What do I want this site to accomplish?" Build:

• Revenue
• Brand
  
• Membership
  
• etc.

2. "Is a website the optimum online channel for obtaining my goal?"
3. "Can I obtain a better result with a blog?"

Why not start out with a Blog?

• Can be cost free
  
• http://www.blogger.com
  
• http://www.wordpress.com

• Great for search engine optimization
• Links you to viral social marketing
• Allows you to interact with your audience
• Feature rich without making you poor
• Offers you the same if not more features without the need for programming
  
• Easy maintenance
• No HTML experience needed
• You can customize the skin
• Positions you as an expert

Before you jump into freezing cold water with a tiny speedo, consider smartly locating a club med pool with all the amenities.

Marketing/Promoting Webcasts (Getting the most out of them)

Webcasts have the ability to put a face on your brand. Done right they:

• Are great lead generators


• Position you as a knowledge expert


• Provide great material for re purposing
• Reinforce your existing client relationships

Step 1 - Content

1. Make it informational not sales


2. Have two speakers, one from inside your company and reinforce your message with either an industry expert or client case study representative


3. Involve the audience during the webcast via polling, taking questions during the webcasts, evaluating material audience sent in prior to the webcast

Step 2 - Promotion

1. Promotional email sent a couple of weeks prior to webcast to your house lists. Make it look good and sweeten with some type of attendance offer.


2. Put banners on your website
3. Add a Webcast Wiki to your site


4. Post webcast on http://www.eventspan.com/


5. Add a blog entry on the topic with the webcast link
6. Submit entries to other blogs that contain the link to your webcast


7. Use your guest speaker's reach. Pick a guest speaker with a following and have them add links, banner and email their audience


8. Do a press release. I recommend using I recommend http://www.prxbuilder.com/x2/ to post your release


9. Add a link to the webcast to your email signature
10. Devote a page on your site to the webcast
11. Put an ad on Google AdWords driving folks to the presentation with the offer of a white paper to attendees
12. Use print ad’s to drive registration

Step 3 - Getting High Participation Rate

1. Send out a reminder email - Make sure your value proposition and offer stands out in the reminder email
2. Telemarket to enrollees

Step 4 - Re-Purpose the Content

1. Get a copy of the media file and post it
2. Have a transcript of the webcast posted
3. Post your slides, you may want to use slideshare.net
4. Take an excerpt of the webcast and use it as an online ad
5. Put the webcast on CD
6. Convert it into a podcast and submit it to all podcast directories
7. Do a blog around the webcast, getting audience feedback, have a sequel in mind
8. Take the Q&A from the webcast and post it on your site, use the questions for blogging
9. Re-Promote it as on On-Demand webcast