THREAD: Here are the 11 FREE tools that helped us create & grow @thebetterindia. Useful if you want to start your own company but have *very* limited resources (like we did!).
1/ Content Management System: WordPress (self-hosted). Get a domain, get your own server, install WordPress and you are good to go!
2/ Email newsletters: Mailchimp and SendGrid. Both have a free slab that is good enough to get you started. Absolutely recommend using their "drip e-mail" feature.
3/ Analytics: Google Analytics. Once installed, I'd also recommend reading kaushik.net for valuable insights on how to use GA.
4/ Image Editing/Design: Canva. Hands-down the best online image creation/editing software we've used. Try it and you'll forget how to spell 'A-d-b-o-e' Photoshop.
5/ Video Editing: Keynote on Mac (well, not exactly free. But free with your Mac). Easier to use. Next-best alternative would be MS Powerpoint. Yes, they both help create basic videos - for those who have zero background in video creation.
6/ Social Media Distribution: Hootsuite. Allows you to schedule and monitor content on social media, across most channels like Facebook & Twitter. A must-have.
7/ Internal team communication: Slack (free with limitations). Helps everyone in your team stay connected, even if they are physically located in different geographies. Can get a bit noisy, but that's another story.
8/ Project & Task Management: Trello. Great to use and manage. If you decide to spend a bit of money later-on, I'd recommend Basecamp.
9/ Application forms for recruitment: Typeform (My article on it here: linkedin.com/pulse/how-we-u…)
10/ Podcast distribution: Record your podcast on any device you like. But definitely use Anchor.fm to distribute it and be amazed by how your podcast starts showing up on all channels across the world!
11/ Video conferencing: Zoom (free usage restricted to 45 minutes per video call. That's good as it makes meetings more productive!).
And of course, do ensure you are creating great content that people want to consume :)
And of course, do ensure you are creating great content that people want to consume :)
