Lee McIntyre’s Honest Marketing Blog

28 Free Marketing Tools I Couldn’t Live Without - Part II

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In part I of this blog series I listed 7 free internet marketing tools that I use each day to make more money online. And guess what? Yep, today I’m going to do the exact same thing!

Many make money online blogs are filled with a pile of promotions for dodgy products, but that’s not the way I like to do things here at Lee-McIntyre.com towers.

As my regular readers will tell you, I’m all about the good stuff, which is why I like to keep piling on the free content.

So sit back and enjoy the list of free tools from 7-14 that will help take your business forward without costing you a cent…

7. Gimp

Whatever you do online there’s a good chance that at some point you’ll need to use some sort of graphics editor. I normally use Fireworks, which is a tad on the expensive side, but when working at my friends house I often use Gimp.

It’s completely free of charge, and has more than enough functions for most internet marketers to grapple with. If you can’t stomach the idea of spending hundreds of dollars on an expensive graphics package (and I don’t blame you!), then Gimp is a fantastic free alternative.

8. Picresize

Whenever I make an ebook I always end up having to resize the pictures on the inside. Usually I’ll use Fireworks or Snagit, but if I’m out and about and don’t have access to those programs then I go running to Picresize.

It’s a free web based image resizer, and you simply upload your image and then select how big you want it to be, and that’s it. Your picture will be resized as quick as a flash, and then you’re good to go!

I end up using this tool all the time, so I hope you find some value in it.

10. Smart Ftp

When it comes to getting your files uploaded to the net then you’re going to need some FTP software.

The good news is that there’s loads of different options available out there, but my favourite by far is Smart FTP.

It’s quick, powerful, and pretty simple to use. And if you do get stuck then there’s loads of free online user guides to help you on your way.

11. Copyscape

If you’re ever worried about people stealing your content online (and you should be!), the you’re going to want too heck out Copyscape. The debate is still raging about whether penalties for duplicate content exists or not, but I’d still advise you to have a quick peep if anyone has stolen your content every now and then.

Simply type your website address into the box, and then click submit, and this free tool will rush off and check if anyone is copying your page when they shouldn’t be.

A handy tool, and once again it’s 100% free of course!

12. Camstudio

The internet is getting faster around the world, and 2008 really is going to be the year of video. I use video a lot, and I’ve seen first hand just how powerful a tool it can be to help you communicate your message to your target market.

I use Camtasia most of the time, but when I end up on someone’s computer for a few days and I need to make a video fast, then I always turn to Camstudio.

It lacks some of the advanced functions of Camtasia, but it has enough juice in the tank to keep most of us happy enough

The only problem is that it doesn’t have a button to turn down my northern English accent!

13. Google Analytics

This is a fantastic tracking and stats tool that probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves because it’s free.

If you’re marketing online then you need to be tracking your visitor numbers, and you really should be testing different elements of your marketing too.

I’m guilty of often not testing and tracking enough (does anyone else find it incredibly boring?), but I’m going to do much more in 2008. Download Google Analytics now and you’ll be amazed by how powerful this tool really is.

14. eBay Pulse

Do you want to know what people are searching for online? Want to know what people are buying? Then head to the eBay pulse!

If you’ve read Auction Profits Unleashed , or Auction Secret Profits, then you’ll know that I sell on eBay in the teaching niche and know the market well. eBay is a tremendous market place, and you get a more pure interaction here between buyer and seller than almost anywhere else online.

The eBay pulse shows you not just what people are searching for, but what people are actually buying, and that’s powerful information to have at your finger tips. The majority of eBay searches will be from qualified buyers looking to spend money, so this is certainly an extremely powerful free marketing tool.

While normal keyword research tools might show you what people are searching for, the eBay pulse shows you what they are actually buying, and every marketer should dip into this site when doing market research.

And we’re done!

In part I and part II I’ve now discussed my 14 favourite free online marketing tools, but I’ve certainly not finished yet!

Tomorrow I’ll be posting part III, together with another 7 free tools that you really should know about. I have some more killer tips up my sleeve so whatever you do don’t forget to come back and see as I’d hate for you to miss out.

And don’t forget to drop a comment in the field below…I’d love to hear what you think!

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