Small business owners wear multiple hats. We monitor social media accounts (a lot of them!), track metrics, analyze data, perform and delegate tasks and, of course, write e-mails… so many e-mails! Just thinking about it all is a bit overwhelming at times, but it doesn’t have to be. Tapping into the proper productivity tools allows us to focus and redirect our energy on the big tasks that require our undivided attention.

Here are a few marketing and productivity tools that will help you save time and improve efficiency.

Hootsuite

Hootsuitehelps you manage all your social media platforms in one place. Simply link your social media accounts and voila! You can browse and schedule compelling content, engage with your audience, measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, and manage your platforms from any device instantly.

Canva

You want visually compelling content but you’re not a graphic designer? It’s ok, many of us aren’t! Canva allows you to create stunning designs from scratch in minutes. Oh… and if you ever need stock photos, Canva has a myriad of amazing images for just $1!

Basecamp

Basecamp is one of the most widely used project management software. It is extremely easy to navigate and helps you get clear visibility into the projects, work organized, and make better decisions. The downside? It can be a bit pricey. Check the ROI first!

MailChimp

Looking for a better way to engage with your “community”? Start by checking in with them regularly via MailChimp; a leading email marketing platform. Keep a personal touch while removing manual tasks from your to-do list. Pre-built marketing automation workflows create room to focus on strategy. Welcome, re-engage, and follow up with the peers, prospects, and partners.

RescueTime

With so many distractions and possibilities in your digital life, it’s easy to get scattered. RescueTime helps you understand your daily habits so you can focus and be more productive.

Calendly

This online appointment scheduler has saved me an immeasurable amount of time and energy! Calendly allows you to save multiple meeting types, to personalize and embed your calendar/services and more.

Doodle

Doodle also offers a wide selection of online solutions that simplify the process of scheduling appointments, but I like it for the group event “poll”. Thanks to this feature, you can say goodbye to back and forth group emails when scheduling meetings with multiple attendees.

Upwork

You can lend one of the hats you’re wearing to top talent! On Upwork you’ll find a range of most qualified professionals, from programmers to designers, writers, customer support reps, and more. Post a job to tell Upwork about your project. They’ll quickly match you with the right freelancers.

LastPass

Struggling to remember your login information? Stop wasting time writing, remembering, and resetting passwords. Only remember one master password, and keep the rest locked up and easy-to-find in the LastPass password manager. Keep all your digital files safe and easy-to-find.

What’s your favorite marketing and/or productivity tool? Share it in the comment section below!

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Kelly Leonard is a speaker, trainer, award-winning CEO, and former Fortune 100 vice president. A certified public accountant (CPA-inactive) and corporate trainer with more than 25 years’ service in government, non-profit, private and public industries, Kelly has an innate ability to connect with diverse audiences across disciplines.

Although Taylor-Leonard Corporation’s clients include government agencies, nonprofits, and publicly traded companies, Kelly is most passionate about leveraging the best practices of multinational enterprises to influence and impact entrepreneurs and the small business community.

Based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Kelly is the host and is executive producer of Small Business Network (SBN). Each year, SBN brings thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses together to support innovation and economic development. Additionally, Kelly leads other initiatives aimed at increasing small business awareness and engagement through vendor outreach, procurement, and collaboration with large, private enterprises.

Kelly maintains professional affiliations with numerous organizations; among them, Nehemiah Project, Rockville Chamber of Commerce, Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, Women Business Owners of Montgomery County, and Leadership Montgomery.

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ktleonard

Follow Kelly on Twitter: @kellytleonard