I’m asked all the time what my tech stack is, meaning the products and tools I use to get my job done. So, I’ve written this blog post, sharing my favourites with you – and the best part is, lots of them are free! When I’ve opted for the paid service, I’ve included this as well.
I’ve linked to them all to make it easy for you to try, however none of these are affiliate links. I’m recommending them solely because I use them and have a great experience.
I was a Windows girl ever since we got our first computer in the late 90’s (remember when playing on Paint and Solitaire was an absolute gamechanger?), but when I started this business and realised that the 5-year-old laptop I was using wasn’t going to cut it, I was inspired to get a Mac. All my other kit is Apple, and the temptation of having it all linked was irresistible! So I took the plunge and I LOVE it. It wasn’t easy to adjust after 20+ years of a different operating system, but after about three months I was confident. And being able to copy something on my phone to then paste it on my laptop is fab! Plus, its totally compatible with MS Office now, which is the suite I prefer to use.
Canva is an absolutely incredible graphic design tool that allows you to create almost any type of visual content. It has a huge amount of templates, fonts, and graphics, plus is super user-friendly. If you are unsure where to begin with your business branding or social media posts, Canva is a great place to start. I pay for Canva Pro so I can have the team functionality, but the free version is amazing with loads of content.
I use the free version which is perfect for me. It allows you to save projects and clients, to have up to 5 people in a team, and to stop start your tasks. It can be used in browser, the desktop app or the mobile app, and is really easy to use. The free version also allows you to create reports in different formats – great for invoicing clients when you are on an hourly rate.
I tried LOADS of different programs when I first started scheduling my social media. None of them were particularly bad, but the one I had recommended to me and that I just clicked with, was Later. This will be different depending on which social media you want to schedule to (when I used to schedule to Instagram alone, I used Preview). Now I’m scheduling to Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, so Later is perfect. I have the premium version which allows me to plan and schedule posts in the browser. Again, the free version is brilliant to start you off – I only use the paid for version so I get caption and hashtag prompts and detailed analytics.
I do really love Trello. It has loads of fab templates, its attractive, it is as simple or as complicated as you want to make it, and it has a VAST number of free features - though I currently have Trello gold and I do love the extra automations it allows me. The free version gives you 10 boards and one added feature (called power-ups) per board. It’s a brilliant tool for creating at-a-glance to-do lists with checklists and due dates, assigning tasks to team members and keeping track of progress.
Other apps and tools making up my tech stack are: Zoom, ConvertKit, Airtable, Calendly, Lastpass, Office 365, Zapier, and probably loads more!
So there you go! My current favourite tools to keep COZ PR running smoothly and efficiently. I’d love to know, which tools make up your tech stack and if you are inspired to try any of the above?! If you want to talk through any of these, then please do book a free strategy call and I’d love to share my experience with you!