Tools To Use To Handle Free Product Promotion and Project Management

Do you know what all business owners have in common? They all want an effective way to promote their services, preferably without breaking the bank. The next common pain point for business owners is managing their teams effectively, especially when it comes to project management. Here again, regardless of size and niche, everyone opts for cost-effective solutions.

Well, today we are going to focus on the top tools that deliver on both fronts. We’ll include platforms that are pretty budget-friendly, and many can even be used with entirely free subscription options. Let’s dive right into the topic.

Project Management Tools

The first group of tools we’d like to cover is project management. There is no shortage of platforms designed for this purpose, but we’ve selected some of the most prominent and effective ones.

My Hours

100,000+… This is the number of businesses that use My Hours to manage their projects. My Hours comes with plenty of features. It provides a clear timesheet view with daily updates and detailed work logs.

You can also organize tasks for your employees, help them prioritize their work, and identify urgent tasks at a glance.

Besides timesheets and task management, My Hours also comes with dashboards that allow you to easily create reports and get a clear overview of your team’s work and project progress.

Another good thing about My Hours is that it is mobile-friendly, so your team can easily log their time on the go. Ultimately, this platform converts employee time into money, so you can simply generate billing based on tracked hours. 

Let’s have a look at the package Mu Hours offers: 

• Free: up to 5 users
• Basic: $4 USD
• Pro: $8 USD
• Custom: Request a quote

Assana

Asana is one of the best workflow automation tools, especially for medium and large teams. It also offers campaign launch planners and can help you plan your projects with timelines and deadlines. To get there, this platform provides a wide range of features designed to make project management more efficient.

Over the years, it has built a solid client base, including companies such as Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, and Dell. If such famous companies rely on Asana for their project implementation, it is certainly an effective tool to consider.

Here are the pricing plans Asana offers:

• Free: Up to 2 users
• Starter: $10.99
• Advanced: $24.99
• Enterprise: Request a quote

Trello

This is a simple tool that comes with a visual dashboard for easy project management. Thanks to its drag-and-drop functionality, this tool is pretty simple to use. You can also integrate Trello with other apps you use to streamline your workflows and keep your work organized in one place.

Let’s have a look at Trello’s pricing packages:

• Free: Up to 10 users
• Standard: $5
• Premium: $10
• Enterprise: $17.50

Jirra

Next up on our list is Jira. This tool has proven to be one of the best options for Agile project management. It is widely used by both small and large teams. With companies like Canva, Reddit, and Cisco on its client list, Jira can be considered one of the top options for managing projects and coordinating overall workflows, regardless of team size.

It also offers highly customizable dashboards where you can visually see the progress of all tasks, along with related subtasks, deadlines, and reports.

Let’s see the pricing packages Jira offers:

• Free: For up to 10 users.
• Standard: $7.91
• Premium: $14.54
• Enterprise: Request a quote

Referral & Affiliate Marketing Tools

Now, let’s move forward and discuss what kind of marketing tools you may need to seamlessly organize your promotions and grow your client base.

Referral Rock

Understanding the power of word-of-mouth advertising and its immense potential to retain existing customers as well as attract new clients, you may be thinking about utilizing this strategy. And that’s a pretty wise move.

One of the leading tools for this purpose is Referral Rock. This platform can assist you with end-to-end referral program creation.

Specifically, it can help you configure your referral program, create shareable links, send automated reminders to participants, and even reward both referrers and referrals. What else do you need? The whole process is automated and handled smoothly.

As for pricing, it depends on the scale of your referral program, the number of members, and the features you need.

Referral Candy

Another effective tool to manage your referral program is Referral Candy. Like Referral Rock, this platform also takes the whole burden off your shoulders, automating all the word-of-mouth ad campaigns. This at least delivers on two fronts: it makes the process accurate and saves your precious time, so you can stay focused on more important tasks.

This platform also offers affiliate marketing services. So, you can pick it and bring your referral and affiliate programs together in one place to better manage them.

Let’s see the pricing packages Referral Candy offers:

• Basic: $39/month
• Grow: $79/month
• Scale: $249/month
• Enterprise: $799/month

Friendbuy

As the name implies, it’s another effective referral program management software. It specializes in creating programs that support business growth and elevate customer loyalty.

This platform has many enterprises on its client list, but it is also pretty effective for small companies. Beyond offering brand advocate activities and providing rewards, Friendbuy also allows you to test your program to optimize it for a better experience. More importantly, it comes with security measures to prevent fraud and make your program trustworthy.

Pricing here is custom and highly depends on your specific requirements.

Referral Hero

And the last referral and affiliate marketing tool on our list is ReferralHero. It promises to build an AI-powered waitlist, contest, affiliate, or referral program in just 48 hours. This tool is actively used across diverse industries, from SaaS to fintech and dentistry. Overall, it has plenty of positive reviews and a solid portfolio, meaning that with this tool, you can make the most of your affiliate and referral programs.

ReferralHero offers two main plans:

• Basic: $249/month
• Pro: $399/month

Email Marketing Software 

And the last group of tools we strongly believe will be incredibly useful for your product promotion is email marketing platforms. Specifically, they help automate follow-ups, send personalized messages, and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Let’s see what tools are out there.

Sender

The first tool on our list is Sender. It is one of the best email marketing platforms to build landing pages, segment audiences, and automate marketing campaigns, from welcome series to follow-ups. 

If you prize a platform with reliable customer support, then Sender provides peace of mind here as well. You can get 24/7 support to promptly handle any technical issues and downtime. In addition, Sender supports API integration, so you can connect it with other tools and automate your workflows.

Moreover, this platform is pretty cost-effective. Let’s have a look at the pricing packages Sender offers:

• Free: Includes 1 seat
• Standard: $6.30/mo
• Professional: $10.50/mo
• Enterprise: Custom price

Mailchimp

This is a pioneering tool in email marketing and definitely deserves its place on our list. Well, what to expect from Mailchimp? First and perhaps foremost, it comes with plenty of different templates available, so you can simply adjust them according to your brand tone of voice and create an engaging experience with your audience.

Another useful feature Mailchimp comes with is segmentation. It allows you to target your desired audience and send them personalized offers. This notably improves the effectiveness of your campaigns and boosts sales.

Besides that, Mailchimp offers automation, so you can retain and re-engage clients. For example, if a client makes a purchase, your system can automatically send surveys the next day to assess the customer experience with your product or services.

Ultimately, Mailchimp offers analytical capabilities, allowing you to measure your email marketing strategies and improve them.

Pricing packages of Mailchimp are as follows:

• Free: For under 250 contacts
• Essentials: $6.50
• Standard: $10
• Premium: $175

Klaviyo

If you want a tool capable of automating your marketing campaigns based on customer behavior, then Klaviyo is a wise choice. Let’s see what that automation means in practice.

For example, if the customer just subscribed to your brand, then Klaviyo sends welcome emails. Similarly, it automatically updates those waiting for their shipment to arrive. Moreover, Klaviyo may identify customers at risk of churning and send re-engagement emails, offering discounts or loyalty programs.

To check the pricing, request a quote.

Birdy

And the last email marketing tool we recommend considering is Bird. This platform promises to ensure your emails never get swept away unnoticed or lost in inboxes. Specifically, it helps build audiences, send and schedule campaigns, and measure their performance in one place.

Bird pricing is based on volume, so the final cost depends on the features you will require.

Final Thoughts 

As you can see, promoting your business and elevating project management doesn’t always require high investment. We skimmed through the most effective tools to assist you along the way. Many come with forever-free packages, with plenty of useful features for startups and small businesses. So, you can opt for them and then switch to more advanced paid packages as your business grows.