There are a lot of shiny objects out there when it comes to running your business – new platforms, new trends, new strategies. It’s enough to make a retailer go insane! But every once in a while, I come across a tool that is so useful, so excellent and so helpful that I just can’t shut up about it.

Because marketing tends to be top of mind for every retail entrepreneur, I wanted to share an all star lineup of 5 tools I use all the damn time when it comes to indie retail marketing – resources I can’t imagine living without, that I know will help you as well.

Milled

Next time you sit down to create a newsletter or promotional email and find yourself greeted with total writer’s block, head over to Milled.com. Milled is a search engine for email newsletters meaning an archive of thousands of brands emails – from Girlfriend Collective to Glossier to Mejuri – are at your fingertips. This is a great tool to gather inspiration for design and messaging from the biggest players in your industry without having to be subscribed to every email out there.

Visit Milled

Canva

I saw a tweet once that said “Canva will have you feeling like the baddest bitch” and you know what – it really will! Even if you have zero design skills, Canva’s template library has got you covered. Looking to make some event graphics? Done. Need to design an email? Check. You can even create gifs and reels using this all-in-one platform. I highly recommend springing for Canva Pro ($12.99/mo) so you can set your brand colors, logos and fonts as defaults making design even easier.

Try Canva

Pexels + Unsplash

Many indie retailers don’t have the budget or time to full blown lifestyle photoshoots (a shopkeeper can dream!), but with sites like Pexels and Unsplash, you can get royalty free images and videos for $0 to infuse into your marketing. Of all the sites out there, I’ve found that these two have the best aesthetic and easy search and save functions so you can begin to curate a library of on brand photography. Remember, you should never use found or pinned photos in marketing without explicit permission from the creator themselves so get familiar with these two amazing resources.

Check out Unsplash (my preference for photos)
Check out Pexels (my preference for videos)

Klaviyo

Hands down, Klaviyo is the best email marketing platform for retailers – especially those of you who are on Shopify. While Klaviyo comes with a slightly higher price tag than other options (MailChimp and Flodesk), it is well worth it based on the functionality, options and reporting. The #1 way Klaviyo will make marketing your shop easier is by allowing you to segment your audience based on behavior, attributes and purchase history – meaning you can create a really thoughtful and personalized experiences in the click of a button.

Learn more about Klaviyo

Typeform

This is a bit of a bogo because I love using Typeform for two very different functions – surveying customers and setting up personalized quizzes. She does it all folks! Typeform is a very beautiful, customizable form and survey platform that allows you to receive and track all sorts of data. Getting feedback from customers regularly – after an event, regarding their preferences or to help make product decisions – can be really powerful in helping you get better at your work and better serve your audience. It’s also rolled out features to help you create branded quizzes, which have recently become one of the best ways to grow your email list (who doesn’t love a personality quiz?!)

Try Typeform

Give these babies a try if you haven’t already. They are bound to make marketing your business easier and more enjoyable. I can’t wait to hear what you think!