9 Marketing Apps CMOs Need for 2015

In many ways, marketing has become more complicated because of the growing number of media channels available and the volume of data we have access to. But in some ways it’s become more simple.

You’re probably already aware that there are hundreds of mobile apps available that let you do anything from managing your team remotely to sharing the latest stats with your boss, in just a few taps. But which apps are the best in class? And, more importantly, which will actually help you manage your team, your operations, and your marketing channels?

As you’ll come to learn if you subscribe to this blog, my mantra is #KeepItCurrent. So I’m going to show you the 9 marketing apps that I’ve found to be the most helpful for CMO’s or business owners handling their own marketing, to help you stay current in culture.

1. TrackMaven – Competitor Analysis

If only you could easily keep an eye on your competitors… oh wait, you can. TrackMaven is a web-based software to do just that. Use this app to see what your competitors are doing across multiple channels, including: earned media, social media, display ads, email marketing, content marketing, and more. With TrackMaven you can create a feed for each of your competitors to see what type of advertising is working for them and setup alerts when they start a new marketing program. Pricing is available only upon request.

2. Slack – Team Communication

Coordinating with your social media manager, media buyer, and copywriter is difficult if you’re in and out of meetings. Slack lets you easily share documents, communicate changes, and share links, videos, and photos directly to social media. It’s integrated with Google Drive and Dropbox so you can quickly find and share important files even when you’re not near your computer. The best part about this app is that you can add an unlimited number of teammates to the platform for free. Slack is available for Android and iOS.

3. Pocket Analytics – Business Analytics Tool

This app will help keep you up-to-date on every digital metric that matters, so you can quickly analyze your team’s progress or keep stakeholders informed. Get a meaningful birds-eye view of marketing developments by creating a custom dashboard with all of your most important information. From Facebook insights, to website stats, to YouTube analytics and more, this app is an incredible time-saver. Currently only available for iPhone, the app costs $8.99.

4. Nimble CRM – Customer Relationship Management

When you need to review your emails with someone before a meeting, Nimble is an easy way to do this, as well as to get quick updates on your contacts. It automatically pulls your contacts’ social media profiles, email conversations, and more into one place, so you can effectively engage them from anywhere. Add notes and schedule follow-up meetings with this app, as well. Right now this app is free, but with all of the functionality it has, I would expect that to change. Available for Android, iOS, and many browsers.

5. HelloSign – Online Signature Tool

Unfortunately no one has pioneered an app to scan your signed documents, yet, but this one solves that problem. With HelloSign you can edit document dates, text, and add your signature. I recommend using the gmail extension to add signatures directly from your inbox. The app works on both Android and iOS devices.

6. Unroll.me – Inbox Management

Some of the newsletters I subscribe to are invaluable as a means of keeping me informed on the latest media buying topics and trends, but getting dozens of emails isn’t productive or efficient. Unroll.me will let you combine your newsletters into one daily email and even customize when you receive it. It’s perfect for managing all of your subscriptions. This is a web based app that works with most popular email providers.

7. Audible – Audiobooks

There aren’t nearly enough hours in the day, so squeezing in a book like ‘Duct Tape Marketing’ or ‘The Advertising Effect’ while you’re driving, at the gym, or finishing up your marketing spending reports is invaluable. This app, by Amazon, boasts over 150,000 titles. Available for iOS, the app is free but most books do cost.

8. CloudMagic – Email Syncing

I know there are probably hundreds of email apps out there, each one claiming to be better than the next, but CloudMagic really is. The app works with all email providers including gmail, yahoo, outlook, etc. The best features are the unified inbox for all of your email addresses, the push notifications when receiving a new email, and the ability to delete messages without unlocking your phone. It connects with other important tools like salesforce, evernote, and mailchimp, making communication that much easier. Available on Android and iOS, this app is free.

9. Fiverr – Marketplace for Creative & Professional Services

You know how some things never seem to get crossed off your to-do list? That’s where Fiverr comes in very handy. Starting at $5 you can hire someone to create a graphic, transcribe your latest meeting, or write new copy for your website. The mobile app let’s you do all of these things whether you’re in the airport or sitting on the beach. I would encourage you to take a few minutes and familiarize yourself with all of the things you can hire a freelancer for, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. App available for Android, iOS, or web.

Do you have any other apps to add to this list? Send me an email!