14 terrific—and affordable—tools for communicators

Whether you’re seeking to create striking images (despite your fingerpainting-level skills), honing your writing or wrangling your social media feeds, these helpers won’t bust your budget.

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Many small-business owners and freelancers seek ways to streamline projects and squeeze more productivity out of the workday.

As a PR consultant and freelance writer who sometimes dons a reporter’s hat, I’m always interested in trying out tools that allow me to get more done—but as a solopreneur, I’m also cost-conscious.  I’m often asked what my favorite free or low-cost solutions are to accomplish communications-related tasks.

Here are 14 top picks:

1. Favorite social media tool: There are many social media management tools out there, but I don’t know how I’d get along without Buffer. I’ve been using it for a few years now to help me manage my social media posts—and those of my clients.

Buffer is like the “crockpot” of posting. You can set it up to post for you at any time. It keeps your feed current when you may not be online, for example, overnight, on the weekends, while you’re on vacation, etc. It’s helped me attract Twitter followers.

It’s simple to use. I use the paid version, but the basic version is free if you want to try it out.

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