Does Your Marketing Toolkit Have the Right Tools?

If you're going to do a job, you need the right tools. After all, you wouldn't put up shelves without the right fixings.

A marketing toolkit is a way to make sure you and your team always has the right tools on hand to make sure your marketing content is as effective as possible. Which tools matter the most?

Get your marketing toolkit in great shape with these nine must-have tools:

  • Brand overview - Your brand overview gives everyone who picks up your toolkit a high-level look at what your brand is all about. Your brand's positioning statement, tone, target customers and what makes it stand out should all be covered on one page or less. This will give you a powerful reminder of who your brand is and what it stands for.
  • Style guide - Your style guide makes clear how exactly to write for your brand. From preferred punctuation usage to the correct way to refer to a product or service, your style guide gives anyone writing for your brand the tools they need to get each piece stylistically correct every time.
  • Social media tips - As the article "FREE Webinar - Build Your Marketing Toolkit" points out, your customers are highly connected online, giving you the chance to reach them through several routes. Make sure your digital path to your customers is clear with social media tips to make sure your brand's social media content is in keeping with its tone.
  • Article template - Make life easier for your colleagues with an article template that sets out the high-level structure of each article. Include tips and guides for each section from the killer headline to how to organize the body copy for maximum effectiveness and readability.
  • Editing checklist - Editing marketing content is a lot easier when you have a checklist. As well as grammar and spelling, your checklist should cover brand voice compliance, fact checking, making sure that any URLs are valid, and keyword usage if needed.
  • Idea generator - Don't leave your team cursing a blank screen. Provide a handy list of content-generating ideas to help your team come up with fresh content. Pick your favorite content-generating techniques, look up some interesting ideas you haven't tried yet, and build a checklist that will shift even the worst case of writer's block.
  • Images and media - Marketing is more than words, so make sure you include all the images and media your team is likely to need. Provide a library of images that accurately represent your brand's message and personality. Don't forget to add in logos and any other official media.
  • Content playbook - Show, don't tell. Provide a selection of previous marketing content along with commentary about how it was put together and who it was aimed at. Help the people who use your toolkit to see your content in action so they have a clear idea of what to aim for.
  • Writing tips - Include a selection of helpful writing tips. From how to order content logically to how to speak to different kinds of customers, a solid set of writing tips will help your team to craft content that grabs attention and gets your message across.

Building a strong marketing toolkit means every marketing campaign will have a strong foundation and your team will have what they need to keep your brand's marketing consistent, fresh and worthy of attention.