Hey there, amazing Reader:
Summer is officially here! ☀️
While the outlook for the hospitality industry feels a little uncertain right now, this is also a season for reconnecting—with our families and our communities. Maybe we'll even enjoy a getaway or two over the coming months.
If you’re like many of my clients, you’re trying to trim your to-do list and stretch your marketing budget—and blocking off a few Fridays for some well-earned personal time. If you are on the fence about traveling, don’t forget: local travel good is good for the economy. You OWE It to your community to take some time off.
If you're looking to simplify your workload in anticipation of these getaways—I pulled together a few of my favorite free marketing tools to help. These are tools I actually use - some of them every single day. They save time, save money, and help you show up like a pro.
Some (most??) of them are powered by AI. That's definitely one silver lining to the whole AI boom. There are so many powerful FREE or deeply discounted tools that can help you simplify your everyday tasks.
🧰 Read the full list here: My Favorite Free Tools for Marketing Pros
Did I miss your favorite? Hit reply. I’m always looking for new tools that help us do more with less. Picture me, rubbing my hands, gleefully.
Speaking of Free Tools
Ready to get more out of Canva?
If you’ve been meaning to get more confident with Canva—or you’re ready to level up your design game—this FREE webinar is perfect for you.
👉 Register here: Tech Tuesday – How to Use Canva
June 24, 2025 at noon (Mountain)
Want a Custom Marketing Plan in Minutes?
BIG NEWS: I’ve officially crossed added software developer to my resume. (Yes, I’m now a SaaS-y pro. 😄)
I built a brand-new tool that creates a custom marketing plan in just minutes. Just answer a few quick questions about your business, and you’ll get a plan that’s custom-designed for your business.
A few things to know:
- This is a beta version, so it’s still a work in progress. I’d love your honest feedback—what’s helpful, what’s confusing, and what could be improved.
- The software is designed to help organizations drive new leads to their newsletter and their membership programs.
- For now, it’s branded under the fictional “Meewauken Arts Council”—a placeholder for the custom branding that will be available to my arts council, chamber, and nonprofit partners.
🎯 Want to more leads for YOUR organization?
I'm looking for five pilot partners who want to brand this tool for their organization. It’s plug-and-play—and you keep all the leads.
🚀 Try it here: Instant Marketing Plan (Beta)
Let me know what you think!
That's it from my desk this week. A big wave hello from the Land of Enchantment and I'll see you next week.
Monica Poling
Founder, Cultural Trails
PS There are just a few days left to take advantage of my deeply discounted rates for my email marketing accelerator, an insider, one-on-one review of your email marketing strategy.
