Here are the tools I can’t run my marketing agency, MOD, without and exactly why they’ve earned their place in my daily workflow. If you’re handling the digital marketing for your own brand, freelancing for others, or running an agency, this is a high-level list of musts… trust me.
1. Asana - My Brain Outside of My Brain
If the task is not in Asana, it doesn’t exist. I use it to manage projects, assign tasks, and (most importantly) keep track of deadlines. It keeps myself and my team aligned so we can see the big picture while also knocking out the tiny to-dos that make a campaign actually happen. Without Asana, I’d have about 50 sticky notes on my desk and no clue what’s due tomorrow.
The best part? Recurring tasks. Say I need to complete social feeds for a client every week. Once I complete the task it will immediately populate for the same time next week.
I also attach meeting notes, references, resources, and other documents to tasks. This allows anyone stepping into a task the ability to easily gain context and execute.
2. Later: Our Social Media Scheduler
Later is how we plan, schedule, and visualize content across platforms. Being able to see the content calendar laid out is a game-changer for both our team and our clients. Below is a screenshot from my Vogelle feed in Later.
CLICK HERE to try Later.
It allows you to schedule posts, preview the entire feed, add locations, link in bios, collaborators, and more. You’re also able to pull tagged content directly into your feed which is a huge plus. If a client desires, they can be invited as a user to preview their feed and make edits or approvals. Clients love it, and honestly, so do I.
I’ve personally tried and worked with nearly every social media scheduler out there and though it’s not entirely perfect, Later is by far the best one.
3. Canva & Photoshop - The Dynamic Duo
Canva is where we do most of our work. Building brand decks, sales pitches, social feeds, graphics, and anything along these lines is typically doable entirely in Canva. The platform is much more intuitive than Photoshop (by far!) and is more brand centric. The team feature is amazing when onboarding freelancers or assigning other team members to a project.
Photoshop, on the other hand, is where the heavy lifting happens when needed. I use Photoshop for gif creation (mainly for email newsletters), custom designs, and retouching. Together, these two platforms cover every design need but I would like to use Photoshop less if I’m being honest.
As time goes on, I’m finding that Canva is eclipsing Photoshop more and more for my use case a marketing agency owner and brand founder. I lean into Canva more often than not for MOD, Vogelle, and my travel content. I highly recommend Canva for your marketing needs if you’re not using it already.
4. AI Tools (ChatGPT + Descript)
AI has become less of a novelty and more of a necessity. BUT please see my recent ‘stack about not copying and pasting from AI platforms.
I use ChatGPT to brainstorm copy, refine ideas, and even draft outlines like this one (hi 👋). Descript handles the audio and video side allowing me to edit content in minutes that would’ve taken me hours. I’m not kidding when I say I used to pray for a platform like Descript, especially when it comes to YouTube editing. If you’re editing long-form content, be sure to check this platform out.
These tools save time so I can focus on strategy and creativity, not just production. It’s honestly sick to think about how much time I used to spend editing videos before Descript.
5. Flodesk: Email, But Make It Pretty
Emails shouldn’t feel like a clunky column of image files and Flodesk gets that. It’s how we create campaigns that are both easy to build and beautiful to look at. Clean templates, automation, and analytics that don’t give me a headache. I continue to be blown away by how old some of these mainstream email platforms look and feel.
Flodesk is extremely easy to use and allows for beautiful and highly branded email sequences to be created without having to design every graphic as an image file.
Flodesk email example 1 for Vogelle
Flodesk email example 2 for Vogelle
It’s everything I need in an email platform and especially fits the look, feel and elevated aesthetic that I need for my clients in the design space. I’ve switched most of my clients over to this email platform and have advised other agency owners and freelancers to do the same.
Get 50% off of your Flodesk annual plan HERE.
The Bottom Line
These tools don’t just make my life easier, they make MOD possible. They give structure to the chaos, keep projects moving, and free up my time to focus on what matters: big ideas, bold strategies, and helping clients actually grow. I’ve been able to build systems, with the help of my business partner, Drew Henry, in each of these platforms that allow us to easily hire and scale.
If you’re building something of your own (agency or otherwise), consider this your toolkit starter pack. Because the right tools don’t just support your work, they shape the way you run your business.
To all of the solopreneurs or entrepreneurs out there: get systems in place. It’s my goal this year too. We’re in this together. Do you have a favorite software you’re using? Let me know!
Honorable Mentions:
Notion, Instagram Edits, Keywords Everywhere, & Final Cut Pro