marketing platforms

Resource Links by Platform (168-link reference PDF)

One printable reference of every platform tool, ad and shop setup page, AI marketing tool, and strategy read in this collection - 168 links across 24 platform categories.

Why I recommend it: Download this if you want the whole platform list in one place - it mirrors every link in the Marketing & Platform Tools collection.

Multimodal AI Trends

Overview of multimodal AI trends and how combining text, image, and audio AI is reshaping technology.

Privacy-Safe Personalization

Blog post on how marketers can personalize campaigns while still respecting user privacy.

Squishmallows on TikTok

TikTok discover page showcasing the viral community and collector content around Squishmallows plush toys.

Buffer

Social media scheduling and analytics tool for planning and publishing posts across multiple platforms.

Why I recommend it: A solid free tool for scheduling your social posts instead of posting live every day.

X for Business (Intro Hub)

X's official introduction hub for businesses covering advertising and brand-building tools on the platform.

Google Merchant Center

Platform for uploading and managing the product data that powers Google Shopping ads and listings.

Social Commerce Trends (Shopify)

Shopify enterprise blog post covering emerging trends in social commerce and shoppable content.

Consistency in Social Media

Blog post on why posting consistency matters for social media growth and how to maintain it.

Meta Creative Center

Meta's free library of ad examples, templates, and creative inspiration for Facebook and Instagram.

Gymshark Millennials

Article examining how Gymshark's marketing strategy successfully captured millennial and Gen Z fitness audiences.

Zapier

No-code automation platform that connects apps and automates workflows between them.

Why I recommend it: This is the tool that quietly saves small business owners hours every week.

Change Makers Program

TikTok's initiative spotlighting and supporting creators who run charitable and social-impact campaigns.

Early Trend Detection

Reddit's own learning-hub article on how businesses can spot emerging trends within its communities.

Etsy Meets AI / ChatGPT Integration

Etsy help-center article explaining how shoppers can purchase Etsy items directly through ChatGPT.

Google Shopping

Google's comparison shopping service that surfaces product listings from online and local retailers.

Gymshark Net Worth

Article breaking down Gymshark's valuation and financial growth as a case study in brand scaling.

Labubu Effect Article

LinkedIn article analyzing how niche character storytelling turned Labubu into a global viral phenomenon.

YouTube

The world's largest video-sharing platform, widely used by creators and businesses for organic reach.

Google Sites

Google's free, no-code website builder for simple business, portfolio, or informational sites.

Stanley Car Fire TikTok Video

The viral TikTok video of a Stanley cup surviving a car fire that sparked the brand's massive social moment.

TikTok: Volume + Trends Strategy

Article on the strategies, trends, and tools entrepreneurs can use to grow a following on TikTok.

TikTok Ads Manager

TikTok's self-serve dashboard for creating, targeting, and managing paid advertising campaigns.

HubSpot AI

HubSpot's suite of free AI-powered tools for content creation, email, and CRM tasks.

Why I recommend it: HubSpot gives away some surprisingly good free AI tools—worth exploring before paying for anything.

Google Veo

Google DeepMind's generative AI model that creates video clips from text or image prompts.

Speechify

Text-to-speech app that converts written content into natural-sounding narrated audio.

Runway

AI-powered video generation and editing platform for creating and stylizing clips from text or images.

Hugging Face

Open-source AI community and platform hosting machine-learning models, datasets and tools. Free to browse, download and run models; paid plans only cover hosted compute.

Gen Z & AR Shopping

Snap's article on how Gen Z consumers are using augmented reality to discover and shop for brands.

Bing Places for Business

Microsoft's free local-listing tool that manages how a business shows up in Bing Search and Maps.

Two-Way Communication Strategy

Article on using two-way communication and audience interaction as part of a social media strategy.

Authenticity in Social Media

Search Engine Journal piece on why authentic, genuine connection outperforms polished content on social media.

Pinterest Predicts (Trends 2026)

Pinterest's annual trend report forecasting the themes and searches expected to grow in the coming year.

Stanley $750M Revenue (Forbes)

Forbes' account of how a viral TikTok moment helped drive Stanley's cup sales and brand revenue growth.

Why I recommend it: A great real-world example of how one viral moment can transform a brand overnight.

The Handmade Advantage

Deep-dive article examining whether selling handmade goods on Etsy is worth it for crafters.

TikTok Seller Requirements

Article explaining the eligibility requirements and steps needed to get approved for TikTok Shop.

Community Credibility Guide

Guide to building trust and authentic community engagement as a business participating on Reddit.

Shopify: The Entrepreneur's Platform

Entrepreneur.com article outlining the key benefits of building an online store on Shopify.

Klaviyo

Email and SMS marketing automation platform popular with e-commerce brands for personalized campaigns.

Durable

AI website builder that generates a complete small-business website and copy in under a minute.

Shopify

Leading e-commerce platform for building, managing, and scaling an online store.

Why I recommend it: If you're serious about selling online, this is the platform most of my clients start with.

Conversational Ads (Sponsored Snaps)

Snap newsroom announcement covering new conversational and sponsored ad formats for advertisers.

Gymshark Story

Gymshark's own account of its founding story, from a teenage side hustle to a global apparel brand.

Why I recommend it: One of the best founder stories out there for anyone starting a business from nothing.

Opportunity Score

A free Meta Business Suite feature that scores a Page's setup and suggests ways to reach more customers.

Stanley CEO Sends New Car (USA Today)

USA Today's coverage of Stanley's CEO replacing the car destroyed in the viral fire video as a goodwill gesture.

Ephemeral Content Psychology

Article examining why Snapchat's disappearing-content format drives user engagement and habit formation.

Why Etsy Works for Creators

Etsy's own seller-handbook article on why the marketplace suits independent creators and makers.

Meta Pixel Setup Guide

Third-party guide walking through how to install the Meta Pixel tracking code on a business website.

Business Prime Tiers

Amazon's subscription tiers offering business customers bulk pricing, analytics, and purchasing tools.

OpenAI Agentic Commerce Protocol

OpenAI's developer documentation for its protocol letting AI agents complete purchases on a user's behalf.

YouTube: Shorts + Long-Form Strategy

Article comparing short-form and long-form video strategies and their effects on audience engagement.

Shopify Capital

Shopify's financing program offering merchants business loans and cash advances based on store performance.

Canva

Popular design platform with AI features for creating graphics, videos, presentations, and marketing materials.

Why I recommend it: If you only learn one design tool for your business, make it Canva.

Typeform AI

AI-assisted tool for generating interactive forms and surveys from a short text prompt.

Predictive & Prescriptive Marketing

Article explaining predictive and prescriptive AI techniques used in app and performance marketing.

Descript

AI-powered audio and video editing tool that lets users edit recordings by editing a text transcript.

Google Business Profile (Setup Guide)

Google's official help-center guide for creating and verifying a free Google Business Profile listing.

Why I recommend it: Start here if you're setting up your first Google Business Profile.

Creative Hub

Meta's free tool for mocking up and previewing ad creative before launching a campaign.

Creator Empowerment Features

Article on how Etsy's platform and startup model have empowered independent creators.

Framer

No-code website builder with AI design features for building fast, animated marketing sites.

Generative AI for UGC

Overview article on generative AI's growing role in content creation, including user-generated-style content.

LinkedIn Business Manager

LinkedIn's tool for managing multiple ad accounts, pages, and team access in one place.

Meta Advantage+

Meta's AI-powered automated ad system that optimizes targeting, budget, and creative delivery.

X Ads (Get Started)

X's getting-started guide for setting up and launching paid advertising campaigns on the platform.

Flexible Enterprise Business Center

TikTok's centralized workspace for managing multiple ad accounts, assets, and team permissions.

Seller University

Amazon's free library of training videos and courses to help new sellers launch and grow.

Why I recommend it: Amazon's own free training library—worth a look before you list your first product.

AR/VR & Shoppable Videos

Article on emerging augmented reality, virtual reality, and shoppable video trends in content marketing.

AI-Generated Interactive Content

Article covering the evolution of AI content creation from text generation to video and interactive formats.

Anthropic

AI safety company that builds the Claude family of AI models with a focus on responsible AI development.

Seller Central / Business Analytics

Amazon's dashboard for managing listings, inventory, orders, and sales-performance analytics.

Reddit Ads

Reddit's self-serve advertising platform for targeting ads to specific communities and interests.

Sustainability & Ethical AI

Hugging Face blog post discussing the environmental sustainability and ethics of AI systems.

Snapchat Lens Studio

Snap's official developer platform and documentation for building AR lenses and camera experiences.

Otter.ai

AI transcription tool that records and transcribes meetings, interviews, and voice notes in real time.

Why I recommend it: A great free tool for transcribing client calls or podcast interviews.

AI Shopping Agents

Trade-publication article on how AI shopping agents are reshaping retail and consumer buying behavior.

AI-Driven Content Refresh

Article on using AI techniques to refresh and repurpose existing content for better performance.

Creator Fund/Program

TikTok's official program that pays eligible creators based on the views their content generates.

Stanley 1913

Official site of Stanley 1913, the drinkware brand behind the viral Stanley Quencher tumbler.

OpenAI News / Dev Day

OpenAI's official newsroom covering product announcements, model updates, and Dev Day news.

SmartBiz

Amazon Business feature connecting small business owners with SBA-backed small business loan options.

Reddit Marketing Strategy

Forbes article arguing that Reddit marketing may be an underused growth channel for businesses.

Synthesia

AI platform that produces videos narrated by realistic AI avatars from a simple text script.

Sustainability in E-Commerce

Article on sustainability practices and trends taking hold within the e-commerce industry.

Conversational Commerce with ChatGPT

Shopify's integration letting customers browse and buy from Shopify stores directly within ChatGPT.

Freshdesk AI

Freshworks' AI-enhanced help-desk software for managing customer support tickets and conversations.

Pinterest Ads Manager

Pinterest's self-serve dashboard for creating, targeting, and managing paid Pinterest ad campaigns.

Ad Optimization Assistance

TikTok's official checklist for diagnosing and improving underperforming ad campaigns.

Pika

AI video generation tool that turns text and image prompts into short animated video clips.

Build A Bear UGC Campaign

Press release on a Build-A-Bear marketing campaign built around user-generated content and customer stories.

Tidio

AI chatbot and live-chat platform for e-commerce customer service and support automation.

YouTube Partner Program

YouTube's monetization program letting eligible creators earn revenue from ads, memberships, and Shopping.

Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft's paid search advertising platform, running ads across Bing, Yahoo, and partner networks.

TikTok Shop

TikTok's built-in e-commerce feature letting sellers list and sell products directly within the app.

Why I recommend it: Worth exploring if you're a product-based business trying to reach a younger audience.

Labubu Lifestyle Community

Fan-community guide to the Labubu collector lifestyle and the culture built around the toy line.

Voiceflow

Platform for designing and building AI chatbots and voice assistants without heavy coding.

Microsoft Ecosystem Integration

Microsoft documentation on integrating third-party apps and services with the Microsoft 365 Copilot ecosystem.

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

LinkedIn's hub for B2B advertising, sponsored content, and other marketing solutions.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)

Amazon's logistics service that stores, packs, and ships seller inventory through its warehouse network.

Facebook Marketplace

Meta's free platform for individuals and businesses to list and sell products locally and online.

Make

Visual workflow-automation platform for connecting apps and building complex multi-step automations.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube's short-form vertical video feature built to compete with TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Amazon Advertising

Amazon's advertising platform offering sponsored product, brand, and display campaigns across its marketplace.

Gymshark

Official site of Gymshark, the fitness apparel brand built largely through social media and influencer marketing.

Shopify App Store

Shopify's marketplace of third-party apps and plugins for extending store functionality.

Sora 2

OpenAI's generative AI model that creates realistic video and audio clips from text prompts.

Google Business Profile

Free Google tool for creating and managing how a business appears on Google Search and Maps.

Instagram Business Tools

Meta's free suite of Instagram features for insights, promotions, and managing a business profile.

Cross-AI Orchestration

Blog post on coordinating multiple AI tools and platforms together within a marketing workflow.

Pinterest Business Help: Advertising

Pinterest's help-center documentation covering how to set up and run advertising campaigns.

Labubu / Pop Mart

Official Pop Mart product page for Labubu, the collectible character line behind the 2025 viral toy craze.

Pinterest Business (Setup Hub)

Pinterest's official hub for setting up and managing a business account and its business tools.

Microsoft Power Automate

Microsoft's workflow-automation tool for connecting Microsoft 365 apps and other business software.

Labubu Viral Marketing (Forbes)

Forbes article on the marketing lessons businesses can learn from Labubu's viral growth.

Target Frequencies

TikTok Ads Manager feature letting advertisers control how often the same user sees an ad.

Meta Business Suite

Meta's free hub for managing Facebook and Instagram pages, posts, messages, and ads in one place.

Why I recommend it: This is command center for your Facebook and Instagram presence—worth learning early.

Seller App

Amazon's mobile app letting sellers manage orders, inventory, and analytics on the go.

AR Lenses & Filters (Lens Studio)

Snap's free desktop software for designing custom augmented-reality lenses and camera filters.

Stripe

Payment-processing platform that lets businesses accept online payments and manage billing infrastructure.

Why I recommend it: Most online stores and service businesses end up using Stripe to get paid.

The Buy Guide

Site telling the origin story of the Stanley Quencher cup and the women-owned business that popularized it.

Voice Search Statistics

Research roundup of statistics on voice search and voice shopping adoption trends.

Instagram 5-3-1 Engagement Rule

Explainer on the 5-3-1 posting framework for balancing curated, personal, and promotional Instagram content.

Why I recommend it: A simple content framework I recommend to clients who feel stuck on what to post.

How to Write Captions

Practical guide to writing effective, engaging captions for social media posts.

LinkedIn Campaign Manager (Ads)

LinkedIn's self-serve advertising dashboard for creating and managing sponsored ad campaigns.

TikTok Business Accounts

TikTok's free account type for businesses, unlocking analytics, ad tools, and a public business profile.

Wix AI

Wix's AI website builder that generates a customized site design and layout from a few prompts.

Predis.ai

AI tool that generates social media posts, captions, and videos from a website URL or prompt.

ChatGPT

OpenAI's conversational AI assistant for writing, research, brainstorming and support tasks. Free tier with message and model limits; paid plans lift them.

Why I recommend it: The single most useful free tool for brainstorming marketing copy and business ideas.

Bing Webmaster Tools

Free suite for monitoring and improving a website's presence and performance in Bing search results.

Instagram Shops

Meta's free feature letting businesses build a shoppable storefront directly inside the Instagram app.

Snapchat x Shopify Integration

Support article explaining how to connect the Snap Pixel to a Shopify store for ad tracking.

Google Ads

Google's paid advertising platform for running search, display, video, and shopping ad campaigns.

Website and App Optimization (Pixel)

TikTok's guide to installing the TikTok Pixel to track website conversions from ad campaigns.

Yotpo

E-commerce marketing platform for managing reviews, loyalty programs, and user-generated content.

Nano vs Micro Influencer Marketing

Comparison of nano- and micro-influencer marketing, covering costs, audience size, and engagement tradeoffs.

Brevo

Email and SMS marketing platform (formerly Sendinblue) with automation and CRM tools for small businesses.

Google Analytics

Google's free web analytics platform for tracking website traffic, user behavior, and conversions.

Why I recommend it: Essential for understanding where your website traffic is actually coming from.

Shopify AR

Shopify's toolset for adding 3D and augmented-reality product previews to an online store.

Shopify Magic (AI Features)

Shopify's built-in AI feature set for generating product descriptions, images, and store content.

Blaze AI

AI content-generation platform for creating marketing copy, social posts, and blog content.

Smart+ Campaign Optimization

TikTok's AI-driven automated ad solution that optimizes targeting and budget allocation for advertisers.

Mobile-First Commerce

Article on why mobile-first design and shopping experiences are now essential for e-commerce businesses.

Microsoft Clarity

Free heatmap and session-recording analytics tool from Microsoft for seeing how visitors use a site.

Why I recommend it: A completely free way to watch exactly how visitors use your website.