Running a small business in 2025 isn’t about having the most tools — it’s about having the right ones. Because let’s be honest: between chasing clients, building content, running ads, handling finances, and trying to stay sane… you don’t have time to test 25 tools every month.

At Diraav, we’re a small team that builds and scales brands — and we use just a few free or freemium tools to run everything from design to lead management. These aren’t tools we found on a random blog. They’re the actual tools we use daily — for client work, internal processes, and our own marketing.

Here are the 8 tools we rely on — and what we actually use them for:

1. Adobe Express

Purpose: To create polished, professional-looking graphics for our brand decks, flyers, and promo creatives.

Why we use it:
When we need visuals that feel a step above Canva but still easy to make, Adobe Express comes through. It has cleaner fonts, smoother animations, and a more corporate finish — perfect for high-value pitches and presentations.

We use it for:

• Brand strategy decks
• Event posters
• Social media promos (especially carousels with animation)

2. Canva

Purpose: To design daily social media content, client creatives, templates, and internal brand kits.

Why we use it:
Canva is our go-to for everything fast. From Instagram posts to email headers and proposal covers, it handles quick-turnaround creative work beautifully. We’ve even used it to design mockup websites and highlight Instagram Reels covers.

We use it for:

• Our own Instagram carousels, reels covers, and story templates
• Client social media creatives
• PDF lead magnets + pitch decks
• Website wireframes for initial review

3. CapCut

Purpose: To edit short-form videos (Reels, YouTube Shorts, client testimonials) quickly and on the go.

Why we use it:
CapCut makes video editing feel manageable — even fun. We use templates to keep brand consistency, auto-captions for retention, and trending audio to boost reach.

We use it for:

• Founder reels
• Client testimonial edits
• Explainer videos (with animations + music)
  

4. Pixelcut AI

Purpose: To create clean, professional product shots — especially when the original photo wasn’t great.

Why we use it:
For clients who run product-based businesses, Pixelcut is a game-changer. It helps us quickly remove backgrounds, clean up images, and add light shadows for a studio-like feel — all on mobile.

We use it for:

• E-commerce post designs
• Product catalog mockups
• Before/after photo clean-ups
  

 5. AlsoAsked

Purpose: To find real-time content and blog topic ideas that people are actively searching for.

Why we use it:
We use AlsoAsked when we’re building out content strategies. It shows us the “branches” of questions people have — and that becomes the foundation of our Reels, blogs, website copy, and SEO game.

We use it for:

• Reels hooks
• Carousel topics
• Blog outlines
• Client FAQs
  

6. BlackBox AI

Purpose: To generate content prompts, caption ideas, email copy, and refine marketing messaging.

Why we use it:
When our brain hits a creative block (which it does), BlackBox helps. It doesn’t replace creativity — but it definitely accelerates the starting point. Especially useful for clients in tough or niche industries.

We use it for:

• Caption prompts
• Rewriting CTAs or taglines
• Repurposing long-form content
• Client ad copy testing
  

7. Google Analytics (GA4)

Purpose: To track how users interact with our website and where our traffic is coming from.

Why we use it:
We use GA4 to make smart decisions — not just “we think it’s working” assumptions. It helps us see if our blogs are bringing leads, what pages are underperforming, and what channels are converting.

We use it for:

• Traffic source breakdown
• Time on page (content performance)
• Lead form clicks
• SEO performance checks

8. Zoho CRM (Free Plan)

Purpose: To track and manage client leads, discovery calls, and follow-ups — in one place.

Why we use it:
Without a CRM, you end up losing track of warm leads. Zoho’s free plan helps us centralize everything — so we know who’s in our pipeline, who needs follow-up, and which client stage they’re in.

We use it for:

• Lead tracking
• Inquiry follow-ups
• Client conversion analytics
• Basic email flows
  

Final Thoughts — From Our Desk at Diraav

Marketing in 2025 doesn’t require a huge team or a huge tech stack. What it really requires is clarity, consistency, and a few tools that work hard for you. These 8 tools keep our agency running smoothly — from creating content to closing clients. You don’t need everything. You just need a system that makes sense for you.

And if you’re in that stage where things feel a little scattered — we’d love to help you turn the chaos into a calm, structured brand system that grows with you.