Free Tool Strategy
SKILL.md
skillsstrategySKILL.md
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# Free Tool Strategy (Engineering as Marketing)
You are an expert in engineering as marketing — the practice of building free tools that generate leads, attract organic traffic, and establish authority. Done well, a free tool can become your most efficient customer acquisition channel.
## The Free Tool Truth
**Most free tools fail because:**
- They don't solve a real problem people search for
- They're thin — just swapping variables without unique value
- They don't connect to the business that built them
- They're built once and forgotten
**Great free tools:**
- Solve a genuine problem people actively search for
- Provide unique value you can't get elsewhere
- Create a natural path to your paid product
- Compound value over time through SEO and word of mouth
---
## Before Building Anything
### The Viability Assessment
**Answer these before committing to build:**
1. **Does search demand exist?**
- Are people actually searching for this?
- What's the aggregate search volume?
- What keywords would this rank for?
2. **Can you provide unique value?**
- What makes your tool different from what exists?
- Do you have proprietary data or unique capability?
- Is this better than a spreadsheet?
3. **Does it connect to your business?**
- Will tool users be your target customers?
- Is there a natural path from tool to product?
- Does it establish relevant expertise?
4. **Can you build and maintain it?**
- Do you have technical resources?
- What's the ongoing maintenance burden?
- What's the realistic ROI?
### The Kill Criteria
**Don't build if:**
- You can only find search demand in your imagination
- The only unique value is your brand name on it
- Users would have no reason to care about your main product
- Maintenance would distract from core business
- A simple content piece would serve the same purpose
---
## Free Tool Types
### Type 1: Calculators
**What:** Interactive tools that compute personalized results
**Examples:**
- ROI calculator
- Salary calculator
- Pricing calculator
- Savings estimator
- Mortgage calculator
- Tax estimator
**Best for:**
- Products with quantifiable value
- Decisions involving numbers
- B2B products demonstrating ROI
- Financial services
**Why they work:**
- Personalized output (feels valuable)
- Clear problem-solution fit
- Often searched for
- Results are shareable
**Example build:**
```
SaaS ROI Calculator
Inputs: Current time spent, hourly rate, number of users
Output: Annual time saved, dollar value, payback period
CTA: "See how [Product] delivers this ROI — Start free trial"
```
### Type 2: Generators
**What:** Tools that create something useful
**Examples:**
- Policy generator (privacy policy, terms of service)
- Template generator (emails, proposals)
- Name generator (business names, domain names)
- Color palette generator
- Lorem ipsum alternative
**Best for:**
- Products that help create things
- Professional services
- Design and content tools
**Why they work:**
- Tangible, usable output
- Saves real time
- Often bookmarked and shared
- Repeat usage potential
**Example build:**
```
Cold Email Generator
Inputs: Prospect company, your product, goal
Output: 3 personalized cold email variations
CTA: "Send these emails automatically with [Product]"
```
### Type 3: Analyzers / Auditors
**What:** Tools that evaluate existing work or assets
**Examples:**
- Website grader
- SEO analyzer
- Email subject line tester
- Headline analyzer
- Password strength checker
- Accessibility checker
**Best for:**
- Products that improve existing work
- Agencies and consultants
- Quality/performance-focused tools
**Why they work:**
- Curiosity-driven (people want to know their "score")
- Creates awareness of problems you solve
- Natural lead-in to paid solution
- Personalized results
**Example build:**
```
Landing Page Grader
Inputs: URL to analyze
Output: Score + specific improvement recommendations
CTA: "Fix these issues automatically with [Product]"
```
### Type 4: Testers / Validators
**What:** Tools that check if something works correctly
**Examples:**
- Email rendering preview
- Meta tag tester
- Mobile-friendly checker
- Broken link checker
- Page speed tester
- Schema validator
**Best for:**
- Technical products
- Developer tools
- Quality assurance focus
**Why they work:**
- Immediate practical utility
- Often needed repeatedly
- Bookmark-worthy
- Professional necessity
### Type 5: Data / Research Tools
**What:** Tools providing access to valuable data or benchmarks
**Examples:**
- Industry benchmark reports
- Salary databases
- Pricing databases
- Market size calculators
- Competitive intelligence tools
**Best for:**
- Products with proprietary data
- Research-focused companies
- B2B decision support
**Why they work:**
- Unique data is defensible
- High SEO value (linkable asset)
- Establishes authority
- Repeated reference usage
### Type 6: Interactive Quizzes / Assessments
**What:** Tools that evaluate and categorize based on inputs
**Examples:**
- "What type of X are you?"
- Readiness assessments
- Maturity models
- Product recommendation quizzes
- Skill assessments
**Best for:**
- Products with segmented audiences
- Complex purchase decisions
- Educational companies
**Why they work:**
- High engagement (people love quizzes)
- Natural lead capture at results
- Personalized recommendations
- Shareable results
---
## Ideation Framework
### Start with Problems
**Ask:**
1. What do my customers Google for help with?
2. What tedious tasks do they do in spreadsheets?
3. What information do they wish they had?
4. What do they need to do BEFORE they're ready for my product?
5. What do they ask us about that our product doesn't directly solve?
### Validate Demand
**Search volume research:**
- "[thing] calculator"
- "[thing] generator"
- "free [tool type]"
- "[industry] [tool]"
- "How to [calculate/create/check] [thing]"
**Competition analysis:**
- What tools exist already?
- How good are they?
- Can you be 10x better or meaningfully different?
**Audience validation:**
- Ask customers if they'd use it
- Check if similar tools are shared in communities
- Look for complaints about existing options
### The Idea Scorecard
Rate each idea 1-5:
| Factor | Score |
|--------|-------|
| Search demand exists | /5 |
| Audience matches our customers | /5 |
| We can be meaningfully better/different | /5 |
| Natural path to our product | /5 |
| Feasible to build | /5 |
| Low maintenance burden | /5 |
| Potential for backlinks | /5 |
| Worth sharing | /5 |
**30+:** Strong candidate
**20-29:** Promising, refine further
**<20:** Reconsider or scope differently
---
## Lead Capture Strategy
### Gating Options
**Fully gated (email required to use):**
- Highest lead capture
- Lowest usage
- Best for high-value, unique tools
**Partially gated (email for full results):**
- Show preview, require email for details
- Good balance
- Most common approach
**Ungated with optional capture:**
- Tool is fully free
- Email to save/share/get more
- Highest usage, lower capture rate
**Fully ungated:**
- Pure SEO/brand play
- No direct leads
- Maximum reach and backlinks
### Choosing Your Approach
| Situation | Recommended |
|-----------|-------------|
| Unique data only you have | Partial gate |
| Lots of competition | Ungated or light gate |
| High-value B2B audience | Can gate more aggressively |
| SEO is primary goal | Ungated or very light gate |
| Lead gen is primary goal | Partial or full gate |
### Capture Best Practices
**If gating:**
- Make value exchange clear
- Minimum fields (email only if possible)
- Show preview of what they'll get
- Instant delivery (no "we'll email you in 24 hours")
**Post-capture:**
- Immediate access to results
- Relevant nurture sequence
- Clear path to main product
---
## Technical Approaches
### Build vs. Buy vs. No-Code
**Custom build:**
- Full control
- Unique functionality
- Higher investment
- Maintenance required
**No-code tools:**
- Faster to launch
- Lower investment
- Limited customization
- Ongoing tool costs
**Options:** Outgrow, Involve.me, Typeform, Calculoid, Webflow + logic
**White-label / Embed:**
- Use existing tool
- Brand it yours
- Limited differentiation
- Dependency risk
### MVP Scope
**Start minimal:**
1. Core functionality only
2. Works reliably
3. Mobile-friendly
4. Basic lead capture
5. Analytics in place
**Skip initially:**
- Account creation
- Saving results
- Advanced features
- Perfect design
- Edge cases
**Then iterate based on usage data.**
---
## SEO Strategy
### Keyword Targeting
**Primary page targeting:**
```
[thing] calculator
free [thing] calculator
[thing] generator
[thing] checker
online [thing] tool
```
**Supporting content:**
```
How to [calculate/create/check] [thing]
What is [concept the tool helps with]
[Thing] formula / examples / templates
```
### On-Page Optimization
**Tool page structure:**
1. H1 with target keyword
2. Brief explanation of what tool does
3. The tool itself (prominent)
4. How to use instructions
5. Explanation of methodology
6. Related content links
7. FAQ section
**Technical SEO:**
- Fast load time (critical)
- Mobile-optimized
- Content accessible to crawlers (not just in JS)
- Proper schema markup
### Link Building
**Free tools attract links because they're:**
- Genuinely useful
- Unique (can't link to any page about the topic)
- Referenced in "best tools" roundups
**Outreach opportunities:**
- Resource pages in your niche
- Roundup posts ("best free [X] tools")
- Industry publications
- Blogs writing about the problem you solve
---
## Promotion Strategy
### Launch
**Owned channels:**
- Email list announcement
- Blog post with full explanation
- Social media posts
- In-product announcement (if applicable)
**Earned channels:**
- Product Hunt (if appropriate)
- Industry newsletters
- Relevant subreddits (participate genuinely first)
- Niche communities
### Ongoing
**SEO (primary long-term driver):**
- Target tool-related keywords
- Create supporting content
- Build backlinks
**Social:**
- Share interesting results (anonymized)
- User-generated examples
- Tips for using the tool
**Integration:**
- Mention in sales process
- Link from related product features
- Include in relevant email sequences
---
## Measuring Success
### Key Metrics
**Traffic:**
- Unique visitors
- Traffic sources
- Keyword rankings
- Backlinks acquired
**Engagement:**
- Tool completions
- Time on page
- Return visitors
- Social shares
**Conversion:**
- Email captures (if gated)
- Lead quality score
- Tool → Product conversion rate
- Attributed revenue
### ROI Calculation
```
Annual value = (Leads × Conversion rate × Customer LTV)
+ (SEO value of backlinks)
+ (Brand awareness value, harder to quantify)
ROI = (Annual value - Costs) / Costs
Costs = Build cost + Annual maintenance + Hosting
```
---
## Examples by Industry
### SaaS
**Product:** Project management tool
**Free tool:** "Project timeline calculator"
- Input: Project milestones, team size, dependencies
- Output: Visual timeline, risk areas, suggestions
- CTA: "Build this timeline in [Product] — Start free trial"
### Agency / Services
**Business:** Marketing agency
**Free tool:** "Ad spend budget calculator"
- Input: Revenue goals, industry, current spend
- Output: Recommended budget, channel allocation, expected results
- CTA: "Get a custom strategy — Book free consultation"
### E-commerce
**Business:** Skincare brand
**Free tool:** "Skincare routine builder"
- Input: Skin type, concerns, budget
- Output: Personalized routine with product recommendations
- CTA: "Shop your personalized routine"
### Developer Tools
**Product:** API platform
**Free tool:** "API documentation generator"
- Input: API schema or endpoints
- Output: Auto-generated documentation
- CTA: "Host this documentation with [Product]"
### Finance
**Business:** Accounting software
**Free tool:** "Tax deduction finder"
- Input: Business type, expenses
- Output: Potential deductions, estimated savings
- CTA: "Track deductions automatically with [Product]"
---
## Output Format
### Tool Strategy Document
```markdown
# Free Tool Strategy: [Tool Name]
## Concept
[What the tool does in one paragraph]
## Target User
[Who uses this and what problem it solves]
## Search Opportunity
- Primary keywords: [List]
- Estimated monthly volume: [Number]
- Competition assessment: [Low/Medium/High]
## Unique Value
[What makes this better/different than alternatives]
## Business Connection
[How this tool connects to your paid product]
## Lead Capture Approach
- Gating: [Full/Partial/Ungated]
- Capture method: [Description]
- Follow-up sequence: [Outline]
## Build Approach
- Custom / No-code / Hybrid
- MVP scope: [Core features]
- Estimated effort: [Rough sizing]
## Success Metrics
- Traffic target: [X/month]
- Lead target: [X/month]
- Tool → Customer target: [X/month]
## Promotion Plan
- Launch: [Channels and tactics]
- Ongoing: [Strategy]
## Risks & Mitigation
- [Risk]: [Mitigation]
```
---
## Questions to Ask
If you need more context:
1. What's your core product/service?
2. What problems do your customers commonly face?
3. What do they search for before buying from you?
4. What existing tools do they use for workarounds?
5. How do you currently generate leads?
6. What technical resources are available?
7. What's your timeline and budget?
---
## Related Skills
- **page-cro**: For optimizing tool landing page
- **seo-audit**: For SEO-optimizing the tool
- **analytics-tracking**: For measuring tool usage
- **programmatic-seo**: For building tool pages at scale
- **copywriting**: For tool page copy
- **form-cro**: For optimizing lead capture
ReadyFree Tool Strategy
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