How to benefit from no-code/low-code software as a digital marketing team

With no chance of digital consumption slowing down, you need to be able to scale quickly and minimize the number of dependencies you have on IT to build out internal systems.

No-code/low-code software presents a unique way to meet these needs. This category of software can sound intimidating—but that’s precisely the opposite of how it’s designed to work.

If you’re curious about no-code/low-code, or looking for a way to break it down for your team, lucky you—you’ve come to the right place to get started. This article will serve as a brief guide on how you can benefit from no-code/low-code software as digital marketers—key terms, benefits, and tools included. Read on!

What is the no-code and low-code movement?

No-code and low-code refer to software development that requires little to no prior knowledge of coding. They are slightly different—more on that later.

Non-tech-savvy users can create fully functioning applications using drag and drop user interfaces, building blocks, and reusable building elements without the extensive coding training or experience that is usually required.

Many tools loved by digital marketers and web designers are part of the no-code and low-code movement. If you’ve ever used WordPress to build a website, or launched a store in Shopify, you’ve used a no-code application. Both are considered no-code/low code marketing tools because they include ready-made and customizable features. 

Other common examples of what you could build with no-code/low code include a voice or chat app, a personal or business newsletter, or a digital magazine.

What is the difference between no-code and low-code?

No-code platforms are structured to make it easy for users with absolutely no coding experience to build applications using functional building blocks—such as drag and drop. These blocks can be moved and customized easily, or duplicated to make the process more efficient. 

Low-code platforms do call for a bit of coding knowledge, but they speed up and smooth out the work of developers aiming to crank out new applications. In general, this software is more challenging without a development background. 

Both low-code and no-code software tools are ideal for digital marketing teams because they are geared towards increasing efficiency and productivity. They can save your team time on tasks that might otherwise require complex coding. In the next section, we’ll paint a clearer picture of how no-code/low-code applications can benefit digital marketing teams.

3 benefits of no-code/low-code software for digital marketing teams

As an industry that is rapidly changing and growing with new ideas and competitors, digital marketing doesn’t just suggest the need for no-code/low-code software—it demands it. In order to move fast and measure impact with ease and accuracy, you need a user-friendly way to customize your workflow autonomously. Here are three key benefits:

1. Reduced dependency on IT

Digital marketers tend to base their work around two goals: speed and customization. Constantly relying on the IT department for support and integrations,( or lacking the building blocks needed to produce your best work, can really stifle your team’s creative impact, and even your bottom line. 

No-code/low-code platforms provide autonomy that actually encourages self-sufficiency and swiftness across team members and departments. If we were to sum up how:

• Smaller learning curves: Traditional development tools can be clunky and hard for digital marketers to adjust to. On the other hand, no-code/low-code platforms make it easier for you to source, learn, and customize them as your needs develop or change.

• Room for integrations: No-code/low-code software doesn’t present a barrier to an existing or expanding digital marketing team’s tech stack. The flexibility for integrating your most-loved tools takes a load off of IT as well. They won’t need to frequently install, integrate, and update other tools that could easily be created and then customized via low-code.

For example, via Zapier, you can integrate the email marketing power of MailerLite with monday.com’s no-code/low-code Work OS (Operating System). A Work OS is an open platform that lets your team create and customize solutions to execute faster, be more agile, and move at the speed of business. 

2. Increased productivity

Automation is one of the many shining accolades given to no-code/low code software. It can clean up a messy workflow, while saving your team time and energy chasing each other around for repetitive tasks. 

From pinging colleagues when projects are ready for review to creating reminders for campaign milestones, you’ll find several ways to save time and achieve impact faster. You can also automatically populate dashboards with your workflow data instead of relying on manual entry or a separate tool. Reports can then be generated on the platform instead of using scattered alternatives.

3. Streamlined workflows

If you’re a seasoned digital marketing professional, you’ve likely seen that each team has a unique way of getting things done. These workflows are created to balance workloads against timelines and ultimately maintain a team’s alignment with company objectives.

The downside of this can be that these workflows were created based on the structure and limitations of the platforms they were built on. This can be another source of inefficiency and even frustration, as more time is spent on workarounds rather than building a custom and flexible workflow. No-code/low-code software, like a Work OS, allows you to avoid this altogether because you can create custom widgets, workflows, integrations, and apps.

No-code & low-code tools for digital marketing teams

MailerLite 

Creating email marketing your way has never been easier. MailerLite is built to help you master the following areas of your digital marketing team’s dreams:

• Email campaigns: Build and manage newsletters and email campaigns with ease

• Landing pages: Keep growing your email list

• Automations: Create automations for different groups and segments, such as new subscribers

• Pop-ups: Engage website visitors and increase conversions

• Selling digital products: Earn additional income

Ycode

Ycode is the full-stack, no-code app builder for designers who want to transform their ideas into live web projects. Its sleek visual editor lets you create simple websites or develop web apps with user authentication and custom databases:

• Integrated databases: Create a database and add data manually or in bulk

• Dynamic elements: Connect elements to data fields in your local database

• Content filters: Filter content to show articles or blogs on specific topics

• Dynamic SEO: Create a template for SEO tags to automatically generate titles and descriptions that are SEO friendly

Wibbitz

Wibbitz is an online video editor that simplifies the process for creating impactful marketing videos. The software includes simple and intuitive tools that enable anyone to create short-form videos like a pro in minutes. It’s great for:

• Blogs

• Websites 

• Social media

• And more, regardless of prior experience

monday.com

monday.com Work OS is built for organizations of all sizes and industries— its full suite of tools is perfect for:

• Remote and blended digital marketing teams of in-house staff and freelancers

• File sharing and storage across teams

• Multiple view options from Kanban to Gantt, so any team can customize their workflows

• Getting started with marketing and advanced project management templates from its Template Center.

How to automate your content brief creation with no-code

A content brief collects and organizes all of the information a content writer needs to craft a piece of content. It’s also the link between content strategy and content creation, helping to ensure the content produced is in line with your strategy.

How to do it:

1. Build a content brief template

By creating a template, you won’t need to start from scratch every time. It’s also much easier for a writer to understand the brief and organize their workflow. On monday.com, you can even build a content brief form so the information submitted by requesters will automatically populate your workflow for approval and feedback.

2. Use a Work OS to manage your content management process

Most content processes are extensive and require the thoughtful organization of teams and resources to execute a detailed workflow filled with decisions, documents, and more. Using one single source of information like a no-code/low-code Work OS allows you to communicate in context with writers, designers, clients, and other stakeholders about content and strategy.

3. Use AI to do the heavy lifting

It can be hard to narrow down what your content briefs should include: related topics, linking, questions to answer, user intent, audience data—and these items can take hours of manual research.

Using an AI-powered solution like Semrush’s Content Template tool makes it easier for content strategists and SEO teams to analyze large volumes of data quickly to create high-performing content. 

Such tools allow you to enter keywords relevant to your business to pull in existing content from competitors, relevant topics, pain points and questions from searchers, as well as semantically relevant keywords and phrases that you should consider using in your next content piece.

Digital marketing at its most efficient

If you’re like most digital marketing teams, you know your IT department could use a break from app development requests. You also know that off-the-shelf software is an expensive and inflexible option.

The best solution lies in no-code/low-code software. This would allow your team to build apps that suit your organization’s needs while also optimizing your workflow You can then put your creative efforts where they really count!