If you’re into marketing, there are plenty of moving parts that you have to keep track of. It’s like being a conductor of a symphony orchestra while juggling chainsaws. One wrong move and it all goes up in flames (metaphorically speaking). You can stop stressing out over figuring it all out and start enjoying the process with digital marketing software for small business.
Been looking around for small business digital marketing tools, best marketing tools & all in one marketing software, but don’t know where to start? If yes, then you are landing at the right place. In this article I am going to list down some trending digital marketing software free and paid which can help you thrive your business.
Constant Contact
Best Email Marketing Service for Small Business ($20/month)
Constant Contact has been in the email marketing space since 1995, taking the name Constant Contact back in 2004. In 2015, they became a part of Endurance International Group, a powerhouse that other companies including Bluehost, HostGator, and Domain.com.
As stated on their website, the company’s ultimate goal is to help small businesses navigate the promise, power, and potential of the web.
They feature 100+ modern, mobile-optimized templates to engage and convert customers, real-time reporting and analytics, and bonus features like coupons, polls, and events.
One of their most unique features is event management and the ability to manage invitations, registrations, and tickets:
Email deliverability is above average and one of the highest among email service providers at over 90%.
Pricing:
Constant Contact pricing is tiered based on the number of email contacts in your list. Their paid plans start at $20/month for up to 500 contacts.
Their drip campaigns are easy to use and intuitive. You can create simple sequences, but can’t combine conditions or use advanced filtering.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for niche features like event management and also want top-notch email deliverability, Constant Contact is the choice for you. They are my #2 choice for email service providers this year.
SEMRush
SEMRush is a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) platform that helps you analyze different keywords for SEO. This brand marketing software allows you to measure the competition of a certain keyword, find potential opportunities, and track your progress on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). SEMRush is a helpful marketing tool with multi-functions that puts your small business at the top of your industry. It provides a platform to schedule social media posts and also track the engagement of your posts and social media accounts. Check here to install the SEMRush social media poster chrome extension to schedule and publish your social media posts at the same time on all social media platforms.
Yes, Twitter. It might be a surprise, that this tool is being listed as a marketing software tool. Yet, a lot of small businesses have met their first customer or made their first sale through this awesome platform. According to Convert With Content, “67% of Twitter users are far more likely to buy from the brands they follow on Twitter”. By using the right hashtags with your content or photos relating to your products/services. Your brand is being seen by the right customers who are ready to buy your products within seconds. Check here to install the RiteTag chrome extension to get the most suitable hashtags revolving around your industry at the moment.
Mailchimp
A great platform for getting started with email marketing, whether you need a simple digital marketing tool or advanced solution.
Price: Pricing plans vary. You have the choice of monthly billing or credits, depending on your use. A limited free plan is available if you have under 2,000 subscribers.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Great email templates
- The Freemium version is excellent.
Cons:
- Limited marketing automation features.
Campaign Monitor
As the name suggests, Campaign Monitor is more than an email marketing automation tool.
It’s an email marketing campaign management hub.
Price: $9-149/month. Advanced features and unlimited sends become available at the “Unlimited” $29/month price point.
Pros:
- Advanced integrations and campaign management features.
Cons:
- Design flexibility.
Convertkit
Email marketing software designed for professional bloggers and content creators.
Price: $29/month for 1,000 subscribers.
Pros:
- Includes a landing page editor.
Cons:
- Expensive, especially if you’re starting out. It can take a long time to reach 1,000 subscribers.
- Limited design and templates.
Zoho
Zoho delivers vital features and integrations at a competitive price. It is PC Mag’s top pick for CRM software in 2021.
Price: $12-45 per user/month. The most popular option is $35
Pros:
- One-stop-shop for many small businesses.
- Includes email marketing automation and communication tools.
Cons:
- Features are limited at the lower price levels.
Less Annoying CRM
This one lives up to its name by focusing on the main features that matter to small businesses.
Price: Starts at $10 per user/month
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Good price.
Cons:
- Reporting features are basic at best.
SendPulse
SendPulse is constantly evolving, improving the functionality of existing marketing channels and adding new ways to keep in touch with your customers.
At present, with SendPulse users can automate sending marketing emails, SMS, and web push notifications as well as create chatbots for popular messengers like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or Telegram.
In addition to that, SendPulse also offers an email verifier, a landing page builder, and a free CRM for marketing and sales.
Almost any service within SendPulse’s functionality can be used for free with certain limitations.
The popularity of the platform can be explained by the combination of an intuitive user dashboard that doesn’t require any technical skills, a variety of channels to reach customers, and a smart pricing policy where users can opt for solutions to match their budget and business size.
It’s also worth noting that the service is available in six languages which certainly adds a touch of diversity and sets the platform apart from its competitors.
Penji
Sometimes, you’re loaded up with project management tasks, writing, and you don’t have time to do the infographics, images, logos, or landing page assets yourself.
Even the easiest apps won’t help clear your content schedule.
But then, there’s Penji. It’s used by big brands like Lyft and Reebok, and it’s like having a designer on retainer for everyday work.
You just need to enter the project description, and a dedicated designer goes to work, meanwhile, you can be brainstorming, writing, or managing.
Penji’s great for bloggers, social media marketers, and businesses running ad campaigns.
There are no surprises with the pricing, and if you need constant graphic design work, it’ll save you plenty of time and money.
Slack
A simple chat platform is all the project management software most small businesses need. Slack delivers that better than anyone.
Price: $6.67 per user/month for small to medium businesses. $12.50 per person/month for larger enterprises looking for advanced tools.
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use.
- Widely adopted thanks to the work-from-home revolution.
Cons:
- Constant notifications can be distracting but turning them off completely defeats the purpose of instant messaging. You may need to experiment to find the best way to use Slack for your team.
Trello
A brainstorming and project management platform built around kanban boards. This is a helpful tool for coming up with a digital marketing plan.
Price: Free for small teams, $9.99 per user/month for “Business Class.”
Pros:
- Enables remote brainstorming.
- A good choice for visual thinkers.
Cons:
- Lacks important integrations, like billing.
Facebook Group and Ads
Like Twitter, Facebook is also a useful sales and marketing software platform that converts social media users into lifelong customers. Facebook groups are special communities where business owners and people of the same interest join to communicate and help each other achieve a common goal. Marketing your products/service on these groups would expand the awareness of your small business once they feel familiar with your commodities and are receiving helpful tips from you as an expert. Facebook ads offer a great opportunity for reaching the right demographics for your small business. As long as you know your customer well, you can use metrics like interests, geographic location, age and many others, to locate potential consumers to send to targeted landing pages, also known as squeeze pages.
Hubspot
Hubspot has acquired a lot of experience in the industry which gives them an edge over many other marketing automation tools. Their automation tool is being split into a marketing hub, service hub, sales hub, and a free CRM tool. With Hubspot marketing, you can create personalized landing pages for your campaigns, and distribute messages that can invoke the response you expect. What makes HubSpot unique in the marketing software arena is its compactness. This platform consists of all essential depots for sales teams and marketing agents to place their product/service where it is most likely to attract attention. The all-in-one inbound marketing software helps create, launch, and distribute efficient campaigns, and does so with the virtue of a friendly marketer that doesn’t fade from the scene once a client is being brought on board. Get started with Hubspot’s free marketing tools to start accelerating sales for your small business now!
Tidio
Tidio is a versatile communication and marketing tool allowing one to deliver a top-notch customer experience.
Adding Tidio to a website can be done in 5 minutes, and no coding is required. At the same time, the live chat is easily customizable so that the widget can blend with the look of any website.
All interactions are located in one panel, and there is also a mobile application available to simplify the processes.
Notable features include:
- Integrations with the most popular selling platforms like Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Woocommerce, and more
- Easy use with CRMs, email marketing platforms, and social media.
- Live typing to preview what visitors are typing in real-time
- IOS + Android applications
- Viewed pages feature to explore what a visitor has already viewed on the website to tailor the responses better
- Visitor lists to see who is viewing a website in real-time
- No-coding design and customization
Conclusion:
Whether you’re a small business owner or running your own website, there are almost guaranteed to be some aspects of digital marketing that you want to use but don’t know how to. Marketing is an activity that is often shrouded in intrigue and mystery, with people only looking at the final results and not going any further. This means that many of the people who do get involved in marketing are only interested in the end game; they’re not interested in learning how it works or finding the tools they could use to improve their outreach and make things more successful.