Marketing is a form of advertising paid for by a business owner or manager to promote their product or service. It can be described as communication between a business and its target audience. The objective of marketing is to persuade the audience to purchase the product or service being promoted. Many business owners choose to engage in online marketing because it is relatively inexpensive and can be highly targeted.
Types Of Marketing Tools Available
Marketing tools fall into two distinct categories: digital marketing tools and traditional marketing tools. Digital marketing tools are more specific to marketing activities and are used to build, manage, and analyze marketing campaigns. Traditional marketing tools are used to plan and manage overall advertising campaigns and to analyze marketing metrics and ROI (return on investment).
Digital marketing tools can be further subdivided into tools designed for marketing automation and those specifically designed for SEO (search engine optimization). Marketing automation tools enable businesses to conduct their marketing activities in an automated manner, saving time and resources while dramatically increasing the efficiency of marketing campaigns. SEO tools, on the other hand, help businesses to improve their online presence and drive more traffic to their websites.
Regardless of whether you are just getting started or you are already a well-established business, you can benefit from using the right marketing tools for the job. In this article, we will discuss the best digital marketing tools available and how to choose the ones that are right for your business.
The Best Digital Marketing Tools
Below, we have compiled a list of the best and most-used digital marketing tools according to our research. We have ranked these tools based on a variety of factors including user feedback, functionality, pricing, and the overall availability of the tool. Using this information, you can easily find the best fit for your business.
1. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the number one choice for any commercial business because it is free, yet robust enough for even the most advanced users. Its popularity is based on its ability to collect and analyze a variety of marketing data so that businesses can measure, track, and improve their adverting efforts.
It was initially designed to track and analyze web traffic and conversions (the actions took place after a visitor arrived at a website), but it has since evolved to suit all stages of a marketing campaign. It can also integrate with various other platforms and software including MailChimp, HubSpot, and Salesforce.
2. Hootsuite
Hootsuite is another web traffic monitoring and management tool that is gaining in popularity every year. It is designed to make it easy for businesses of all sizes to track the performance of their social media campaigns. It can help to build and manage social media accounts as well as analyze your audiences’ behaviour and reach across different platforms.
Due to its popularity with small businesses and startups, we have included it on this list even though it was designed for large corporations. The basic version is free, and additional features are available with a paid subscription. The good thing about Hootsuite is that it can perform the functions of a marketing coordinator, handling your social media activities across platforms (including email and text messaging) while also providing you with sophisticated analysis of your data.
3. Salesforce Marketing Cloud
The third product on our list is Salesforce Marketing Cloud, which provides a whole host of marketing features and functionality for digital marketing campaigns. It is designed for small businesses or teams who want to operate efficiently and effectively. Many small businesses can benefit from using Marketing Cloud, as it provides all the tools you need in one place, making it easy to get up and running.
The reason why we have chosen Salesforce Marketing Cloud over the other two products on this list is because it handles the heavy lifting for you, allowing you to focus on the fun parts of marketing: coming up with creative ideas and pitching them to potential customers.
Since Marketing Cloud is web-based, it requires a website or online store in some way to function. Moreover, if you have a brick and mortar business, you will need to consider using a mail-marketing service like MailChimp if you want to send out sales and marketing emails.
4. Hubspot Marketing or Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing because it is both cheap and accessible to any business of any size. It is also one of the simplest and most-used marketing tools out there. Most businesses, big or small, have an email list they can utilize for marketing purposes.
There are several popular email marketing platforms, such as HubSpot Marketing and MailChimp, that provide everything necessary for a business to set up and run effective campaigns.
5. Marketo
Marketo is an enterprise software company that provides marketing management tools for digital marketing activities. It is the only product on this list that is specifically designed for marketing departments within larger corporations. However, due to its popularity in the marketing community and among small businesses, we have included it on this list.
The functionality of Marketo is pretty extensive and can be used to manage campaigns across multiple platforms. It also provides detailed reporting so that you can track the performance of each individual campaign. This tool is great for businesses that want to get a better handle on the efficiency of their marketing efforts.
Budget And Fun Factor
These tools don’t cost much, so budget is almost never a concern for business owners who utilize them. Moreover, the products on this list are all highly functional, so there is always something new to learn. This is important to keep in mind if you are just getting started or if you are looking for a more challenging product to use.
The key to effective marketing is creativity, and these tools enable you to be as creative as you can be without feeling overwhelmed. Moreover, these tools provide you with all the data you need in one place, thus eliminating the need to spend time searching for information and analyzing data from different sources.
Which One Should You Get?
Now that you have an idea of the various tools available, it’s time to figure out which one is the best for your business. Below, we are going to discuss the various attributes that you should consider when choosing a digital marketing tool.
User Experience
The first and most-important aspect of any product or service is its user experience. It is extremely important to look for something that is reliable and easy to use because if you are not satisfied with the product, you won’t continue using it and you won’t recommend it to others.
Most of these products are very easy to use and require only minimal training to get started. Moreover, the interface is very intuitive and does not require you to be tech-savvy to figure out how to use it.
Features
All software products and platforms come with features which can be utilized to enhance your productivity. These features are usually helpful tools that can make doing your job easier. They can also be critical elements which allow you to take your work to the next level.
Some of the features that these products provide include the following:
- Automation
- Data visualization
- Multi-channel marketing
- Tracking & Reporting
As you can see, these features work in combination to offer businesses a complete package of digital marketing tools which can improve their productivity and effectiveness.
Cost
Budget is always a key consideration when choosing a product or service, especially if you are a small business owner on a tight budget. It is important to look for a product that does not cost a fortune, otherwise, you will not be able to continue operating your business.
These tools do not cost much money to purchase, and many of them are free, so you might not even need to spend a penny unless you have to.
Reputation
Another important factor to consider when choosing a product or service is its reputation. It is extremely important to search for well-known brands which can assure you that you are buying a quality product or service. Moreover, it is important to look for a company that has a good reputation because you will be working closely with the vendor throughout the course of your contract. A good reputation is usually a sign of a well-designed and user-friendly product or service.