8 Must Have Digital Marketing Tools For Your Business

Having a dream product or service means nothing if no one knows your business exists. That’s why marketing is one of the most important things for business owners to understand.

The good news is the internet is teeming with digital marketing tools that can help you grow your business in more ways than one.

That being said, below are some of the best digital marketing tools you can start using today.

The Best Free Digital Marketing Tools

HubSpot CRM

There’s no question that building and maintaining good relationships with customers can make a big difference for any business which is why a customer relationships management (CRM) tool should also be on top of your list.

HubSpot’s CRM tool comes with loads of features that can help you easily track the sales process as well as your customers and prospects.  It also allows you to import and export contacts into your custom databases, easily and effectively helping you keep your list updated.

Pros

• Customizable views.
• Drag and drop communicator.
• Extensive integration capabilities.
• Prospect and customer database.
• Email connections.
• Templates, tracking, and scheduling.

Cons

• It can get expensive.
• The templates can be difficult to modify.
• Limited reporting capabilities.

MailChimp

No digital marketing strategy will ever be complete without email marketing as one of its components.  And why not?

Email marketing is one of the highest ROI (return on investment) providers among digital marketing tactics.  It’s also the most cost-effective which is probably why it’s also one of the oldest tricks in a digital marketer’s playbook.

MailChimp is one of the most popular and reliable email marketing tools today not only because of its campaign-building functions but also because of its Forever Free plan which allows for 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month.

Pros

• Easy-to-use email design and image upload functions.
• Email design templates.
• List management with easy segmenting options.
• Detailed analytics for CTRs, clicks, opens, etc.
• Subscriber data based on engagement rates.
• Optimal send time calculations.
• Third-party app integrations.

Cons

• The free trial is quite limited in terms of features.
• The anti-spam system can still be improved.
• Limited email automation.

Hootsuite

Most businesses today, whether online or offline, have their own social media presence, and for a good reason.

Most people are on social media a majority of the time and when you’re trying to grow a business, being seen by as many people as possible is already a huge advantage.

Hootsuite is a free digital marketing tool that allows you to integrate all of your social media platforms so you can create and schedule content across all of them in one place.

Pros

• Integrates well with some of today’s most popular platforms.
• Has a user-friendly, all-in-one interface.
• Comes with a unique yet extensive app directory.

Cons

• The features of the free version are quite limited.
• The analytics feature isn’t available in the free version.
• It may require a longer learning curve.

The Best Paid Digital Marketing Tools

Yoast

While Yoast comes as a free plugin for WordPress, this popular plugin also comes with a premium plan whose prices vary depending on the number of sites you wish to monitor.

The tool comes with a boatload of features.  For one, it helps you choose focus keywords to help you rank.  It also helps evaluate your page readability as well as give your page a Flesch Reading Ease score.

More importantly, it’s updated to reflect Google’s algorithm every two weeks, keeping you updated on your SEO.

Pros

• Highly accessible and user-friendly.
• Effective in proofreading SEO.
• Keeps your RSS feed away from content scrapers.

Cons

• It can be time-consuming.
• It doesn’t understand intent.

Canva Business

In a world where people’s attention spans are getting shorter, having attention-grabbing graphics can be a difference-maker.

Whether it’s your website or your social media platforms, there’s no denying that good-looking graphics is essential if you want people to keep doing business with you.

You don’t need professional tools like Photoshop to accomplish this though, because Canva Business allows you to do pretty much everything in producing high-quality graphics.

What’s more, is using Canva doesn’t require a ton of experience.  Its simple drag-and-drop interface makes tasks like logo design or presentations easier.

Pros

• Ease of use
• Lots of templates and samples to choose from.
• Doesn’t require a steep learning curve.
• Easily accessible cloud storage.

Cons

• Stock images and templates are pretty generic.
• Resizing designs for different screens is not allowed unless you upgrade to pro.
• Can be difficult to use on smaller screens.

Google AdWords

Google is without a doubt, the most used search engine in the world today which is why it only makes sense to advertise your business on its search results pages.  The mode of payment for which is on a pay-per-click basis.

This amazing tool comes with the equally popular Keyword Planner which allows you to search for popular keywords that you can include not just in your ads but with your content as well.

By using Google AdWords, you are giving your business a better chance of getting found through the keywords you choose, effectively improving your chances at gaining more traffic and sales, eventually.

Pros

• It helps keep your business competitive.
• It makes every aspect of your campaign measurable.
• Creating an ad campaign is easy.
• It allows flexibility in terms of budget.

Cons

• You pay for each click whether it converts or not.
• Adverts have limitations.
• It may require a steep learning curve.

BuzzSumo

When it comes to digital marketing, content will always be king which means you’re going to have to publish the right content if you want people to take notice.

The best way to find which type of content you need to create is by doing some in-depth research and while search engines allow you to do this, it pales in comparison to what BuzzSumo can allow you to achieve.

This research tool helps you look up trending topics from some of today’s top influencers from different industries so you can find content that will be suitable for your target audience.

The best thing about BuzzSumo is that it shows you content analytics like social mentions and social media shares so you can have a better idea about the type of content that will work best.

Pros

• Clean user interface.
• Accurate data.
• Extensive topics/query suggestions covered
• Easy to filter results

Cons

• It may take time to learn its features.
• It can be expensive.
• Backlink analysis can be improved.

MeetEdgar

MeetEdgar is a social media management tool that allows you to create and schedule content all in one place.

While it may seem similar to its close competitors like Hootsuite and Buffer, the difference lies in this tool’s ability to mine previous posts and share them should your queue runs out.

This digital marketing tool also allows you to perform A/B tests on your content so you can determine the most optimal language and content your audience will appreciate.

Pros

• You never run out of content.
• Evergreen content.
• Ease of use.
• RSS integration.

Cons

• You can only work with a limited amount of social accounts
• Limited analytics.
• No interaction or management options.
• It’s a bit expensive.

Conclusion

Digital marketing is a crucial aspect of every business.  With digital marketing, the chances of getting noticed increase exponentially, effectively improving your chances of becoming more competitive and profitable.

While it may not be the easiest to implement, there are digital marketing tools that can make the job easier whether we’re talking about email marketing, social media marketing, SEO, blogging, and keyword research, among others.

The tools provided should help give you a headstart especially if you’re just starting out.  And even if you’ve been operating for quite some time, knowing what each of these tools can do will help you have a better idea of how they can help in the different aspects of your business so you can make it become more profitable and take it to the next level.

If you’re interested in some more digital marketing tips to help grow your business, you may want to hire a digital marketing consultant to help you come up with a solid marketing strategy.