Running a business is a task not exactly easy to carry out. It’s your blood, sweat and tears.
Getting funding is hard, hiring people with the same drive is difficult, and effectively promoting your offering can be complex.
To top it off, the year 2021 hasn’t been smooth sailing for startups worldwide either. Several have found it challenging to stay afloat, which paints a dreary picture for many small business owners. That said, there’s still no reason to be sad!
The good news is that after all the things that haven’t gone in your favour, you can still create an effective marketing strategy for your small business. To help, we’ve created a list of seven online marketing tools that can give your business a competitive edge.
1. Mailchimp
This email marketing tool is the perfect choice for small businesses just starting or have a relatively small customer base. Until you reach 2,000 email list subscribers, the tool is free to use. The goal of this tool is simple: simplifying email marketing.
It offers all the core functionalities you need and then some. Moreover, the latest version of Mailchimp also offers other digital marketing features such as:
- Predictive insights
- Personalisation and segmentation
- CRM tools
- Landing page builder
- Audience insights
- Form builder
And many others.
2. Hootsuite
This is a central management platform that allows you to overlook your social media platforms effectively. It has a feature that lets you schedule your posts in advance so you can get all of your content ready for the upcoming months or weeks in a single session. You can also use modern reporting tools to differentiate good social media marketing campaigns from bad ones.
Whether you’re trying to calculate your ROI, track when and where your brand is mentioned by other industry players or your audience. Hootsuite is a one-stop solution for all things social media.
3. Loomly
Loomly likes to describe itself as a “brand success platform.” It is ideal for smaller teams trying to collaborate to create meaningful content or organise their operations. Built-in workflows, deadlines, and calendars make brainstorming and scheduling a breeze. Additionally, Loomly can also curate new content ideas for you based on Twitter conversations and trending topics on the internet. So whether you’re trying to write an expert Squarespace review or a succinct guide for WordPress – Loomly is always going to be there to make your job easy!
Another factor that makes Loomly easy to use is its simple interface that can be understood by users who aren’t tech-savvy. So if you’re trying to pick a no-frills and affordable platform for all of your content-related needs, pick Loomly!
4. Clearscope
Suppose you’re interested in utilising every keyword opportunity on your content as it arises. In that case, Clearscope is a platform you should use. Built for content writing, and the platform can provide the user with high-ranking keywords, headers, readability tips or help you write blog posts that perform well on search engines.
Whether you’re refreshing blog posts written in the past or trying to create a content strategy for your website, this platform can help you cover every nook and cranny of content marketing.
5. Unbounce
The process of publishing, building and tweaking landing pages can be complex even for industry professionals. Luckily for you, this tool covers almost every complex scenario that you can face while you’re building landing pages for your website.
Built-in variant analytics and A/B testing can tell you which call-to-action, additional page elements and creatives are working for your website (and which aren’t). Additionally, to use Unbounce, you don’t even have to be a designer! Use the pre-built templates available on the platform and then get them to fit your style. Unbounce can also help users understand which variant of their page is performing well, eliminating the need to take guidance from an industry professional.
6. Google Analytics
Often considered to be one of the best free digital marketing tools online, Google Analytics should be an integral part of your promotional strategy from the get-go. Several marketing experts also consider it to be one of the best marketing tools available. Adding the analytical code to your website is simple; you can get a second-by-second tracking ability once you’ve added it.
Several marketers think of it as a traffic tool, but it can be a lot more if used correctly. For instance, if you’re running a certain social media campaign and driving substantial traffic to your website, you can replicate it thanks to Google Analytics.
7. HubSpot
HubSpot is often considered to be one of the best holistic marketing software you can get. It gives you the ability to bring all of your marketing channels onto a single platform. You can then optimise every channel for a higher conversion rate and increased traffic, resulting in an improved ROI.
It also has templates that can be used to create landing pages and other features that let you create your own landing pages and a live chat option. This can help you increase your website’s engagement and convert casual visitors into loyal customers.
Some other features available on HubSpot are:
- Social media management
- Content optimisation tools
- Analytics
- Landing page builders
- Email marketing templates
- Lead management
- Marketing automation
The basic package can be more than enough for small business owners since they also have a free version. HubSpot started as an inbound marketing tool, but they’ve now transformed into a CRM platform that offers customer service hubs, sales hubs, and a content management system.
Which One Are You Going to Use?
To survive in a competitive digital landscape, small business owners must be social media-savvy, intuitive, and most of all, persistent. To succeed, an entrepreneur must be the jack of all trades and must know how to use a plethora of digital marketing tools all at once. Not only does this make your job easier, but it also simplifies operations greatly.
So whether you’re developing a content marketing strategy or analysing backlinks, these tools will help you redirect your attention and maintain your sanity.
