Most small business owners or startups are looking for strategies that can help them and give them a competitive advantage. About 80 percent of startups fail within the first 18 months, and I'm sure you don't want to be one of them.
We live in the era of a connected society and the Internet is practically omnipresent . It is crucial to have a strong digital presence, otherwise the chances of failure will increase. Most importantly, you must have a social media marketing plan from day one. This is not something you can put off until later.
The strategy must be synchronized with search engine optimization or SEO, taking full advantage of technological advantages. Every penny counts, and in any good start, you must use them carefully. In order to market your brand or business effectively, you need help from marketing tools. Luckily, in the connected society we live in, most digital marketing tools are free. At least in a minimal functionality that is very valuable in the beginning. Therefore, it is not necessary to make a very large investment at the start.
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The biggest concern for startups is making the most of their marketing budget . Building your online reputation and promoting your brand can come with costs and this is where most entrepreneurs—and business owners—get hesitant and avoid investing in it . However, if you take the right direction, you can find the right tools without worrying too much about the budget.
Many new businesses find it difficult to manage their finances when it comes to investing in online marketing and sales . People who are just starting out feel that tools are a luxury that not everyone can afford; however, we believe that these same tools can save a lot of time without costing a fortune.
Let's look at some possible tools then.
Our top 7 free digital marketing tools
1. Google Analytics
This is probably one of the best free tools that Google has available . You will only know its true importance after using it. Google Analytics should be an integral part of your marketing strategy from the very beginning. Without a second thought.
Google Analytics will help you measure the performance of your website, completely free of charge . Adding the Analytics code to your website only takes a few minutes. With the Analytics tracking code installed you will be able to track the activity of your site visitors. Although many people believe that this tool is only used as a traffic tool, the fact is that it has much more to offer. This can have a huge impact on the design of future marketing strategies. Make sure you have Analytics on your site, from the minute you go live.
2. MailChimp
Email marketing is crucial for many businesses if they want to be successful. While Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are the main platforms used for brand development, there are some limitations. You have less control over consumers, and it takes longer to help them move through their purchasing process.
In 2015, approximately 205 billion emails were sent every day. More than 80 percent of B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) companies use email marketing. Against all odds, emails provide an intimate and close channel between companies and customers. It is there that a good relationship can be developed that helps convert potential customers into customers. MailChimp is an excellent option for an email marketing tool that is free for basic features.
MailChimp offers complete email management, making a number of linked tasks easier. The free plan provides over 40 features. These may include social sharing buttons, custom contact forms, professional email templates, etc. On top of that, you can easily send 2000 subscribers around 12,000 emails. If you need to, you can easily upgrade to a new plan for more features.
3. HubSpot
This company claims to be the all-in-one marketing solution, and they have good reason to say so . When it comes to CRM, sales, and marketing software, all you need is HubSpot. Converting leads into sales can be easier because it integrates:
Blogging
Analytics
SEO
Emails
Social Media
Marketing Automation
Website
Calls to action
Landing Pages
Lead management
As you can see, the tool has everything gambling data singapore covered to help you in your efforts. This may be the main reason why most businesses turn to HubSpot. Technically, when you have everything you need in one place, you don’t have to switch from one tool to another to achieve your goals.
For us, the best thing about HubSpot is that it is designed and fits perfectly with the Inbound methodology.
4. Buffer
Social media has become an integral part of any startup’s success . When you start signing up on different social media platforms, you’ll realize that building an online community takes time and effort.
With the rise of smartphones , people use at least 5 social media apps on average. For brands investing time and resources into building their social media reputation, it is essential to plan their social media strategy in advance.
Buffer is for us one of the most amazing digital marketing tools . It will basically help you optimize your company's social media strategy. Buffer is a platform used primarily to schedule and publish social media content. With the free functionality, you can very intuitively manage your brand's presence on at least 3 social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
5. Charlie
If you are a digital marketing professional, you know how important it is to keep customer information in a safe place . Most of the time, businesses find it difficult to manage this information in their system, so it is essential for them to take the help of a third-party application. One such tool is Charlie that provides you with the necessary information before your meeting. So, technically, you will know everything about your potential customers or clients even before you meet them.
In other words Charlie , is an address book that stores all the important details and information of a person including their full names, phone numbers, social media profile links, interests, bios, etc. This particular tool is ideal for those looking to make some sales, close a deal, or approach a new client.
6. Evernote
If you look closely, digital marketing is not that difficult, but it does require keeping your ideas organized . For marketing, organization is crucial, and digital marketing tools can be really helpful. Ideas can come to your mind at any time. If you can't prioritize and organize your notes, you may not be able to take advantage of all the opportunities.
Evernote is a great app for keeping your ideas, notes, and more organized in the cloud. You can access Evernote from phones, tablets, and laptops without any hassle. Store every idea, inspiration, and trend in one easy-to-access place.
7. Canva
Creativity takes top priority when it comes to posting online , as you need to grab the audience’s attention. A surefire method to increase user engagement is to post well-designed, interesting content. Therefore, Canva is one of the best marketing tools to help non-designers make designs look professional. Canva can be used to do a lot of things, especially if you are a startup and want to engage people with your content.
With Canva, you can design social media posts, flyers, logos, brochures, letterheads, posters, blog graphics, presentations, and more. In other words, a complete graphic system. The tool has a free-to-use option that offers many features. Paid plans, on the other hand, have unlimited features. If you are starting a business and don’t have any design skills, this is the tool for you.
Bonus! Visme
Visme is a cloud-based design program used by thousands of marketing professionals around the world. It basically allows anyone to create designs that make their presentations more dynamic to visually communicate data, concepts, and ideas.
In a very user-friendly way , the tool facilitates the creation of banners, infographics, animations, professional presentations, graphs, among others. Visme has a wide catalog of templates, facilitating the design process for people who are not designers or do not have the required skills.
Now it's your turn!
I'm sure there are many other digital marketing tools missing from this list. But the truth is, it's not so good to go to the other extreme and fill yourself with tools to use. The key is to identify those that truly add value to the stage in which the business is and make the most of it. What do you think?
