As someone starting up a business, you’re probably all too familiar with the predicament of having to wear multiple hats at once. With limited resources at your disposal, you are the strategist, the marketer, the salesman, and more often than not, the technician too. This reality, while it gives you control, leaves little room for you to tap into new opportunities or develop your business at a desirable pace.
Amidst this hustle, the marketing of your products or services takes a backseat, either due to a lack of manpower, insufficient financial resources, or time constraints. This can lead your business down a rocky path, leaving it vulnerable to stunted growth, underperformance, and in the worst-case scenario, failure.
But what if you had a magic wand that could ease your burden and give your marketing the edge it deserves? That’s where marketing automation steps in.
Marketing automation essentially converts your cumbersome, manual marketing processes into streamlined, efficient, and automated mechanisms. For instance, the traditional approach of manually posting content on social media involves repeated visits to various dashboards, creating content, scheduling, and tracking analytics. This can be a time-consuming and often monotonous process. With automation, you can do all of this in one go. All you have to do is set it up and watch as it posts, engages with your audience, and delivers analytics, freeing up your time to focus on what matters most – growing your business.
Here, we’ve curated a list of 20 remarkable tools that can turbocharge your marketing automation game. Each tool is explained in an understandable manner, including its pricing and what to expect from its free version (if available).
- HubSpot: At the forefront of inbound marketing, HubSpot offers a suite of tools that take care of content management, SEO, social media, email marketing, and analytics. Pricing starts at $50/month for the Starter plan, but a free version is also available with basic features.
- Mailchimp: Known for its robust email marketing capabilities, Mailchimp also offers automation features like autoresponders and customer segmentation. Their Free plan is robust but for additional features, pricing starts at $9.99/month.
- Hootsuite: If social media management is what you’re after, Hootsuite is a reliable choice. Schedule posts, track engagement, and manage all your social media profiles from a single dashboard. Plans start at $19/month, but a limited free plan is also available.
- Zapier: Zapier integrates with over 3,000 apps and automates workflows, connecting different applications to make your work easier. Pricing starts at $19.99/month, with a free plan allowing up to 100 tasks per month.
- Buffer: This tool is great for social media scheduling and analytics. Buffer’s free plan allows the management of 3 social accounts, with paid plans starting at $15/month.
- Canva: Canva isn’t just a design tool. It allows you to create, schedule and post social media content directly. The free version offers robust features, but for more, the Pro version starts at $9.95/month.
- ActiveCampaign: Known for its advanced automation features in email marketing and CRM, ActiveCampaign starts at $9/month, with a free trial available.
- SEMRush: For SEO and PPC campaigns, SEMRush offers comprehensive keyword research, tracking, and optimization. Pricing starts at $119.95/month with a free version offering limited capabilities.
- Marketo: This Adobe platform is a comprehensive solution for lead management, email marketing, and analytics. Pricing is customized, with a demo available upon request.
- Trello: For project management, Trello’s Kanban-style boards, lists, and cards enable you to organize and prioritize projects fluidly. It has a useful free tier, with premium features starting at $10/month.
- Buzzsumo: Find out what content is popular by topic or on any website to hone your content strategy. Pricing begins at $99/month with a limited free version available.
- Google Analytics: A free tool for understanding website traffic and performance. For more advanced features, Google Analytics 360 starts at $150,000/year.
- Sprout Social: An all-in-one social media platform for scheduling, publishing, analytics, and engagement. Pricing starts at $99/month with a free trial available.
- ConvertKit: An email marketing platform built for creators with automation capabilities. Pricing starts at $29/month with a free plan allowing up to 1,000 subscribers.
- SendinBlue: An email marketing and SMS campaign tool with a free plan for 300 emails/day. Premium plans start at $25/month.
- Ahrefs: A comprehensive SEO toolset for backlink research, keyword analysis, and competitive analysis. Pricing starts at $99/month with a 7-day trial for $7.
- Moz Pro: Another SEO toolset for improving search engine visibility. Pricing starts at $99/month with a free trial available.
- GetResponse: An email marketing platform with landing pages, webinars, and CRM features. Pricing starts at $15/month with a 30-day free trial.
- Salesforce: A comprehensive CRM platform with marketing automation via their Pardot tool. Pricing begins at $25/user/month with a free trial available.
- OptinMonster: A lead generation software that lets you create and integrate highly effective email signup forms on your website. Pricing starts at $9/month with a free trial available.
Choosing the right tools and effectively automating your marketing process is more than just convenience – it’s a strategic imperative in today’s digital age. By selecting the tools that align with your business needs and automating repetitive tasks, you can save time, reduce human error, and refocus your energies on strategic decision-making and growth. Explore these tools, find your fit, and let the magic of automation propel your business to new heights.
