Did you know that over 43% of small businesses don’t have a dedicated in-house marketing team? Though this is understandable, as marketing is often expensive, it means that many companies are missing out on the opportunity to capture more leads. Not to worry, marketing can be done by anyone, regardless of their level of expertise.
All you need is a solid selection of marketing tools, and you can start elevating your business immediately. However, keep in mind the efficacy of self-promotion is not as high as when working with a professional agency. Keep reading to learn more.
Why Do You Need Marketing Tools?
Utilizing marketing tools can boost your business in a myriad of ways. Here are just a few benefits to using marketing tools.
Efficiency
Marketing tools are an excellent way to make the promotion process much more efficient. This is because they often allow for the automation of tasks such as social media posting, website audits, and team assignments. What’s more, marketing tools provide a clear overview of your team’s tasks, enabling a better means of holding staff accountable for their duties.
Monitoring
Marketing tools can provide you with a hub to view an overview of all your marketing efforts, from social media to SEO; of course, this does depend on the tool you use. However, regardless of purpose, most tools offer some options to take a holistic approach to the task at hand.
Team Collaboration
Another standout benefit of digital marketing tools is their team collaboration options. When using tools like Trello, for example, you can invite members and assign them specific tasks. You can then monitor their work and communicate directly on the platform, resulting in a smoother collaborative process and execute digital marketing strategies.
4 Essential Marketing Tools
Now that you understand some of the benefits of digital marketing tools, let’s explore four tools to consider implementing in your own operations.
1. Canva
Canva is a graphic design tool geared toward social media posts. The platform allows you to easily create social media graphics to a professional standard, even without knowledge of graphic design. Canva also comes with a vast library of pre-made templates to get you started.
Its ease of use and content creation options make Canva a must-use tool for anyone attempting social media marketing. However, there are, of course, limitations. For example, Canva has restricted exportation options and some graphic alignment issues.
Pros
- User friendly
- Loads of templates
- Extensive free version
- Free stock footage
Cons
- Limited exportation options
- Graphic alignment issues
- Intellectual property belongs to Canva
2. Trello
What does a social media marketer say when they answer the phone? Trello! Bad jokes aside, Trello is a must for those of you exploring social media marketing. Trello is a task management software for digital marketing.
Trello allows users to share their task “boards” and schedule posts directly to social media platforms on the premium version. Everything Trello does, it does well until you get to larger projects. Trello’s user interface simply is not equipped for the smooth management of large-scale projects.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Excellent collaborative options
- Time tracking
- Task automation
Cons
- No offline mode
- Awkward commenting feature
- Not suitable for large projects
3. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a popular Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tool that allows users to audit their website’s SEO performance, research keywords, and better structure their internal linking. Ahrefs offers a holistic approach to SEO marketing, as it provides tools for pretty much all your SEO needs.
However, for all its power, Ahrefs is challenging to use without existing knowledge of SEO and SEO tools. For some, this is enough to sway them toward other options, such as Moz. Still, Ahrefs offers an excellent solution for SEO marketing.
Pros
- Extensive functionality
- Advanced SEO metrics
- Up-to-date search information
- Advanced analysis options
Cons
- Learning curve
- No Google Search Console integrations
- Limited web traffic statistics
Related Article: 7 Free Keyword Research Tools for SEO in 2023
4. Mailchimp
If you’ve heard of any tools on this list, it’s probably Mailchimp. Mailchimp was founded in 2001, and has provided reliable email marketing automation ever since. The idea of the platform is simple: it allows users to conveniently send bulk emails and manage their mailing lists.
Mailchimp provides users with an easy way to build well-designed emails, along with surveys, audience management tools, and A/B testing options. While Mailchimp isn’t useful for any other type of marketing, it’s still an excellent addition to any marketing campaign.
Pros
- Excellent template editor
- Extensive integration options
- In-depth reporting
- White-label options
Cons
- Clunky interface
- High premium cost
- Limited free version
Digital Marketing From Idea Maker
Still not sure about conducting your own digital marketing? That’s OK. At Idea Maker, we understand that marketing is both daunting and time-consuming; that’s why we’re here to help. Schedule a free consultation today to see how our marketing experts can help elevate your business.
