7 Marketing Tools You Won't Want to Miss

By: Maria Harrison

The world of digital marketing only has one constant, and that’s change. Evolution is unavoidable in digital marketing — and that certainly applies to your marketing technology. Chances are the marketing tools in your digital tool belt for the past five or six years no longer serve the same purpose. Perhaps their purpose has remained the same, but your tool stack simply doesn’t perform to its highest ability.

Fortunately, staying married to your current stack of marketing tools isn’t a requirement. With “the next best thing” changing month over month, it can be challenging to know which option is right for you. Today, we’re covering the seven marketing technology tools you won’t want to miss, complete with affordable (and even free!) options.

What Are Marketing Tools and Why Do You Need Them?

Your marketing tools, the software, and programs used to construct or support digital marketing strategies, support efforts across a broad spectrum of marketing efforts. They provide greater insight, save time, and assist with organizing priorities.

Regardless of how well-crafted your marketing strategy may be, the use of marketing tools helps guarantee that your efforts are rooted in data — this way, your goals are attainable and tracking progress over time is simplified. Tools also reduce the amount of manual labor required for researching, planning, and putting your strategy into action. Above all, the purpose of marketing tools is to amplify digital marketing services to be more effective.

7 Digital Marketing Tool Must-Haves (Including Free Marketing Tools)

At Bullseye Strategy, we understand the constant evolution of marketing strategies and trending tools. We’ve curated a list of the top tools marketers and business owners won’t want to miss. Because marketing is so multi-faceted, we’ve gone ahead and segmented that list into categories of marketing tools for every aspect of your strategy.

Below are the types of marketing tools you’ll want in your digital tool box ASAP.

1. Marketing Analytics Tools

Marketing analytics tools are software programs or digital platforms that help marketers qualify their marketing campaigns’ health. The purpose of these tools is to reveal which efforts are working, which aren’t, and why. They track various key performance indicators (KPIs), including page views, bounce rate, click-through rate, and website traffic.

Some marketing analytics tools offer a focused analysis of specific marketing channels, such as search advertising, display, or social media. Others analyze all of your marketing data holistically. Which analytics tool you choose will vary depending on which channels you include in your marketing campaigns.

Top marketing analytics tools include:

Google Analytics allows you to review and understand your customer’s behavior and user experience, analyze online content, device functionality, and more. There are free and paid versions available.
TapClicks pulls your data and performance metrics into a single dashboard for easy review of reporting and analytics starting at $79 per month.
Domo is a cloud-based, mobile-friendly analytics software with modular features and the ability for multiple users to see and review data and analytics across multiple systems. Pricing varies based on which platform you purchase; Professional ($175/user/month) and Enterprise ($250/user/month).
Databox pulls all your data into one place, so you can track performance and discover insights in real-time. There is a free version available. Basic, plus, and business versions pricing ranges from $49 – $248
Digital Marketing Tuner gives you a custom assessment of your marketing campaign and how it performs compared to similar campaigns, and what course corrections you might need to make, for free.

2. Content Marketing Tools

Content marketing tools help marketers research, plan, execute, and manage successful content marketing strategies. These content marketing tools allow marketers to discover what type of content is trending within their niche or industry. These tools also uncover gaps in content strategy, which topics might bring readers to a website, and even how long certain content should be.

Content management is a significant aspect of content marketing tools that allow marketers to return to previously published content to measure its performance. Certain content marketing tools also reveal how specific content is performing compared to other pieces on the website and how revised elements may perform better.

3. SEO Marketing Tools

SEO marketing tools are software programs or online platforms that monitor search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. If you’re new to SEO, the first thing you should know is that SEO is a long game — it takes time to see your actions reflected on search engine results pages (SERPs). The purpose of SEO marketing tools is to monitor current efforts and inform on additional opportunities to get your content front and center on search engines.

4. PPC Management Tools

PPC management tools consist of software or browser plug-ins that allow marketers to set up, modify, manage, and monitor PPC campaigns’ performance. Pay-per-click (PPC) tools help marketers save time and money while creating high-performing campaigns with exceptional ROAS. They allow users to establish campaigns based on bidding amounts and budgets, minimize overall expenditure, and place PPC links across multiple channels.

Top PPC management software should suggest appropriate keywords, as well as keyword grouping and ad text creation. It should allow for A/B testing for text, graphics, and other display variables and provide competitive analysis for other businesses in the space. Above all, PPC management tools should provide automated bids and results reports to streamline efforts.

Top PPC management tools include:

AdStage allows you to automate and analyze your paid media campaigns at scale. There is a free trial available, and pricing varies depending on plans and needs.
Google Keyword Planner helps you choose the right keywords to get your ad in front of the right people.
AdRoll promises the power to reach customers whether they’re on the web, social media, or looking at email. There is a free version and a “Growth” version for $19 monthly.
WordStream – whether you’re interested in growing your business or boosting conversions, WordStream promises to streamline your online advertising across multiple platforms for $49 per month.
TrueClicks used customized recommendations to improve performance and build high-converting PPC campaigns. Pricing varies.

5. Email Marketing Tools

Email marketing tools are software options that simplify and enhance email marketing efforts. You useeEmail marketing software for various purposes, including growing an email subscriber list, creating segmented lists for hyper-specific targeting, and building custom email templates. Ideally, email marketing tools should offer a broad selection of email templates to customize sharp-looking emails effortlessly.

Any email builder you choose should also provide an interface that’s simple to use. Most offer a drag-and-drop feature that allows marketers to create fully customized emails in minutes. These templates are frequently designed with mobile users in mind.

Top email marketing tools include:

6. Social Media Marketing Tools

Social media marketing tools are software and apps that allow marketers to monitor mentions, engage customers, and plan upcoming content across multiple social platforms. Often referred to as SMMS, social media management software provides a more connected view of your audience and your company’s relationship. You can track social listening for key terms or implement sentiment analysis to learn how users feel about your brand. And you can automate post publishing to maintain a solid strategy.

Additional features to look for in a social media marketing tool are managing multiple channels at once. You should keep your finger on the pulse of any platform your users are on, from Facebook to Pinterest. Your tool should also track campaigns for efficiency.

Top social media management software all provides some level of scheduling content, planning, and basic metrics and analytics.

Agorapulse. There is a free version available, and depending upon the number of pages and users can vary, starting at $79 monthly.
Later. A free version is available, and platforms vary based on the number of platforms and users. The starter plan is $12.50 monthly.
Buffer provides free, “pro”, “premium” and “business” plans that run between $15 and $99 monthly, depending on your needs. Analytics “pro” and “premium” versions are available for $35 or $50 monthly, respectively.
Hootsuite is one of the largest Social Media Management systems in the world. There is a free version available. Professional, team, business, and enterprise versions start at $49 monthly.
Sprout Social is another very popular SMMS. It offers a free 30 trial, as well as standard, professional, and advanced versions that cost between $99 and $249 per month.

7. Marketing Automation Tools

As the name suggests, marketing automation tools are software or browser plug-ins that automate routine marketing activities. Traditional marketing automation was typically tied to email marketing, in which time delays or certain actions triggered an automatic email response. Nowadays, many marketers choose to automate repetitive tasks, such as PPC bidding or social media posting, to save time throughout the day.

Bear in mind, the majority of the above tool options are a form of marketing automation. For example, most marketing analytics tools will automatically collect information regarding campaigns and generate reports. However, most marketers could benefit from another automation tool in their stack.

Additional top marketing automation tools include:

Marketo measures results through the customer journey offering experiences that keep customers engaged and coming back. You’ll need to speak with a sales representative about your specific needs for pricing.
HubSpot Marketing Automation: according to HubSpot, their “workflows tool is automation beyond email, so you can scale your growth and spend less time on repetitive tasks.” Their “starter” plan is $45 per month. Their enterprise plan can run as much as $3,200 monthly.
Salesforce is the world’s #1 CRM platform and helps your business learn and target prospective and existing customers. Pricing varies greatly per add-on.
Drip helps grow your list and easily send emails. They offer a free trial, and the basic plan is $19 per month. Depending upon the size of your database, pricing grows at a rate of $15 per thousand.
Omnisend offers email, SMS, and automated services. There is a free version available to try and pricing increases based on the number of sends for email or SMS.

Add a Trusted Digital Marketing Agency to Your Marketing Tool Box

Depending on your digital marketing needs and budget, choices may need to be made about which of the tools you have the time and funds to acquire and manage. In many cases, a digital marketing agency has them all and can provide you with the opportunity to tackle every aspect of your marketing plans from SEO, PPC, email, social, and more/ The many layers of a successful marketing strategy can be challenging to keep up with, even with a stack of trusted marketing tools. Bullseye Strategy is here to take the guesswork out of digital marketing. Contact us today to learn how we can amplify your marketing efforts and add the final tool to your marketing toolbox.

7 Marketing Tools You Won't Want to Miss | Bullseye Blog (2024)