The 5 Best Digital Marketing Tools for Startups (They’re All Free)

Maybe you’ve just started your business and need a way to get your name out there. Or, perhaps you’re a seasoned business owner who wants to take your company to the next level. Either way, the answer is simple: you need to start marketing yourself online. Digital marketing is a proven method for bringing more customers to your website and even straight to your door, so why not take advantage of the biggest audience in the world? Don’t have a big marketing budget (or any marketing budget at all, for that matter)? No worries! There are hundreds of free online tools designed to help you increase your online visibility. Below, read up on the best digital marketing tools for startups, and get ready to begin your digital marketing journey.

Website Analytics: Google Tools

Did you know that nearly 3.5 billion web searches are completed on Google each day? Google is by far the most popular search engine on the internet, with an 88% market share on all internet searches. So, when Google offers business owners and marketers free software for website analytics, we have one piece of advice: use them!

The Google Tools Suite includes several utilities for online marketing, including:

• Google Analytics: Understand users in a whole new way with Google Analytics. You can see who is on your site, how they got to certain pages, how much time they spent on your website, and more. You can also set up goal tracking to measure how well your site is turning visitors into customers. 
• Google Search Console: Also known as Google Webmaster Tools, this program allows you to see how your website is performing in search. Tracking metrics include impressions and clicks for all ranking keywords. You can also see which pages on your site are being indexed, if your pages are mobile-friendly, and any issues Google detects with your site.
• Google Ads: With Google Ads, you can set up your own advertising campaigns, create a budget, bid on keywords and watch leads come right to your door. Please note that while Google Ads is a free platform, the actual ad space is not free.

Graphic Design: Canva

Thanks to Canva, you don’t need a degree in graphic design to create stunning visual marketing materials. This free online software offers design templates for everything from social media posts and blog infographics to flyers and brochures. Canva also includes hundreds of free photos, vector images, and illustrations. You can even create your own logos, and order prints and business cards directly from the Canva site!

Unlike other design platforms, Canva is incredibly user-friendly, even for those who have never designed a poster in their life. In addition to the free version, Canva also offers paid subscriptions with extra benefits, such as unlimited folders, additional team member access, and more image options.

Email Marketing: Mailchimp

In 2018, a record 124 billion business emails were sent and received per day. That’s in addition to the 111 billion personal emails that people sent and received every day. So how can you make your marketing emails stand out from the crowd? 

Mailchimp is a free email marketing platform that makes it easy to create visually engaging, professional-quality emails, without spending thousands of dollars. Choose from templates, upload your professional logo, and add images and buttons for compelling calls-to-action. Plus, Mailchimp allows you to track opens and clicks to see how recipients engaged with your content, and make strategic changes to increase your email marketing performance.

Social Media: Buffer

Engaging with your audience on social media is an important strategy when trying to build your online presence. But, manually uploading multiple posts across a variety of social platforms every day can be a hassle, not to mention a distraction. That’s where Buffer comes in. 

Buffer makes it easy to create and schedule posts for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Linkedin. You can create drafts, work with teammates to craft the perfect messaging, add images, and choose the perfect time for your post to go live. With Buffer’s tracking analytics, you can get valuable insights into how social media users see your brand, including the reach of your posts, your engagement rates, and more.

Performance Tracking: Hubspot

If you’re looking for an all-in-one performance marketing analytics platform, Hubspot has you covered. In addition to an email marketing and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, Hubspot can help with lead generation, customer feedback, increasing website traffic, creating social media ads and more.

For those who are just starting out, Hubspot offers chat support, as well as a Hubspot Academy and other resources, so you can easily learn how to evaluate and elevate your web performance. In addition to their “Free Forever” option, you can also get a premium version of Hubspot’s software for $800/month, with additional features such as:

• Social media tracking
• Marketing automation
• Landing page creation
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Blogging

Need Digital Marketing Help?

Increasing your business’ online visibility doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With these free tools, you can begin to bring in more visitors, see how they interact with your business, and determine how you can convert pageviews to sales.

If the best digital marketing tools aren’t enough to scale your business, the experts at Marketing Supply Company can help. Fill out this form to get started.