The Best Digital Marketing Tools for Small Businesses in 2020

Nick Arthur

The best digital marketing tools for small businesses in 2020

The start-up culture is one that’s very difficult to replicate and that’s why it’s so sought after. The great thing about the way that small businesses are run is the fact that every member of the team is a true team player.

Roles are often blurred and people will be picking up the slack in many ways for departments that don’t quite exist yet. 

Product and operational teams will be picking up marketing tasks in order to get the product over the line before the next round of funding comes in.

It’s in these moments that it’d be particularly handy to have a list of resources to ensure an almost foolproof entry level coverage of marketing activities, and also a level of automation for when a marketing consultant comes on board and needs to hit the ground running. 

There are a number of fantastic tools out there that will not only make life easier, but provide a good level of insight that will help build your marketing reach in one way or another. 

Google Analytics

Analytics are essential to measure your site and campaign performance. It’s free and fairly simple to use, yet a tool that is often massively underused. Understanding exactly where and how frequently your audience are visiting will allow you to build a product based on the needs of your target audience. 

Google Analytics allows you to record many important metrics across all digital platforms.

This allows for an effective comparison and analysis of progress and the achievement of site and financial goals. 

Another great thing about Google Analytics, is the online training and tutorials available. The team has built a platform and a wide bank of resources to help you get the best out of your analytics and digital approach. 

Trello

Not only a handy list management system, Trello has multiple templates to help manage workflows and collaborative projects. This is particularly helpful when it comes to planning marketing content campaigns. You’re able to assign tasks to individuals, alongside adding deadlines and comments on progress.

Marketing can span over 100 different channels and communication outlets at once – Trello allows you to keep track of all of these different activities, by campaign. You’re able to work in collaboration with the wider team, while creating greater transparency. 

Templates include an editorial calendar for content teams, to campaign planners and marketing team overviews. One or all of these lists will work for a team of any size, and will definitely help organise and improve the communication of remote teams.

Sendible

There are a number of social media scheduling tools to choose from, and for a variety of reasons. Sendible is one of the more cost effective options, with personal accounts coming in at around £25 per month. 

The perks of using a platform like this include the ability to schedule across more than one social platform, in one go. You can write your social post, select the outlets to share it on and then personalise all within the same window.

When scheduling 3 social posts per day each month, being able to personalise tags without having to create a whole new post is a huge time saver and gift to productivity. 

You’re able to monitor your performance and learn from the intuitive software when it works best to schedule your content.

You can build reports that mean something to you, targeting the information that helps you understand your audience and achieve your business goals. 

If that’s not enough, you’re also able to create a content library to keep all of your assets in one place and take advantage of the content recommendations that Sendible make based on trending topics the app has identified. Simply click ‘content suggestions’ to discover. 

Mailchimp

How were you planning to speak to your customers? From data management to engaging customers, Mailchimp is one of the best tools around. 

Used predominantly for sending email newsletters, the software is hugely intelligent and has a number of inbuilt features to help you get the most out of the data and relationships you have.

From automating your emails to target your customers at the optimum time, to segmenting your lists and tailoring your content to the individuals you have identified – Mailchimp allows you to feel and appear more human. 

Mailchimp has a number of customisable templates available, which prove to be a real time saver. You’re also able to set up welcome automation for email signups, send happy birthday messages and order notifications. 

Buzzsumo

Ensuring your content marketing always hits the nail on the head is a science, and thanks to the team at Buzzsumo, you’re now able to understand that science. Instead of taking wild stabs in the dark when it comes to creating your marketing content – be it a blog or a series of social posts – Buzzsumo identifies relevant trending stories. 

These stories can then form the basis of your content campaign, guaranteeing in almost every instance that the content is able to achieve maximum impact.

The digital marketing industry is constantly changing and evolving, so keep an eye on this list for updates on the tools available to you and your business. It’s also worth noting that there are a variety of tools that may include features you’ve seen listed above.

Our selection is based on ease of use and the overall contribution each resource can have for your business. 

Hubstaff Tasks

Built on a highly visual and intuitive interface, Hubstaff Tasks helps in ensuring that your marketing campaigns go according to plan. The app offers several task management and collaboration features that give you complete control over your projects.

Hubstaff Tasks lets you set custom labels for smarter task organization. You’ll be able to attach files and create checklists within tasks, making it easier to stay on the same page with teammates. Team members who are involved in a task will automatically be notified when progress is made or when they are mentioned within comments.

One of the app’s most notable features is its custom workflows. This feature lets you automatically move tasks to the next project stage while assigning them to the right people with one click, allowing you to save time and avoid missing deadlines.

Leave a comment