One area that a lot of startups fail to push enough time and effort into is marketing. It’s not the sole reason why 9 out of 10 startups fail, but it’s certainly a contributing factor. Having a solid marketing strategy (based on accurate market research) is crucial, but the world of digital marketing has become a complex maze.
Any new business hoping to navigate this melting pot of brand identity, customer data, and mixed opinions needs the right tools. Here are 5 marketing-related tools every startup should start using right now.
1. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is probably the single most important tool for any new business because it provides valuable insight into customer behavior. Many new business owners dismiss Google Analytics as a traffic counter but it’s so much more than that.
By properly analyzing the data gathered with Analytics, business owners can learn a great deal about how people interact with their website. This includes what devices they use, when they’re active, what social channels they use, and where traffic is directed from. All of that information can be used to create more targeted marketing strategies and get customers further through the sales funnel.
2. Canva
Not every piece of content has to have a professionally designed illustration or image accompanying it. Graphic designers provide an important service and are backed by loads of creativity and skills – they’re also very expensive. When it’s a simple social media post or blog article, using a tool like Canva can be a quick and effective solution.
Canva is a freemium (free with paid features) graphic design platform that anyone can use to create interesting and appealing graphics. The tool provides various templates (social media posts, blog articles, email headers, etc.) and has thousands of illustrations and stock photos to choose from.
3. Mailchimp
Email communication has come a long way and doesn’t have to be bland or purposeless. Email sequences and campaigns can be just as highly stylized and analytical as other marketing campaigns. A tool like Mailchimp can be an immense help in terms of automation and analytics.
The free plan that this email management tool offers is perfectly suited to startups that don’t have a large email base yet. Among its more popular features are email automation, third-party tool integration, email templates, and interaction tracking. On top of that, Mailchimp has a built-in CRM, making it a fantastic choice as an all-in-one solution.
However, companies that outgrow the free plan might want to look for a more powerful (and cheaper) email management solution.
4. Hubspot
Hubspot is one of the more well-known marketing solutions out there. They offer a number of helpful tools along with a marketing blog full of practical tips. The range tools include a free CRM, customer service tools, and task automation tools, among others.
All of these help provide deep customer insights and turn prospective leads into loyal brand advocates. The CRM is also probably the essential tool for a startup as it helps with recording and analyzing interactions with customers.
5. Buffer
For any startup, the ability to automate tasks can be a time- (and life-) saver. A social media management app like Buffer lets the business schedule posts ahead of time across various social platforms. Its free version should more than suffice for a new business, but there is a Pro and Business plan with additional features.
Summary
Choosing the right tools and knowing how to get the best mileage out of them is essential for achieving an effective digital marketing strategy. Plus, all of these tools have free plans, are very user-friendly and there’s a host of marketing guides and information out there. So in today’s digital-driven world, there’s no excuse for a startup to fail on the marketing front anymore.
