Business news articles are often centered around the online sector of marketing. Also called digital marketing, it is one of the most widespread forms of promotion in the modern market.
As the rates of internet penetration across the globe increase, online platforms are also widely used for advertising. Statista website reports that in 2023,54% of total ad spend in the US was in the digital sphere, amounting to $356 billion in total.
The creation of online marketing campaigns would be impossible without various tools and software discussed in this article. Keep reading to find out the top-sixteen tools for digital marketing in different spheres of the industry.
What is digital marketing?
After the rapid development of online technologies in the 1990s and early 2000s, businesses have begun actively incorporating them into marketing strategies.
Digital marketing is defined as a form of marketing that utilizes the Internet and other digital technologies, and online media platforms to promote goods and services. The most well-known types of online marketing include:
- Search engine optimization (SEO);
- Social media marketing (SMM);
- Pay-per-click marketing (PPC);
- Messenger marketing;
- Content marketing;
- Email marketing.
The brand’s online marketing strategy may require the use of one or multiple digital platforms and tools. This article explores the most popular software for professionals in various niches of digital marketing.
Analytics tools
Understanding key metrics and KPIs can help marketers enhance their promotional strategies and optimize campaigns. Let’s look into the most used analytics software for digital marketers.
Google Analytics
This digital tool from Google is a must-have for anyone working in the field of marketing. Google Analytics (GA) provides insights into on-site performance and other essential metrics. The main features of this free marketing tool include:
- monitoring user performance with real-time updates;
- tracking conversions;
- creating eCommerce setup;
- event tracking;
- customized reporting.
These are just a few of numerous
| Pros | Cons |
| The tool is free of charge and easy to install;Covers various metrics and KPIs | GA allows tracking of on-site performance but doesn’t provide deeper insight into user behavior. |
Hotjar
For a deeper understanding of user behavior, marketing specialists use this renowned service. It is a perfect addition to GA services. Panasonic, Mircosoft, Adobe, and Nintendo along with other 900k websites have already integrated Hotjar into their website. The
The service works by integrating into the site and recording the behavior of users. The Hotjar toolkit includes:
- Heatmaps for visualizing the behavior of users;
- Reconding to on-site sessions;
- Tools for gathering feedback from site visitors;
- On-site surveys.
Hotjar provides a free plan with up to 35 daily sessions. Marketers can also purchase monthly subscriptions for $39 – $389 a month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Friendly UI;Multiple types of heatmaps;Visitor recordings;GDPR and CCPA compliance;Free plan. | Lack of predictive analysis;Absence of ROI tracking;No profile segmentation;A very few integrations. |
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The best tools for SEO
Search engine optimization is a powerful way of increasing the visibility of your brand, boosting sales levels and promoting your services or goods.
SEMrush
If you are working in the field of digital marketing, most likely you are familiar with this all-in-one SEO tool. Used by over 7 million marketers, SEMrush has won SEMRush helps SEO marketers with:
- Keyword research with access to 20bn+ keywords;
- Backlink analysis;
- Keyword tracking and planning;
- Website content optimization.
SEMrush functional also includes content marketing, research, advertising, SMM tools, and solutions for marketing agencies. It is a great tool for beginners in the field, as it allows them to run advanced campaigns with ease.
Unfortunately, this service doesn’t have a free plan but offers a trial period for new subscribers. Prices range from $119.95 to $449.95 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| The tool is easy to use even for newbies in SEO;Offers superior tools for keyword planning;The platform features learning materials | No free plan and high subscription prices if compared to the competitors;Provides data only for Google. |
MOZ
This SEO marketing tool was founded in 2004. Once installed, MOZ helps to optimize your webpage by:
- Conducting keyword research;
- Checking the keywords ranking;
- Carrying out site audit;
- Rank tracking;
- Backlink analysis;
- Tracking of the most vital SEO metrics.
This service also offers a free extension – MOZ Bar – that can be added to Google Chrome.
Most of the MOZ features are free with up to three searches a day. The paid plans start from $99 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Most of the tools are free;Multi-domain support;Great SERP ranking tracking. | Doesn’t have the best UX;No mobile application. |
Social media marketing tools
In 2023, the global social penetration rate reached 49%. And as of January 2024, 4.66 billion people were actively using social networks. Statista Research Department reports that popular social media sources, like Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp attract over two billion users every month.
In the marketing niche, social media has also become a powerful way of boosting brand visibility, engaging with new audiences, retaining customers, and promoting goods and services. Statista forecasts that in 2024 social media advertising ad spend will reach $173.99 billion. Planning and reporting tools can enhance social media marketing (SMM) campaigns.
Later
Later is social media scheduling tool, which is compatible with:
- Instagram;
- Facebook;
- Pinterest;
- LinkedIn;
- TikTok;
- Twitter.
As it was created specifically for Instagram, Later software is more focused on visuals. With this SMM tool, marketers can:
- Create content calendar;
- Save media in asset library and add notes, labels to it;
- Add hashtags and keywords for better visibility and retention;
- Find content to share on your social media;
- Drive traffic and monitor sales;
- Track most important metrics and KPIs.
Later offers a 14-day trial period for any plan. Prices for subscriptions range from $15 to $40 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy-to-use features;Allows cross-posting;Free scheduling for up to 30 posts per month;Feed preview for Instagram;Scheduling for video content. | Doesn’t schedule Instagram Stories and TikTok videos;Limited analytics in the free planThe platform puts visual first, so it is more compatible with Instagram and other visual-focused platforms. |
Buffer
Another great tool for managing multiple social media accounts is Buffer. An official partner of Facebook (WhatsApp, Instagram), Pinterest, and LinkedIn, Buffer is great for drafting, publishing, and analyzing social media posts. The service also has a great tool for customer engagement Smart dashboard integrates all essential social media channels.
A free version of the program allows to manage 1-3 channels and has basic publishing tools. The other plans cost $5 – $100 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable plans;Real-time financial metrics;Extensive analytics;Simple layout. | Lacks analytics tools for mentions, searches, and hashtags. |
PPC tools
Pay-per-click marketing campaigns are deemed one of the most cost-efficient, as advertisers pay only when someone clicks on an ad.
According to Social Media Today, in 2017, more than 7 million advertisers invested $10 billion in PPC ads. Various tools can bring your PPC campaigns to the next level.
AdStage
This smart marketing tool was designed specifically for PPC ad campaigns. AdStage works across all most prominent platforms, such as:
- Google;
- Facebook;
- Bing;
- Yahoo
- LinkedIn;
- Instagram;
- Twitter;
- YouTube.
AdStage platform also integrates with other digital marketing tools, like:
- Google Analytics;
- Google Sheets;
- Google Data Studio;
- HubSpot;
- Slack;
- Salesforce.
In addition to creating and launching PPC campaigns, the service also has reporting, visual, and automation tools. AdStage also provides data API.
| Pros | Cons |
| Numerous integrations;Provides a large scale of data;Customized reporting;Automation. | Lack of Snapchat support;Sometimes non-intuitive UI;Lack of ability to create custom columns in reports. |
Optmyzr
This award-winning company has 22 years of PPC experience. Optmyzr software utilizes machine learning technology to optimize advertising campaigns on:
- Google Ads;
- Microsoft Ads;
- Amazon Advertising;
- Facebook Ads.
Optmyzr also integrates with Bing Ads, AdWords, Slack, GA, and Google Sheets. The functionality of this tool for advertisers includes:
- Creation of search and shopping ad campaigns;
- Campaign optimization;
- Keyword optimization
- Testing and monitoring;
- Reporting.
The service offers a 14-day trial period. The subscription plans start from $208 per month and depend on your monthly ad spend.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use;Superb customer service;Custom solutions for PPC;Keyword managing. | Not very efficient for small accounts;Lacks support for non-Google / AdWords/ Microsoft ads;Not for novices in PPC marketing. |
Messenger marketing tools
Instant messaging applications, or messengers, are swiftly becoming the number one communication tool for many countries. The data from Statista shows that as of October 2023, over two billion people were actively using WhatsApp and 1.3 billion were accessing Facebook Messenger.
Nowadays, messengers are used not only for communication but also for promoting goods and services or for executing a bigger marketing strategy. Messenger marketing is immediate and has extremely high open rates. According to MobileMonkey, for Facebook Messenger, this ratio can reach 80-90%.
There are various tools for messenger marketing. Automated response software, chatbots, however, are the most widely used ones. Powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, these bots are used for:
- Direct advertising through promotional message, polls, and other features;
- Customer service;
- Scheduling.
MobileMonkey
This sales-automation messaging platform has been in the market for five years now. Created in 2017, MobileMonkey optimizes messaging in:
- Facebook Messenger;
- Instagram direct messages;
- SMS;
- Website chats.
The company’s Omnichat software allows for creating chatbots on multiple platforms with unified inboxes and instant communication with customers. MobileMonkey also provides tools for drip marketing, advanced live chats, campaign targeting.
The service has a free plan with many features. Subscription plans range from $19 to $199 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Low skill barrier;User-friendly interface;Zero limitations on the number of subscribers;No limits on the number of chatbots or growth tools;WordPress plugin. | Not very intuitive interface;Facebook Messenger Ads available only in the paid plan;Some functions (Q&A responses) require chat preview. |
ManyChat
Founded in 2015, this messenger marketing tool creates chatbots in the following apps:
- Facebooks Messenger;
- Instagram Direct Messages;
- SMS.
ManyChat also integrates with Google Sheets, Shopify, Zapier, HubSpot, PayPal, MailChimp, Stripe, and many other services. Apart from chatbot creation and optimization, the platform features growth tools, broadcast and automation tools for messaging, and audience insight tools. ManyChat website also provides various templates.
The service has a free plan but the functionality is very limited. Subscription prices depend on the number of subscribers and cost between $10 and $145 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| User-friendly interface;Wide selection of automation tools;Live chat feature;Template library. | The free plan has a very limited toolkit and allows creating only four chatbots. |
Content marketing tools
According to Statista, in 2023 content marketing was believed to be the most effective digital marketing technique. Creating and promoting the right content can boost your brand visibility and positively affect your overall marketing strategy. While no automation tool can replace a talented content creator, some software can enhance their efforts.
HubSpot
This content marketing hub consolidates various tools at one platform. HubSpot toolkit includes:
- Popups;
- Form builder;
- Chatbots and live chats;
- WordPress plugin.
The service also features a powerful content marketing system (CMS) and an automation platform. Additionally, HubSpot offers services for service and sales teams.
Some tools are free, while others require a subscription. Paid plans cost from $50 – $3.2k / month.
| Pros | Cons |
| All-in-one platform for content marketing;User-friendly UI;Provides loads of educational materials. | The free version has very limited features;High subscription prices;Complicated modification of templates;Limited reporting features. |
Flipsnack
Flipsnack is a digital publishing tool, which is an absolute necessity for any content marketer. With this tool, you can put all types of content into a marketing e-book and customize it with Design Studio. Flipsnack allows adding images, videos, hyperlinks, call-to-action-buttons, etc. The tool also allows adding a customized lead to online publications.
With a free plan, you can create up to 3 catalogs and up to 30 pages. Paid plans range from $14 to $79 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use platform;Great analytics;Provides the ability to make publication interactive | Lacks customization features;Reportedly poor customer service. |
Design tools
Visual content is a key element of any digital marketing campaign. Creating different adverts would be impossible without the design tools mentioned below.
Figma
This web-based graphic editor and prototyping program is used by designers from all over the globe. Figma helps create design systems for web or mobile applications. It is also used for prototyping and creating animations.
Most of the features are available in the free version. For professional editors, however, the service has paid plans from $12 to $75 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Works in the web browser;User-friendly interface, which is great for collective work;Auto-layouts. | Lacks PDF import;Not great for photo editing. |
Canva
Canva is the other digital marketing tool that is used for creating designs for social media, websites, and other platforms. The toolkit includes:
- Editing of posts, creation of graphs;
- A vast library with 250k templates;
- Various designs, including postcards, brochures, presentations, logos, posters, banners, certificates, etc.
A free version of Canva provides over 250k of templates, hundreds of designs, and 5GB of cloud space. Paid plans range from $119.99 to $1.5k.
| Pros | Cons |
| Wide selection of graphic designs;Has budget-friendly plans;Provides team access. | It is better for novices than for professionals;A limited number of templates and export settings. |
Email marketing tools
Email is one of the most popular ways of communication. According to Statista, in 2023, 4.14 billion people were actively using electronic mail. And an average of 306.4 billion emails are sent every day.
Marketing specialists are also often utilizing emails as a powerful communication channel. Email marketing is deemed as one of the most efficient advertising methods with an average ROI of $45 for every $1 spent. Digital marketing tools mentioned below help enhance email campaigns and increase ROI even more.
MailChimp
Perhaps, the most well-known email marketing tool, MailChimp helps create and send around 1 billion emails on a daily basis. The main features of this service include:
- Email campaign customization;
- Email templates;
- A/B testing and other analytics;
- Contact segmentation;
- Integration with social platforms and various applications;
- Auto responds;
- Audience management.
With a free plan, users can send up to 10k emails per month and add 2k subscribers. Premium plans start from $11 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
| Allows template import;All-in-one serviceVarious integrations (including Facebook);Tracks various KPIs and metrics. | Non-intuitive UI;The company can cancel your account at any time;A limited number of provided templates. |
GlockApps
This service helps email marketers check deliverability, conduct spam-testing, monitor domain and IP against blacklists, run DMARC analysis, and identify risky emails. The program works with all major email providers, including Gmail and Outlook. GlockApps offers the first three spam tests for free. Subscription plans start from $79 / month with 300 spam tests included.
| Pros | Cons |
| Detailed reports;Easy to use;Customer support | Inconsistent tests at a time. |
Conclusion
The online marketing industry is constantly evolving, hundreds of new tools and tech innovations emerge every day. So, it may be challenging to stay on top of things for digital marketers. Hopefully, this list of top-sixteen online marketing tools will provide the necessary help.
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