60+ Cost-Effective Marketing Tools For Your Business

Instruments for advertising are the unseen cornerstone of a successful marketing plan. If you operate a small business, the cost of these tools might be prohibitively expensive, and selecting the right match for your marketing efforts can be tough. We've compiled a list of the marketing tools you'll need, organized by marketing category. While this isn't an exhaustive list, it is a well-thought-out selection of products that are at the top of their respective classes, are reasonable or free, and are able to develop with the company over time. Boost your Skills by learning: Digital Marketing 
 
Table of Content:
Tool for Social Media:

Tool for Social Media:

• Buffer:

For organizations with a maximum of three social channels and a limited budget, Buffer's free plan may be the best option. Some significant features include post-time management, calendar view, Instagram labeling, Twitter hashtag recommendations, and Facebook page mentions. Paid plans begin at $6 per channel each month.

Free Demo Classes

Register here for Free Demo Classes

Select Course CUET Digital Marketing NDA Graphics Designing MS Excel (10 Hrs.) Interview Skill Course Entrepreneurship Programme Content Writing

• NapoleonCat:

NapoleonCat is much more than a scheduling tool; the site provides a slew of tools for social media administrators. You will save a lot of time that your team would typically spend moving between profiles to answer queries on social media thanks to the consolidated Inbox.NapoleonCat untangles processes for even the busiest teams thanks to several collaboration-focused features. It also has automatic moderation, reports, and networking analytics."

• Zoho Social:

If you manage a single brand over ten or less social media platforms, Zoho Social provides multichannel publishing, content scheduling, an image editor, a publishing calendar, user tagging, and summary reports. Plans begin at $15 a month, with a free version available for one user.

Download these Free EBooks: Introduction to digital marketing 
 
Tools for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO):

• Moz: Moz is a software platform that combines a variety of tools for working on all elements of online advertising, notably SEO and social networking. It is a benchmark in the field of digital advertising instruments, with a large number of users due to its many functions.
• Ahrefs: For good reason, Ahrefs is one of the many powerful keyword research tools available. It has a number of useful features, such as an all-in-one SEO toolkit that allows you to evaluate and optimise your website. You can also audit your competitors' sites to identify the keywords they're ranking for, locate the top-performing content in your sector, and track your ranking improvement. Ahrefs makes it incredibly simple to find profitable keywords that can help your site's rating increase in no time.
• Ryte: Ryte Marketers require tools to plan what phrases to rank for and to ensure that the material they create meets their objectives once created."Ryte is the right solution for marketers to employ to ensure that their SEO efforts have a genuine impact on their promotional plan."

Project Management Software:

• Jira: Jira's free plan provides limitless project boards and customisable processes, as well as reporting and insights, for enterprises with small teams of 10 or fewer people. Paid plans begin at $7.75 per month per user.
• Asana: If you want to monitor more than just marketing initiatives, Asana can help you organise a wide range of projects using list, board, calendar, and timeline views. Plans begin at $13.49 a month per user, with a free option available.
• Monday Work Management: Designed for commercial and creative work, premium Monday Work Management plans include an infinite number of dashboards and items for tracking tasks, projects, clients, and any other material you choose. Paid options begin at $8 per user per month, with a free version supporting two users and a restricted number of products.

Email Marketing tools:
Campaigner:

• For organisations looking for a more complex platform, Campaigner has a full code editor, measurement of conversions, a Facebook target builder, and a getting started video instruction. Plans begin at $59 per month and include a free 30-day trial.

Mailchimp

• Mailchimp Pricing: Free for no more than 2,000 contacts, with a monthly maximum of 10,000 and a daily limit of 2,000. Paid subscriptions begin at $9.99 per month for 500 contacts.
• Platform: Mailchimp Shopify app, SaaS online interface on its own.

Convertkit:

• For 1,000 members, the price is $29 per month.
• Professional bloggers as well as material creators will benefit from email marketing software.

Klaviyo:

• Paid subscriptions for up to 500 contacts start at $20 per month.
• Klaviyo pricing is affordable for a maximum of 250 contacts and 500 total email blasts.

Tools for Lead Capture and Conversion:  

• HubSpot: HubSpot's complimentary advertising resources can assist with this. You'll know who a lead is, where they went to work, and which pages they viewed as soon as they reveal their email address. You'll be prepared to follow up as soon as they view an offer or verify your price.  And, with simple but effective analytics, you'll discover more about what's working and what isn't, such as which traffic sources or content pieces are driving the greatest amount of conversions.  It's a no-risk method to see what inbound marketing can accomplish for you.
• OptinMonster: Over 1,000,000 websites use OptinMonster, the greatest lead-generation plugin for WordPress. It enables you to develop visually appealing option forms that have been proven to increase conversions. Our objective is straightforward: to assist you in converting more of the website's visitors into recipients of emails and clients. We then developed OptinMonster into a standalone application due to overwhelming demand. That is, it may be used on platforms other than WordPress, such as Shopify, BigCommerce, and Magento.

Tools for creating graphics and advertising via video:

• Adobe Lightroom: If you're photographing your product or team to use on your website, social media platforms, or other marketing materials, Adobe Lightroom provides editing tools, lessons, and cloud storage. Monthly plans begin at $9.99.
• Visme: Visme is yet another free and simple design tool. Whereas Canva focuses on simplicity, Visme excels with more complicated designs such as infographics and presentations. It features a plethora of professionally designed templates from which to pick. Visme's emphasis on business-oriented templates makes it simple to create a corporate-style explainer video. These are very helpful when creating assets for your staff at home. With Visme, you can simply generate both inside and outside video content to help you achieve your business objectives.
• Canva: We all know how much we appreciate a free, template-rich, and user-friendly tool! Canva is one of the few online visual design tools that ticks all of the boxes and then some. Canva has a massive library of pre-made themes and pictures, making it simple to make a film with great graphics in minutes. Their easy drag-and-drop interface simplifies the process even more, removing most of the required technical knowledge from visual creation. You may also use one of Canva's pre-made templates to simply create an animated film. Then, using their video editing program, personalise it. With its drag-and-drop features, you'll be able to create the sort of film you desire in minutes.

Content Creation Tool:

• Adobe Spark:  Adobe Spark is a collection of three online or mobile apps - Spark Page, Spark Post, and Spark Video - that enable marketers to quickly generate graphics, websites, and videos in a range of themes.  You may fully eliminate the headache of website layout, video editing skills, or a CMS and start generating stunning content right away. At HubSpot, for example, we utilize Spark Page to produce some of our online manuals and market them using Spark Videos and Posts.
• Adobe Colour CC: Adobe Colour CC is a simple tool for capturing eye-catching colour combinations. Users may export a colour scheme directly into Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign and sync it to the Adobe Colour service. They may also send themes to their pals via Facebook, Twitter, or email.
• Recordit: Recordit is a screencasting application that uses GIFs and has desktop versions for both Windows and Mac. It enables users to record their desktop screen for up to five minutes. The service is available as a free app with the option to upgrade to the PRO edition, which includes an improved frame rate and password security. The Recordit icon shows in the Start menu after downloading. To begin recording, simply click on the icon and pick the area you wish to capture. When you complete the recording, the video is instantly uploaded to Recordit's servers. Because it does not encrypt movies on the user's computer, this program also allows for screen sharing. Instead, everything takes place on the internet, where everything becomes public. As a result, Recordit is an excellent tool. As a result, Recordit is an excellent tool for teaching someone how to use their computer, such as running a program or editing a Word document.

Resource for Lead Nurturing: 

• Campaign Monitor: Campaign Monitor is a simple email marketing solution that allows businesses to send beautiful and personalized emails, establishing a trustworthy route to increase subscriber interaction and boost loyal readership and conversion.
• Email Marketing Software: Email Marketing Software from HubSpot  HubSpot provides comprehensive email marketing tools ranging from free to enterprise-level. You will be able to generate emails using a simple drag-and-drop interface, personalize emails for improved experience and performance, and track email activity in your free CRM. HubSpot's premium subscriptions also provide automation options.

Tools for Video Marketing:

• Loom: Loom is a video messaging service that allows you to convey your message through immediately shared films. Loom allows you to record your digital camera, microphone, which is and desktop all at once. Using Loom's proprietary technology, your video is then immediately ready for sharing.
• Vidyard: Vidyard is a video tool designed for online selling. Its goal is to make it simple to produce and transmit films that add a human touch to the sales cycle, from prospecting through proposals. Vidyard, backed by video data analysis and connections, has thousands of virtual marketing and sales employees across the world using video to create more leads and complete more transactions.
• Movavi: We provide simple-to-use software that motivates individuals to edit, improve, and share their material.
• Wistia: Wistia is a robust video hosting system that enables you to post your videos (ad-free) on your website with assured smooth playing and a responsive player.  Wistia also assists you in demonstrating the ROI of your video efforts by providing video analytics and crucial data to help you fine-tune your marketing via video efforts over time."

Website analytics software:

• Lucky Orange: Lucky Orange is an optimization tool that contains heat maps of user behavior, session records, surveys, and visitor profiles at all plan levels, including the free edition. Paid subscriptions begin at $18 per month.
• Google Analytics: Google Analytics provides free analytics and optimisation tools to help you track website activity. This covers reporting on acquisition, engagement, and monetization.
• Semrush: Semrush provides services such as competition analysis and keyword research to businesses, as well as advertising and social media solutions. Plans begin at $119.95 a month, while a free account with restricted features is also available.

Event Marketing Resource:

• Facebook Events: Previously, you had to manually upload the pixel event code to each web sites to set up Facebook pixel events. With the Facebook Event setting Tool for Web, Facebook has simplified the setting of pixel events. This tool allows you to create events without having to write any code. It should be noted that the base pixel must be installed.
• Eventbrite: Eventbrite is an efficient, user-friendly tool that advertisers rely on to manage event logistics (such as ticketing) and promote their events."  Eventbrite allows you to construct an event landing page as well as set up tickets and payment for the event all on the same platform. What's the best part? If you're holding a free event, Eventbrite is always free.

Content marketing instruments

• Grammarly Business can assist you in creating error-free material for your social media profiles, website, documents, texts, and emails. The trial version only provides some of the fundamental functions. The commercial edition includes sentence rewrites, word choice choices, and other advanced capabilities for $15 per month per person.
• Simplified: Simplified provides complimentary amenities such as a content rewriter tool, a company bio generator, and an AI writing helper, as well as commercial tools.

Read More:
1) How to Build a Brand Consistency in Advertising?
2) Community Manager in Digital Marketing: Job Description, Skills, and Salary

Live Chat Application:
Shopify:

• Shopify Inbox is an optional messaging tool that allows you to interact with consumers as they buy. Conversations may be managed via the online shop chat, the Shop app, Instagram, and Messenger.
• Platform: You can add Shopify Inbox to any Shopify store.
• Pricing: Free with the purchase of any Shopify store.

Gorgias's:

• Pricing: There is no free option; however, you may join up for a seven-day free trial. Plans begin at $60 a month for 350 tickets, with an additional $25 charge for each additional 100 tickets. The next tier is $300 a month for 2,000 tickets plus an additional $23 for every 100 more tickets.
• Platform type: integrates with Shopify, BigCommerce, and others.

Magento:

• Pricing: The free plan covers reaching 100 unique website visitors and sending limitless messages. Prepaid plans

SMS marketing instruments:

• SimpleTexting: A graphic generation tool and template options are just a few of the features that make SimpleTexting our top SMS marketing solution. Plans begin at $29 per month and include a 14-day free trial.
• TextMagic: If a pay-as-you-go plan suits your marketing budget better, TextMagic allows you to forgo the monthly membership charge and instead purchase prepaid credits that may be used whenever you want. Pricing begins at 4 cents per outgoing text message, with a 30-day free trial available.
• SlickText: SlickText stands out for engagement features like as competitions, surveys, promo codes, discounts, and loyalty reward alternatives for small businesses who wish to utilize SMS for promotions. Plans begin at $29 per month and include a 14-day free trial.

CRM applications:

• Zoho CRM: Our top CRM selection includes functionality for collecting and sorting data, scheduling activities, managing sales pipelines, and generating reports. Plans begin at $20 per user per month, with a free version that includes all functionality for teams with three people or fewer.
• Salesforce CRM: This platform, which offers capabilities such as lead management, seamless data syncs, and customizable reporting, may expand with your small business. Plans start at $25 per user per month, and most plan levels offer free trials.
• Freshsales by Freshworks: Freshsales' Growth plan is free and allows for a maximum of three CRM users for small firms on a short budget. It comes with useful features like personalized messaging, contact rating, and sales administration tools. Paid subscriptions begin at $18 per user per month and include a free 21-day trial.

Resource for Lead Generation: 

• Unbounce: Unbounce's drag-and-drop interface allows you to easily create mobile responsive landing pages without the aid of a professional. The application also interfaces with a variety of CMS systems and technologies. You may also use Unbounce Convertibles to create tailored overlays on top of every web page, each with its own call to action. Customizable events and targeting rules allow you to manage who sees your offers and when they see them, allowing you to send the most relevant offers to the correct audience.
• Instapage: You can easily construct appropriate ad-to-landing-page experiences that support different target audiences and campaign goals with no developer required and a user-friendly interface. Instapage, the most sophisticated landing page solution on the market, offers a unified platform for ad the mapping process, AI-powered material and analysis, and integrated metrics.
• Leadpages: Over 45,000 individuals use Leadpages as a landing page development tool. Anyone with no design skills may use it to create landing pages from the start. All you've got to do is select a template, add widgets, and personalise it to your specifications and brand. Leapages also provide other tools that might aid in lead creation.

Direct mailing:
Sendoso:

• Sendoso is an automated direct mail solution that saves you hours of tedious labor while guaranteeing your things are delivered.

• Price: The Sendoso website does not disclose any free plans or prices, although the Essential plan allows for up to 1,500 sends per year. The Plus plan includes 4,000 sends each year.

Postie

• Pricing: There are no costs listed on the Postie website; you must contact the sales staff for a demo.

• Platform type: stand-alone SaaS web interface

Lead generation and conversion:
Unbounce:

• Unbounce is a digital advertising tool for creating, publishing, and optimizing landing pages. Campaigns may be swiftly created and deployed to gather leads and enhance conversions.
• Pricing: There is no free option, although a 14-day free trial is available. The entry-level Launch plan is $90 a month and comes with up to 500 conversions, 20,000 visits, and one domain. The Optimise plan, which costs $135 per month, offers up to 1,000 conversions, 30,000 visits, and five domains.

Conversion Pro Sales Pop-Up:

• Pricing: The free edition gives a revenue boost of up to $100. The second level plan is $3.99 per month and offers up to $1,000 in increased revenue.
• Platform type: Sales Popup Shopify app.

Octane AI:

• Pricing: There is no free option, although a 14-day free trial is available.

CRO and Optimisation Tools:

• Lucky Orange: Reports provide administrators with insight into problematic regions of website forms. Using a centralized dashboard, Lucky Orange enables managers to measure the number of website visits in real-time and construct conversion funnels. Agents may engage with other operators, customize the chat widget to develop brand identity, and respond to client inquiries using preset replies. Managers may also set up triggers to show polls, record visitor behaviors, and segment recordings depending on the browser, device, behavior, operating system, and other parameters.
• Hotjar: Hotjar is a novel and simple approach to properly understanding what your website and mobile site visitors see when they engage with your site. You can learn what people desire, care about, and communicate about on your site with its visual heatmap features.  Hotjar visualizes users' clicks, taps, and scrolling behavior, allowing you to identify hot spots for growth and conversion rate optimization."

Read More:
1) Top 15 Content Marketing Interview Questions for Freshers
2) Microsoft Designer: What and How Does it Works?

Brand Promotion:
 
Logo Maker

• Pricing: Free Shopify logo maker.
• Platform type: stand-alone SaaS web interface.

Shopify

• Company name generator

• Pricing: A free Shopify business name generator is available.
• Platform type: stand-alone SaaS web interface.

SMS marketing instruments:

• SimpleTexting: A graphic generation tool and template options are just a few of the features that make SimpleTexting our top SMS marketing solution. Plans begin at $29 per month and include a 14-day free trial.
• TextMagic: If a pay-as-you-go plan suits your marketing budget better, TextMagic allows you to forgo the monthly membership charge and instead purchase prepaid credits that may be used whenever you want. Pricing begins at 4 cents per outgoing text message, with a 30-day free trial available.
• SlickText: SlickText distinguishes out for interaction features like as competitions, surveys, promo codes, discounts, and loyalty reward alternatives for small businesses who wish to utilise SMS for promotions. Plans begin at $29 per month and include a 14-day free trial.

Influencer marketing resources:
Shopify:

• Shopify Collabs is the most convenient approach to locating producers that will promote your items to new audiences. Look through millions of artists to identify ones who are compatible with your brand. Send items and discounts from your Shopify store, and track affiliate earnings via PayPal.

• The cost is nothing.

Refersion:

• Pricing: 14-day free trial. Plans begin at $89 per month for 130 monthly monitored affiliate conversions. Upgrade to Enterprise for unlimited tracked conversions.

Tool For Fostering Loyalty:

Smile: Smile enables you to create a loyalty and rewards program in minutes, with no coding necessary. It works effortlessly with Shopify POS and other promotional email platforms. Smile also provides 24/7 assistance from a team of professionals that can assist with everything from technical concerns to best practices.  Smile's free version includes a rewards and referral programme. Paid options are available beginning at $49 per month and include programme branding, incentive emails, and one integration.
 
Advertising tools are the hidden foundation of an effective advertising approach. If you run a small business, the cost of these tools may be prohibitively expensive, and finding the proper fit for your marketing efforts can be difficult. We've developed a collection of marketing tools organized by marketing category for you. While this is not an entire list, it is a well-considered selection of items that are at the top in their respective classes, are affordable or free, and have the potential to grow with the firm over time.

Read More: Top 12 Digital Marketing Automation Platforms in India