To succeed in a competitive market, startups need tools that make their marketing efforts easier and more effective. For example, the best startup tools can help you automate scheduling social media posts and sending email campaigns like welcome messages and follow-ups.
Without the right digital tools, they end up wasting time and resources on task management that could be simplified. The right set of paid and free tools allows them to focus on what matters: building their brand and reaching the right audience.
Here are the five types of marketing tools every startup needs:
- Social media management tools
- Email marketing platforms
- Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
- Content creation and graphic design tools
- Analytics and data tracking tools
1. Social media management tools
Social media management tools are a must for any startup looking to grow through online marketing. These digital marketing tools help you manage all your social media accounts in one place, making it easier to stay on top of all your different profiles.
You can schedule posts ahead of time, so your content goes out consistently without having to be glued to your phone or computer every day. This saves time and helps keep your brand active across different platforms as part of your digital marketing efforts.
Beyond scheduling, social media marketing tools allow for content creation, replying to comments, mentions, and messages, and approving content to collaborate effectively within remote and distributed teams. By analyzing metrics such as likes, shares, and comments, you can also determine what’s working and what’s not, enabling you to refine your approach and boost social media engagement.
Whether you’re aiming to grow your followers or increase interactions, social media tools provide the insights and control needed to make smarter marketing decisions.
2. Email marketing platforms
Email marketing platforms are key tools for startups wanting to connect with their audience in a meaningful way. These platforms make it easy to create, manage, and track email campaigns, helping you keep your customers informed and engaged.
With email marketing tools, you can design emails that look professional and automate the process, so you don’t have to manually send each message. Whether you’re promoting a new product or sharing updates, email platforms make it simple to reach your audience regularly.
One of the biggest benefits of using an email marketing platform is audience segmentation. Instead of sending the same email to everyone, you can break your list into groups based on:
- Customer behavior
- Interests
- Where they are in the customer journey
This allows you to send more personalized and relevant marketing emails. For example, new subscribers could get a welcome series, while frequent shoppers receive special offers. By tailoring your messages, you’re more likely to grab their attention and boost engagement.
3. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are basically tools that help businesses keep track of their customers and improve how they interact with them. They pull together all the important customer info, like contact details, past interactions, and purchase history, into one central spot. This makes it way easier for the sales team to manage tasks and leads, keep track of sales, and tailor marketing efforts to each customer.
A CRM platform can also handle a lot of the routine stuff automatically, like sending follow-up emails, scheduling meetings, or setting reminders. This means teams can spend less time on busywork and more time building relationships. Overall, CRMs give businesses a clearer picture of their customers, helping them keep people happy and boost sales in the long run.
You’ll be able to see user behavior and tailor your approach, whether you’re reaching out to new leads or nurturing long-term customers.
How can you benefit from a CRM?
One of the most valuable parts of a CRM system is how it helps with lead generation. You can set up landing pages and pop-ups on your website to capture leads, turning visitors into potential customers.
CRMs also integrate well with customer data platforms, which unify data from multiple touchpoints to create more complete customer profiles. This added layer of data helps you understand your customers better and respond to their needs in real-time.
Plus, with SMS marketing, you can send personalized texts directly to your customers, making your communication more direct and effective. All of this data helps you understand your customers better and respond to their needs in real-time.
“A strong CRM system is essential for building lasting customer relationships. At Wave Connect, our CRM helps us streamline communications, manage leads, and access real-time customer insights. This means we can respond quickly and tailor our interactions to meet client needs. Automating routine tasks like follow-ups also frees our team to focus on high-value connections. For us, CRM isn’t just about managing data; it’s about transforming data into a tool for delivering better service and creating real value for our clients.”
– George El-Hage, CEO of Wave Connect
4. Content creation and graphic design tools
Graphic design and content creation tools are a must-have for startup teams looking to produce marketing materials that grab attention.
Whether it’s for social media, blogs, or email marketing campaigns, these tools help you come up with ideas and turn them into visuals and written content that match your brand. For startups, it’s all about being efficient and producing high-quality content without breaking the bank.
Many of these tools come with advanced features that make content marketing easier. For example, you can:
- Conduct keyword research to optimize your content for a better search engine ranking
- Design social media graphics, logos, and other brand assets
- Create templates for consistent branding across all platforms
- Use built-in libraries for stock images, fonts, and icons
These tools not only save time but also help you create engaging content that stands out. Platforms like Canva, for design, or BuzzSumo, for content idea generation, allow you to quickly create polished marketing materials.
5. Analytics and data tracking tools
Analytics and data tracking tools are vital for startups looking to understand the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. These tools provide insights into how people are interacting with your website and help you make informed decisions based on real data.
You can track visitor numbers, see which marketing channels are driving traffic, and monitor user behavior to see where people might be losing interest.
With the help of analytics tools, you can:
- Monitor the number of visitors and where they come from
- Understand how users navigate through your site and where they drop off
- Measure conversion rates to see how well your marketing efforts are turning visitors into customers
- Conduct market research to better understand your audience’s needs
- Optimize campaigns and landing pages based on user behavior
As such, you can spot trends and areas for improvement. For instance, if you notice a high drop-off rate on a specific page, it might signal a need to tweak your messaging or design. Ultimately, using analytics tools helps you create more effective marketing strategies and improve your chances of success.
Here are the best marketing tools your startup should use:
- SocialBee: social media management tool
- Brevo: email marketing tool
- Keap: CRM tool
- Canva: content creation and design tool
- Hotjar: analytics and data tracking tool
1. SocialBee: social media management tool
SocialBee is a powerful tool designed to help small businesses, entrepreneurs, and marketers improve and simplify their social media management. With SocialBee, you can create, schedule, and analyze your content performance all from one place. It also helps with community management by allowing you to respond to comments, DMs, and messages from multiple platforms in a single inbox.
Customers love this flexibility. For instance, Mike Indovina, owner of MasterYourMix, says, “I no longer have to worry about logging into a bunch of platforms. Instead, I can schedule different variations of my content to suit each platform, and then not think about it again.”
One standout feature of SocialBee is how easy it makes content organization and resharing. You can create categories for evergreen content, such as industry tips, inspirational quotes, or product promotions, and set them to automatically repost. This way, your social media stays active, even if you don’t have new content ready to go.
You can also organize content into folders like “Blog Posts,” “Promotions,” or “Customer Reviews” and schedule posts accordingly; maybe a blog on Monday, a customer testimonial on Wednesday, and a promo on Friday. It’s a simple way to keep your social media fresh and engaging without constantly scrambling for new ideas.
Start your 14-day free trial with SocialBee!
Key features of SocialBee:
- Supported social platforms: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, Pinterest, Google Business Profile, TikTok, YouTube, and Bluesky.
- Universal posting: Schedule content for non-integrated platforms like Facebook Groups, Reddit, WhatsApp, Telegram, Mastodon, and Quora.
- Design integrations: Create visually engaging posts using Canva, Unsplash, and GIPHY directly within SocialBee.
- AI tools: Automatically generate captions and images for your posts using AI-powered tools, and get personalized strategy recommendations with the AI social media assistant.
- Best posting times: SocialBee uses your past content performance data to suggest optimal times for posting.
- Platform-specific customization: Adjust posts for each platform’s unique style or use AI to handle it automatically.
- RSS feed integration: Keep your content fresh by automatically importing content from your favorite blogs.
- Team collaboration tool: Easily assign roles, give feedback, and manage post approvals with your team.
- In-depth analytics: Track your performance and generate detailed reports for your team or clients.
- Social inbox: Engage with your audience by managing comments, mentions, and DMs in real-time.
Best for:
SocialBee is ideal for startups needing an all-in-one social media scheduling and strategy tool with AI features for content planning, design, and performance tracking.
Unique feature:
SocialBee’s Universal Posting feature lets you plan and schedule content for platforms that aren’t directly integrated, ensuring all your social channels are covered.
Pros:
- Affordable and flexible pricing plans
- Comprehensive features for social media management
- Responsive customer support and regular updates
- Users can suggest and vote on new features
Cons:
- Slight learning curve at the start
- No hashtag analytics
- No link-in-bio tools
G2 rating:
4.8/5 stars (based on 444 reviews)
Pricing:
Starts at $29/month
Free trial:
Yes, SocialBee offers a 14-day free trial.
Essential features checklist:
✅ Multi-platform integrations
✅ Content creation and editing (text and visual)
✅ AI content generation
✅ Content curation tools
✅ Visual content calendar
✅ Post scheduling and publishing
✅ Team collaboration and management
✅ Social inbox
✅ Social listening
✅ Social analytics and reporting
❌ Multi-language support
