Content Writer at SocialBee
Launching a startup comes with a long list of challenges, and marketing can often feel like the biggest hurdle. What are the most effective ways to get your brand noticed, drive traffic, and grow your customer base? The good news is that there are key marketing tools that every startup can leverage to streamline their efforts and see real results.
In this article, we’ll explore five essential marketing tools for startups, each designed to help you optimize your processes, reach your audience more effectively, and save time along the way. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to improve your current strategy, these tools will make all the difference.
Ready to discover the tools that can take your startup to the next level?
Discover how SocialBee compares to other popular social media management tools.
Short Summary
- SocialBee: A social media management tool that lets you manage accounts, schedule posts, and track performance all in one place. Pricing starts at $29/month.
- Brevo: An email marketing platform for creating and automating campaigns, with tools to track audience engagement and performance. Pricing starts at $9/month.
- Keap: A CRM tool that helps manage leads, automate workflows, and track sales from start to finish. Pricing starts at $299/month.
- Canva: A content creation and design tool that allows you to easily create professional visuals for social media, presentations, and more. Pricing starts at $15/month.
- Hotjar: An analytics and data tracking tool that provides insights into user behavior through heatmaps, session recordings, and feedback. Pricing starts at $39/month.
What marketing tools do startups need for success?
To succeed in a competitive market, startups need tools that make their marketing efforts easier and more effective. For example, startups can automate scheduling social media posts and sending automated email campaigns like welcome messages and follow-ups.
Without the right tools, they end up wasting time and resources on tasks that could be automated or simplified. The right set of 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 tools help you manage all your social media accounts in one place, making it easier to stay on top of things.
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, these tools allow for content creation, replying to comments, mentions, and messages, and approving content to collaborate effectively within 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 management 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 without the hassle.
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.
Email marketing isn’t just about getting into someone’s inbox—it’s about making sure what you send is valuable and timely for each part of your audience.
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 to manage leads, keep track of sales, and tailor marketing efforts to each customer.
CRMs 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.
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 grabs 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 search engines
- 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.
With the right tools, you can build marketing campaigns that are professional, targeted, and effective, helping your startup compete and grow even in a crowded market.
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.
Best 5 tools to help you shape your startup marketing strategy
Here are the top 5 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 streamline their social media management. With SocialBee, you can create, schedule, and analyze your content performance all from one place. It also simplifies 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: 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 429 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
SocialBee: Your AI-powered social media management tool
2. Brevo: email marketing platform
Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, is an email marketing platform designed to help businesses of all sizes create, manage, and optimize their email campaigns. It offers a wide range of tools that make it easy to communicate with your audience, automate workflows, and track your campaign performance.
Key Features of Brevo:
- Email campaign builder: Intuitive drag-and-drop editor for designing professional emails without any coding skills.
- Automation tools: Set up automated workflows to send emails based on user actions (e.g., welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, birthday messages).
- Audience segmentation: Organize your contacts into different lists and target them with personalized messages based on behavior, demographics, and interests.
- SMS marketing: Send SMS campaigns alongside emails for multi-channel communication.
- Transactional emails: Manage transactional messages like order confirmations or password resets.
- Analytics and reporting: Detailed insights into open rates, click-through rates, and other key metrics to optimize future campaigns.
- A/B testing: Test different subject lines, email designs, and content to see what resonates best with your audience.
- CRM integration: Brevo includes basic CRM features, allowing you to manage your contacts and leads directly within the platform.
Best for:
Brevo is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses looking for an affordable and easy-to-use email marketing platform with robust automation and segmentation tools. It’s also ideal for businesses wanting to integrate email with SMS marketing.
Unique Feature:
Brevo’s combination of email and SMS marketing in one platform makes it stand out, allowing businesses to run fully integrated campaigns across multiple channels.
Pros:
- Affordable pricing plans with no daily email send limits
- Easy-to-use interface suitable for beginners – “I was formerly a MailChimp user until I slipped on a banana bump my head and saw Brevo. It has been just as simplet import my database of contacts and to create my monthly email newsletter and I love the feature for automation where if a email subscriber visit your site they get a “forgot something” email a while after. As a small business owner it has more tools than I expected for the price and every bit of that counts.” says Anthony F.
- Powerful automation workflows
- Integration with SMS marketing and transactional emails
- Responsive customer support and a large knowledge base
Cons:
- Advanced features like landing page creation are only available in higher-tier plans
- Limited template options compared to some competitors
- Reporting dashboard can be somewhat limited for larger, data-heavy campaigns: “The reporting feature could be more detailed and customized” says Charmy S, Product Head.
G2 Rating:
4.5/5 stars (out of 1987 reviews)
Pricing:
Starts at $9/month for the paid plans.
Free Trial:
Yes, Brevo offers a free plan with limited features and a daily email send cap.
Essential Features Checklist:
✅ Email campaign builder
✅ Audience segmentation
✅ SMS marketing integration
✅ Transactional emails
✅ A/B testing
✅ CRM integration
✅ Analytics and reporting
❌ Landing page creation (higher-tier plans)
❌ Limited email templates
3. Keap: CRM tool
Keap, formerly known as Infusionsoft, is a customer relationship management (CRM) tool designed to help small businesses automate their sales and marketing processes.
Keap offers an all-in-one platform that combines CRM, email marketing, and automation features to help businesses streamline their workflows, manage customer interactions, and grow their business.
Key Features of Keap:
- Contact management: Organize and track customer details, notes, and communication history all in one place.
- Sales pipeline: Manage and visualize your sales process with customizable pipelines to track leads from first contact to close.
- Automation: Set up automated workflows for follow-up emails, task assignments, and more, ensuring no lead or customer is overlooked.
- Email marketing: Create and send email campaigns directly from Keap, with features like segmentation and A/B testing.
- Appointment scheduling: Easily book appointments with clients through Keap’s built-in scheduling tool, which syncs with your calendar.
- Invoicing and payments: Create and send invoices, accept payments, and track overdue accounts right within the platform.
- Lead capture forms: Capture leads through customizable forms and automatically add them to your CRM for nurturing and follow-up.
- Analytics and reporting: Detailed reports on sales performance, customer interactions, and campaign effectiveness.
Best for:
Keap is ideal for small businesses and entrepreneurs looking for a simple, all-in-one CRM that combines sales and marketing automation. It’s particularly well-suited for service-based businesses that need both appointment scheduling and invoicing features in one platform.
Unique Feature:
Keap’s combination of CRM, sales automation, and invoicing tools in one platform is unique, allowing businesses to manage the entire customer journey—from lead generation to payment processing—without needing multiple systems.
Pros:
- All-in-one solution for CRM, marketing, and sales automation: “Above all, I am incredibly grateful that Keap helps me stay on top of industry regulations and best practices.” says Megan D, mid-market representative.
- User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop automation builder
- Strong customer support and onboarding resources
- Appointment scheduling and invoicing features built into the platform
- Customizable sales pipelines to fit your business needs
Cons:
- Pricing can be high for businesses just starting out
- Limited customization options for email templates
- Automation features may have a learning curve for new users: “There is defintely a learning curve invovled and some features I do not use as routinely as others” says Christopher S., founder.
- Some users report that the mobile app is not as robust as the desktop version
G2 Rating:
4.2/5 stars (out of 1530 reviews)
Pricing:
Starts at $299 per month.
Free Trial:
Yes, Keap offers a 14-day free trial.
Essential Features Checklist:
✅ Contact management
✅ Customizable sales pipelines
✅ Sales and marketing automation
✅ Appointment scheduling
✅ Invoicing and payments
✅ Lead capture forms
✅ Reporting and analytics
❌ Advanced email template customization
❌ Fully-featured mobile app
4. Canva: content creation and design tool
Canva is a versatile content creation and graphic design tool that enables users to create visually appealing designs without needing advanced design skills.
It’s widely used for everything from social media posts to presentations, infographics, and marketing materials, making it a go-to for individuals and businesses looking to create professional content quickly and easily.
Key Features of Canva:
- Drag-and-drop editor: Simple and intuitive interface that allows users to create custom designs with ease.
- Templates: Thousands of pre-designed templates for social media, flyers, posters, presentations, and more.
- Stock photos and icons: Access millions of stock images, icons, illustrations, and videos directly within the platform.
- Brand kit: Maintain consistent branding by uploading your brand’s logos, colors, and fonts to use across all designs.
- Collaboration tools: Work with team members on the same design, leave comments, and provide feedback in real-time.
- Animations: Add animations to your designs to create engaging content for videos or social media.
- Export options: Download your designs in multiple formats including PNG, JPEG, PDF, and MP4 for easy sharing or printing.
- Design sharing: Share designs directly to social media or with clients via links or integrations.
- Custom dimensions: Create designs for any size, from business cards to posters and banners.
Best for:
Canva is ideal for small businesses, marketers, and entrepreneurs who need a simple yet powerful tool for content creation and design. It’s perfect for teams or individuals without extensive design experience who still want professional results.
Unique Feature:
Canva’s extensive library of templates and its drag-and-drop interface make it incredibly easy for non-designers to create professional-looking designs quickly, even if they have no prior experience.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface with no design experience needed: “Canva’s user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop functionality make designing easy for everyone, even without graphic design experience. The library of templates, images, and elements helps create professional-looking designs so quickly.” says Rekha, software developer.
- Huge library of templates, stock photos, and design elements
- Collaboration features for teams to work together on designs
- Flexible export options for various use cases
- Affordable pricing with a generous free plan
Cons:
- Limited advanced design features for professional designers
- Can be restrictive for those needing complex design functionalities: “Canva’s deal with simplicity means it does not have a few complex features present in professional design software program. End users with complex design requirements might find Canva’s capabilities relatively restricted when compared with industry-standard applications” says Vinit, small business owner
- Some premium stock photos and elements are only available with the paid plan
Pricing:
Starts at $15/month for the paid plans.
Free trial:
Yes, besides the free version, Canva also offers a 30-day free trial for the Pro plan.
Essential Features Checklist:
✅ Drag-and-drop design editor
✅ Extensive template library
✅ Team collaboration
✅ Stock photo and video integration
✅ Customizable design elements
✅ Brand Kit for brand consistency
✅ Export designs in multiple formats (PNG, PDF, JPG, etc.)
✅ Presentation mode
✅ Social media post scheduling
❌ Advanced photo editing
❌ Full offline capabilities
5. Hotjar: analytics and data tracking tool
Hotjar is an analytics and data tracking tool designed to help businesses understand how users interact with their website. It provides insights through heatmaps, session recordings, and feedback tools, allowing you to track user behavior and improve website performance.
Hotjar is ideal for businesses looking to optimize user experience (UX) and increase conversions by identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Key Features of Hotjar:
- Heat maps: Visualize user activity on your website, showing where users click, scroll, and engage the most.
- Session recordings: Watch real-time recordings of individual users interacting with your site, allowing you to identify usability issues.
- Conversion funnels: Track where visitors drop off in the conversion process and find ways to reduce bounce rates.
- Feedback polls: Collect user feedback directly on your site through surveys and polls, helping you understand their frustrations or suggestions.
- Form analysis: Analyze how users interact with forms on your site to improve completion rates and identify any barriers to submission.
- Surveys: Send targeted surveys to visitors to gather insights on user experience and improve customer satisfaction.
- Incoming feedback tool: A widget that collects spontaneous feedback from users as they browse your website.
Best for:
Hotjar is best suited for businesses of any size that want to improve their website’s user experience (UX) and optimize conversion rates. It’s particularly valuable for e-commerce sites, UX designers, and marketers who want a deeper understanding of user behavior.
Unique Feature:
Hotjar’s combination of heat maps and session recordings provides a unique way to visualize user behavior, allowing businesses to see exactly how visitors interact with their site, which helps in pinpointing problem areas quickly.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use interface with powerful insights into user behavior
- Heatmaps and session recordings provide actionable data; “The heatmaps are just fantastic! Imagine having the ability to see your website through your users’ eyes, understanding their clicks, scrolls, and movements. This is what Hotjar’s heatmaps offer. It’s almost like being able to read minds.” says Nicole, small business owner
- Effective for optimizing user experience and conversion rates
- Feedback tools for gathering direct input from users
- Simple integration with popular platforms like WordPress and Google Analytics
Cons:
- Limited functionality in the free plan: “While Hotjar offers a free plan, it comes with limitations on the number of daily page views, snapshots, and recordings. Small businesses with high website traffic may need to upgrade to a paid plan to access the full capabilities of Hotjar.” says Shubham, SAP consultant.
- Session recordings may take time to analyze
- Lacks advanced analytics features found in some competitors
- May require additional tools for deeper data analysis
G2 Rating:
4.3/5 starts (out of 305 reviews)
Pricing:
Starts at $39/month for the paid plans.
Free Trial:
Yes, besides the free plan, Hotjar offers a 15-day free trial of its Business plan.
Essential Features Checklist:
✅ Heat maps
✅ Session recordings
✅ Conversion funnel analysis
✅ Feedback polls and surveys
✅ Form analysis
✅ Incoming feedback tool
❌ Advanced analytics features
Frequently asked questions
Ready to start using the best startup marketing tools?
Having the right marketing tools is crucial for any startup looking to grow. Whether it’s managing your social media, building email campaigns, or tracking customer data, these tools help you stay organized and focused on what matters.
By using the tools mentioned here, you can save time, improve your marketing efforts, and better connect with your audience.
Ready to get started? Start your 14-day free SocialBee trial today and take control of your social media management.
