Expanding a small business could pose some difficulties, yet my progression led to a pivotal discovery: marketing automation for small businesses.
Starting on this route means finding the right software to help you on the road ahead. To write this article, I conducted a survey to make sure you get only top tools.
Let’s jump right in.
Marketing Automation for Small Businesses [Key Takeaways]
- Marketing automation helps small businesses by taking care of tasks. It can send emails, post on social media, and watch how ads do.
- Small businesses use marketing tools to save time and money. Tools like HubSpot and Mailchimp make talking to customers easy.
- With marketing automation, small companies can serve messages that fit what each person likes. This makes people more likely to buy things.
- The top automation tools for small businesses are HubSpot Marketing Hub, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, Brevo, and Omnisend.
What Is Marketing Automation for Small Business?
Marketing automation uses computer programs and software to automate marketing tasks, such as sending emails, posting on social media, tracking how well your ads do, and updating customer lists without needing you to do it manually.
The tech uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to send the right messages at the best times. It makes things faster and more personal.
This is a game-changer for small businesses in 2024, especially with the latest marketing automation platforms. You get help generating leads and keeping them interested until they’re ready to buy. Plus, it cuts down on repetitive tasks so teams can focus on big ideas or solving problems instead of boring stuff like sending out the same email over and over.
Key Advantages of Marketing Automation for Small Enterprises
Marketing automation tools give small businesses a big boost. They help you catch more leads, send better messages, and save money in the process.
- Boosting lead capture and follow-up processes: Use marketing automation software to catch more leads. Once you get a lead, the marketing automation platform helps you keep in touch with them effectively. It sends emails based on what the lead does, showcasing the automation feature of the platform.
- Advancing segmentation and personalization: Segmentation and personalization are big deals in marketing automation for small business success. Marketing tools let us sort customers into groups based on what they like or do, enhancing marketing campaign efforts. This way, we can talk to each group in a special way. Artificial intelligence (AI) helps make this even better. It looks at how people act online to guess what messages will grab their attention most.
- Cutting costs and enhancing efficiency: Marketing automation tools help small businesses save money. They make tasks quicker and need fewer people to do the job. This means you spend less on salaries. These tools also improve how you work. Instead of doing everything by hand, they automate steps. You can send out emails to many customers at once or post on different social media with one click. This makes your team more productive and helps your business grow faster.
- Enhanced lead management: Tools like customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation software track every lead’s actions. This means knowing who opens emails or visits your website. With such tools, you can see which leads are ready to buy. You send them the right messages at the right moment using a marketing automation platform. This boosts sales without extra work for you or your team.
- Increased conversion rates: Marketing automation tools turn leads into customers. Many businesses use these tools for better results. They help send the right message at the right time. This means more people decide to buy something. With email marketing automation, businesses can target their messages better.
- Improved customer engagement: Tools like AI and machine learning make messages better for each person. This means more people talk back or do something when they get emails or see ads. You can use these smart tools in your business to help you talk to customers in a way that feels right for them.
Best Marketing Automation Tools for Small Business Based on Survey Results
We surveyed 95 industry professionals about the marketing automation tools they use and recommend for small businesses. The top five results are as follows:
- HubSpot Marketing Hub: 36.25%
- Mailchimp: 33.75%
- ActiveCampaign: 22.50%
- Klaviyo and Brevo: 10%
- Omnisend: 8.75%
Multiple tools stand out, making everything smoother and smarter for your business. Here is an overview of the top 20:
1. HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot Marketing Hub is affordable and fits small business budgets.
The software helps you manage emails, social media posts, and customer data all in one place. You get tools for turning your website visitors into customers. It also works well with sales and service to grow your business.
It’s not just about sending emails or posting on social media. This tool lets you personalize messages for each customer. That means better engagement and more sales without spending extra on ads or hiring more staff. You can see which strategies work best, helping you decide where to focus next time.
“HubSpot is an excellent choice for small businesses looking to implement marketing automation. We’ve used HubSpot extensively in our own marketing efforts, and it’s proven to be a powerful and user-friendly tool that can scale with a growing business.
For small businesses, HubSpot offers a comprehensive suite of tools that cover various aspects of marketing, sales, and customer service. Its marketing automation features are particularly robust, allowing businesses to create sophisticated email campaigns, manage social media posts, and track website visitor behavior.
We found the ability to create personalized content and automate lead-nurturing workflows especially valuable. For instance, we set up a series of targeted emails that automatically sent relevant content based on a prospect’s interactions with our website. This approach increased our email open rates by 25% and improved our lead-to-customer conversion rate by 10%.” — Debbie Chew, Global SEO Manager, Dialpad
2. Mailchimp
Mailchimp lets you send emails, create landing pages, and automate your marketing easily. You can also use Mailchimp for creating newsletters, with the option to choose from over 100 templates
Furthermore, the platform offers tips on improving your email open rates and making your content more engaging. Its user-friendly design helps you to quickly set up your campaigns without any hassle.
“What works for us at Robotime with Mailchimp is that it fits with our intention to keep very good engagement with customers while watching the budget. The platform enables us to create personalized email campaigns, which will strike a chord with our audience. What’s more, integration with ecommerce means it will be easy to track customer behavior and tailor our marketing strategies to that tune.
Besides, through Mailchimp, it is really easy for us to send automated emails for better follow-up with leads and conversion to our loyal customers. It saves time and makes sure we push relevant content in front of our audience, not distracting from what matters most: being original and creative. By implementing Mailchimp, we consistently engage our customers, share our latest products and offers, and drive ultimate sales growth.” — Alfred Christ, Digital Marketer, Robotime
3. Active Campaign
ActiveCampaign is a great choice for small businesses aiming to get serious about their marketing automation.
It’s a whole suite that combines email marketing, automation, sales automation, and CRM tools. This combination helps you stay on top of your customer relationships. Tracking every interaction is simple.
The multilingual support allows you to reach customers in their own language, making the communication more personal and effective. This tool is not just about helping you send emails. It’s boosting your overall strategy by making sure each message hits home with the people you want to reach most.
“We use ActiveCampaign as our go-to marketing automation tool. After trying out several options, we found ActiveCampaign to be the best fit for our needs because of its powerful automation features, easy integration with our CRM, and user-friendly interface. What sets it apart is the level of personalization and automation we can achieve, from email marketing to managing complex customer journeys.
ActiveCampaign’s ability to segment audiences based on detailed behavior data allows us to send highly targeted emails, resulting in better engagement rates for our clients. The automation workflows are intuitive yet customizable, making it easy to build complex funnels that guide leads through the sales process with minimal manual intervention.
Another reason we chose ActiveCampaign is its CRM functionality. It doesn’t just handle email marketing; it also helps us manage sales pipelines and track customer interactions, giving us a more holistic view of our clients’ relationships with their customers.” — William Hogsett, Founder, SEOTA
4. Klaviyo
Klaviyo is a breakthrough solution for small businesses. Its drag-and-drop interface makes creating emails and automation sequences easy.
This tool lets you send targeted messages to your customers. You can split them into groups based on their likes and what they buy. This way, each email feels personal to them.
“Klaviyo’s powerful segmentation tools allow me to create highly targeted campaigns. I may segment clients and send automatic emails based on actions such as visiting specific website pages or downloading a financial guide.
For example, when a visitor expresses an interest in retirement planning, they are automatically enrolled in a tailored email series that provides appropriate information. This personalized touch has led to a 25% rise in engagement and stronger lead conversions.
Klaviyo’s integration with ecommerce and CRM platforms adds immense value. I link it with my CRM to get real-time client data, allowing me to continuously improve my outreach efforts. The ability to pull in live data from my client interactions and website activity means I can create dynamic, personalized messaging without manual work, saving both time and costs for my team.
The platform’s robust analytics features provide critical insights into my campaigns. I routinely utilize A/B testing to evaluate which messaging is most effective with different client demographics, whether I’m sharing retirement tips or advertising annuity products. With these insights, I can adjust content for maximum impact, improving email performance and boosting client retention.” — Shawn Plummer, CEO, The Annuity Expert
5. Brevo
Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, offers robust automated marketing tools tailored for small businesses. The platform enables businesses to streamline email marketing, SMS campaigns, and social media integration, all from a centralized dashboard.
Brevo’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive analytics empower small businesses to create personalized campaigns, track performance, and optimize marketing strategies effectively.
Features such as automation workflows, A/B testing, and segmentation ensure targeted and efficient outreach, helping small businesses boost engagement, drive conversions, and achieve sustainable growth with minimal effort.
“A little over a year ago, we switched to Brevo. Brevo is an excellent choice for those seeking an affordable and feature-rich marketing automation platform (like us!). It’s particularly beneficial for small businesses and for those who don’t send emails frequently, as it charges per email sent rather than per contact. Brevo offers a wide range of tools to help you manage and automate your communications. These include email automation, live chat, online scheduling, SMS, WhatsApp messaging, and more.” — Robert Brandl, Founder and CEO, EmailTooltester
6. Omnisend
Omnisend is great for small businesses looking to step up their email marketing game. It offers a wide range of features at an affordable price.
Omnisend makes sending out emails and automating your marketing process simple. You can create beautiful newsletters without sweating over details.
With its user-friendly interface, you can easily segment your audience and send personalized messages that really speak to them. This boosts engagement and helps turn leads into customers faster than many other tools.
“I’ve personally used Omnisend, which is fantastic for ecommerce, due to its strong focus on email automation and segmentation.” — Valentin Radu, Founder, Omniconvert
7. ManyChat
ManyChat helps businesses talk to customers. It uses chatbots on Facebook Messenger and Instagram. You can make these chatbots easily with templates. They are great for frequent chats. ManyChat works well with CRM and marketing tools, making work easier and faster.
ManyChat is particularly beneficial for businesses looking to improve their marketing strategies through personalized interactions. It helps in increasing lead capture rates by automating the collection of contact information and reducing customer acquisition costs by maintaining ongoing conversations with leads.
8. Customer.io
Customer.io shines for small businesses aiming to enter marketing automation. This resource allows you to distribute targeted emails, push alerts, and SMS notifications based on user activity on your site.
For instance, if a visitor doesn’t purchase anything, Customer.io can autonomously send a message to encourage their return. This application makes campaign management across various channels manageable, be it email or social media.
“When it comes to marketing automation, I go for Customer.io, which is my choice. The reason is simple; it is like having a Swiss Army knife for all my outreach. I’ve tried almost every tool available, but the most intuitive one has been Customer.io. It combines all marketing factors, offering me the ability to create campaigns that feel right towards my targeted audience.
One instance that really highlighted its value was during a product launch. I had to break down my audience into first-time users and regular clients. Thanks to the automated features available at Customer.io, I was able to do this with great ease.
The software enabled me to build bespoke workflows for each target category. What followed was a 35% engagement with the message, unlike any of the previous attempts at such campaigns.
What I love most about the Customer.io is the ease of use. There have been times when I have sent out simple newsletters, and others when I have done a campaign that is complex and involves a number of steps. The tool accommodates these changes with no hassle at all. It is like having a marketing assistant who works on hours without breaks sending out messages to the right client at the right time.
In case you want to ramp up your marketing strategies and operations while also maintaining an intimate touch with them, I recommend testing out Customer.io. This service has changed so many things in my business administration; I know it can change things in your business too.” — Soubhik Chakrabarti, CEO, Icy Tales
9. Buffer
Buffer provides small businesses with user-friendly automated marketing tools focused on social media management. It allows users to schedule posts, track engagement, and analyze performance across multiple social media channels.
With features like content planning, analytics, and team collaboration, Buffer helps businesses maintain an active online presence effortlessly. With Buffer, managing your social media is super easy, leading to higher engagement and growth thanks to its powerful marketing tools.
“I recommend Buffer for social media management. Platforms like these are affordable, user-friendly, and scale as your business grows, making them ideal for automating tasks without a steep learning curve. They help save time while keeping your marketing efforts consistent and targeted.” — Tiago Pita, Brand and eCommerce Director, Whole Food Earth
10. GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel is a comprehensive marketing automation platform specifically designed to cater to the needs of small businesses looking to streamline their marketing efforts. It integrates a range of tools to enhance customer relationship management (CRM), automate marketing campaigns, and optimize sales processes.
Key features include a robust CRM system, lead management, automated messaging through SMS and email, and funnel builder capabilities.
Additionally, it offers appointment scheduling, reputation management, and seamless integration with popular third-party services. By consolidating these functionalities, GoHighLevel empowers small businesses to efficiently manage and grow their client base with minimal effort.
11. SureTriggers
SureTriggers helps small businesses manage leads and service customers better. It works well with WordPress sites. You can set up custom paths for emails and automate how you talk to customers. It always shows you how well things are going with reports.
This tool talks easily to other marketing software, making your email efforts smoother. With SureTriggers, you can make your customer chats automatic without losing that personal touch.
“For small businesses, SureTriggers is a great marketing automation tool that I personally use and highly recommend. It’s very flexible and allows you to integrate various enterprise-grade apps into your business flow and automate workflows across multiple platforms. The tool is especially great if you’re working with multiple tools as a small team.
For instance, I use the platform for automating actions triggered by events from one app across multiple different platforms seamlessly. A big thing for me is that SureTriggers integrates with tools such as Calendly, a scheduling app, to automatically sync leads from my contact forms to our CRM and send them a follow-up email once they complete the form. I wouldn’t have to lift a finger.
The reason SureTriggers is such a great tool for my business is that it takes all the mess of complicated tools and simplifies the process, especially when you’re on a lean budget. We don’t need to have a tool for EVERYTHING; SureTriggers ties everything together and keeps things simple. It’s super affordable, highly customizable, and saves so much time. It’s a perfect tool for any small business looking to automate their marketing without having to struggle with complicated setups.” — James McNally, Managing Director, SDVH [Self Drive Vehicle Hire]
12. SendPulse
SendPulse makes work easier by allowing you to handle many tasks at once.
You can send emails, SMS messages, and even push notifications—all through one platform. The ease of using its interface is a big win. You don’t need a manual or special training to get started.
This tool collects data that helps target your marketing campaigns more effectively, which can help your sales numbers go up.
“SendPulse has revolutionized our small-business marketing efforts at Thrive. Its user-friendly platform lets us set up intricate automation sequences in no time. What really impressed me was how it brings together email, SMS, and web push notifications. We saw engagement jump by 40% when we started using all three channels in our campaigns.
Here’s a real example: We created a sequence to re-engage inactive leads. It started with an email, then sent an SMS if they didn’t open it, and finished with a web push. This approach boosted our conversion rates by 25%.
I’m also a fan of SendPulse’s AI content suggestions—they’ve helped bump up our email open rates by 15%. And their support team? Top-notch. They’ve been crucial in fine-tuning our campaigns for better results.” — Aaron Whittaker, VP of Demand Generation and Marketing, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency
13. Zoho Marketing Automation
Zoho offers small businesses a comprehensive suite of automated marketing tools designed to streamline operations and enhance productivity.
The main highlights are email marketing, CRM integration, and workflow automation, all available on a single platform.
Standout capabilities like multi-channel communication, advanced analytics, and customizable templates make Zoho a powerful tool for targeted campaigns and efficient management. Zoho boosts engagement, improves customer relationships, and drives growth.
“One feature that sets Zoho apart is its integration with the larger Zoho ecosystem—CRM, finance, analytics—which is incredibly useful for businesses looking to centralize operations as they grow. For instance, a small business can not only track customer behavior through email marketing but also monitor how that behavior ties into sales, customer service, and overall business performance.
Zoho’s pricing structure is also scalable. This flexibility allows small businesses to start on a budget while still enjoying automation features like behavior-based targeting and drip campaigns, which are essential for building customer loyalty.” — Raviraj Hegde, SVP of Growth and Sales, Donorbox
14. Mailerlite
MailerLite simplifies email marketing, landing pages, and automation workflows, allowing businesses to create personalized campaigns effortlessly.
With features like drag-and-drop editors, A/B testing, and advanced segmentation, MailerLite enables targeted and effective communication. Comprehensive analytics help track performance and optimize strategies, ensuring greater engagement and conversion rates.
MailerLite’s user-friendly interface and powerful tools make it an ideal choice for small businesses aiming for growth and efficiency in their marketing endeavors.
15. EngageBay
EngageBay is a top choice for small businesses in 2024. It has tools like email blasts, social media help, and chat on websites. EngageBay mixes CRM with marketing automation perfectly for small companies.
Setting up your workflows is simple because of its clear interface. It lets you test different emails (A/B testing), send texts (SMS marketing), and win back customers who left items in their carts (abandoned cart retrieval).
16. Moosend
Moosend lets you customize how you send messages, making sure they fit what your customers need and want. You can track who visits your website and set up emails to respond to their actions.
With Moosend, managing email campaigns becomes simpler and more effective, helping turn potential customers into real ones. Plus, it’s great for keeping the people you already have interested in what you’re doing.
“Moosend offers advanced features without the overwhelming price tag. One of the most notable features is its ability to design complicated automation workflows using a straightforward drag-and-drop interface. For small enterprises with limited resources, this is a huge benefit. You can set up sophisticated customer journeys based on behavior, and the platform doesn’t nickel-and-dime you for essential tools like segmentation or A/B testing.
Once I used Moosend to run a customer re-engagement campaign, where we automated sequences based on user inactivity. Using extensive segmentation, we targeted different groups based on how long they had been inactive. The best part? The open rates on re-engagement emails increased by 25%, and we accomplished this without using a larger, more expensive platform. Moosend’s price and ease of use had a significant impact on our ROI.
Another unexpected strength is Moosend’s fast and responsive customer support. When running small teams, you can’t afford downtime or steep learning curves. Moosend’s team was always there to assist, making the onboarding process extremely simple. It’s one of those tools that flies under the radar but is a hidden gem for small businesses.” — Reynash Mestry, Head of Marketing, TopSource Worldwide
17. MailModo
MailModo is a tool for email marketing. It lets you create emails that people can interact with right inside their inbox with no coding needed. Just drag and drop to add quizzes or forms to your emails. This makes it easy for people to take action.
You can also set up email series that is sent based on what someone does. For instance, if they open an email or click a link. And there’s more. MailModo helps you write better subject lines with AI, making sure more of your emails get opened.
“Mailmodo is an innovative platform that goes beyond traditional email marketing. What sets Mailmodo apart is its interactive email capabilities, which allow recipients to complete forms, surveys, and other actions directly within the email. This reduces friction and boosts engagement rates, making it ideal for small businesses that need to maximize every customer interaction.” — Tomasz Borys, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Deep Sentinel
18. LeadSquared
LeadSquared connects with a variety of tools, including Gmail, Zoom, Magento, WhatsApp, Salesforce, and Twitter. This makes adding new functions simple. You can set up custom workflows without needing to know how to code, which is great for personalizing messages.
Also, it uses AI tools to suggest better subject lines so emails get opened more often. The platform has everything needed to track customer interactions and sales results. With its no-code editor, creating emails and landing pages is quick and straightforward.
19. Keap
Keap, previously called Infusionsoft, is a big help for small businesses. It brings together sales and marketing in one place. This makes it easier to reach lead and revenue goals.
The software lets you set up complex rules based on how users interact with emails and what data contacts have. This is super useful for sending out the right messages at the right time.
“Keap stands out as a fantastic tool for small businesses looking to streamline their marketing automation. What sets it apart is its all-in-one approach. Keap combines CRM, marketing automation, and e-commerce functionalities, which means you don’t have to juggle multiple platforms. This integrated setup simplifies the user experience and makes managing customer relationships more efficient.
One practical technique we’ve found incredibly useful is Keap’s automated follow-up sequences. Setting up these sequences saves a ton of time and ensures no customer slips through the cracks. For example, you can automate follow-up emails after a customer makes a purchase, which keeps your brand top-of-mind and encourages repeat business. This automation reduces manual workload and boosts customer satisfaction, creating a win-win scenario.” — Connor Butterworth, CEO and Owner, Southwestern Rugs Depot
20. AWeber
AWeber equips small businesses with effective automated marketing tools that help make their outreach smoother and more organized. The platform specializes in email marketing, providing features such as drag-and-drop design, automation workflows, and segmentation.
AWeber’s user-friendly interface and robust analytics enable businesses to create personalized campaigns, track performance, and refine strategies for better engagement and conversion rates.
“I swear by AWeber as my go-to marketing tool. What sets AWeber apart for me is its simplicity and effectiveness. It’s user-friendly, which is perfect for small business owners who might not have a lot of time to dive deep into complex tools.
AWeber’s automation features are straightforward yet powerful, helping to streamline campaigns without getting bogged down in technical details. The customer support is top-notch, which is always a big plus when you need a quick answer or some extra help.” — James-Dylan Lloyd, Business Development Manager, Bella Virtual Staging
Overcoming Common Challenges in Marketing Automation
Getting past the common issues in marketing automation is vital for reaching your goals. Data quality, privacy, and messaging can be tricky. But with the right tools and strategies, you can get through these hurdles. This means picking software that fits your needs and learning how to use it well.
- Data quality issues: Bad data can mess up your marketing efforts. Imagine you send emails with the wrong names, or your messages go to old addresses. This can make customers unhappy. Fixing bad data is a must for small businesses using marketing automation software. Make sure contact information is right and up-to-date. Clean your lists often to remove errors or duplicates. Good data makes sure the right messages reach the right people at the best time. It boosts customer engagement and increases sales chances for my business.
- Managing customer data privacy: Managing customer data privacy is a big deal. You have to make sure all personal information stays safe, using tools like encryption and secure access controls to protect it. This means only the right people can see the data when they need to. It goes without saying that you also need to follow laws about data protection. Keeping up with these rules helps you avoid fines and keeps customers’ trust strong. For small businesses, using marketing automation software with enterprise-grade security is imperative.
- Ensuring consistent messaging: Sending the same message gets hard as your business grows. You cover more and diverse platforms to reach your audience. Use marketing automation software to keep your brand’s voice the same everywhere. AI helps a lot. It makes sure emails, ads, and social media say things in the same way. This way, customers don’t get mixed messages. They see one clear message from you no matter where they look.
Conclusion
From boosting leads to cutting costs, marketing automation tools cover every aspect of your business. And many tools can help automate tasks.
From a personal perspective, I encourage you to face challenges like data issues and customer privacy head-on.
Overall, automation is vital for growth and success in today’s market.
Take a look at some of the best email marketing tools to help ease your decision-making process.
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Article by
Nikola Baldikov