In today's business world, technology is your best friend. From managing projects to designing graphics, handling customer relationships, and analyzing data, there are many useful tools available. These tools make tasks easier, increase productivity, and drive growth. In this blog, we'll explore why keeping up with digital marketing is crucial and introduce various platforms that can help you improve your strategies. Let's dive in and find the right tools to boost your business!
CRM
CRM, known as Customer Relationship Management, plays a fundamental role in optimizing the internal processes of a company by keeping its processes and contact management organized. This tool is vital to ensure efficient
management of customer relationships, which in turn drives business growth. CRM platforms offer a wide range of functions, ranging from sales management and customer service to sending emailing campaigns. Next, we will explore
some of these platforms.
The CRM Suite combines all the features and tools offered by HubSpot into one comprehensive plan. This means you have access to everything you need to enhance and expand every aspect of your business simultaneously.
Moreover, the CRM Suite operates using a single CRM (Customer Relationship Management) database. This means that every department within your organization—whether it's Marketing, Sales, Service, or Operations—is using the
same central system to manage customer data and interactions. This unified approach ensures better collaboration and consistency across your entire organization.
Key Features:
- Free CRM: Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software.
- Live Chat: Connect with visitors in real time to convert leads, close deals, and provides support.
- AI Content Writer: Ideate, create, and share content in a flash with AI-assisted writing.
- Website Builder: Customize your website with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder.
Pricing plans
What's Included in these monthly prices:
- Free Tools: Marketing tools, sales tools, service tools, CMS tools, operations tools, and commerce tools.
- Starter: Marketing Hub Starter includes 1,000 marketing contacts, sales Hub Starter includes 2 paid users, CMS Hub Starter, Operations Hub Starter, and Commerce Hub.
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Professional: CRM Suite Starter, plus: Marketing Hub Professional includes 2,000 marketing contacts, Sales Hub Professional includes 5 paid users, Service Hub Professional includes 5 paid users, CMS Hub
Professional, Operations Hub Professional, and Commerce Hub.
Salesforce is recognized as one of the leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. In addition to its core capabilities for managing marketing and sales activities, this CRM offers a wide range of features and
processes designed to meet the specific needs of each organization. However, it's important to note that the level of proficiency necessary to use it effectively may be more technical compared to other platforms. We
recommend considering Salesforce, especially for medium to large-sized companies, as its functionality better suits the structures and operations of these complex organizations.
Key Features:
- Case Management: Manage the entire case lifecycle from a single system.
- Omni-Channel Routing: Intelligently route cases from any channel to the right agent for the most efficient resolution.
- Knowledge Management: Centralize your organization‘s knowledge and accelerate case resolution with intelligently suggested articles for customers and agents.
Pricing plans
Salesforce offers a range of products, with the Service Cloud edition being one of them. For personalized pricing options, we suggest visiting their website for more details.
EMAIL MARKETING
Email marketing continues to be an invaluable tool for strengthening bonds with your customers. To ensure success, it's crucial to effectively segment your lists, design compelling campaigns, and safeguard your domain reputation
against spam. Below, we have provided you with a variety of software options that you can use to enhance email marketing strategies.
Mailchimp is a marketing automation software designed to enhance marketing campaigns. Continuously updating its features, Mailchimp offers dynamic templates and customizable branding options to align with your brand
identity, especially for your email campaigns. Its automation capabilities are driven by customer behavior metrics, streamlining campaign management. With its user-friendly interface, Mailchimp caters particularly well to
the B2C business model, providing established features tailored for online stores.
Key Features:
- Reporting & Analytics: Get real-time, actionable data to inform your marketing strategy and boost performance with enhanced custom reports, email, and audience dashboards.
- Generative AI Features: Intuit Assist uses generative AI to help you optimize campaigns and deliver more relevant content, faster.
- Pre-built Email Templates: 100+ customizable email templates personalized to your industry and brand.
Pricing list
Starting with 500 contacts:
Brevo, previously known as Sendinblue, stands out as an accessible and user-friendly platform. It allows users to easily import contacts, and send email campaigns with a wide variety of custom-designed branded templates. It
also offers advanced automation features to further optimize campaigns. What sets Brevo apart from other platforms is its option to handle an unlimited number of contacts. It is a comprehensive solution for managing and
optimizing digital marketing campaigns.
Key Features:
- Sales Platform: Keep a sharp eye on people, pipelines, leads, and deals.
- Conversations: Be there for your customers with one-on-one chat tools.
- Landing pages: Capture leads and expand your reach with custom landing pages.
- Read Deal pipelines: Follow your deals and stay on top of sales targets.
Pricing plans
What's Included in these monthly prices:
HubSpot is another user-friendly platform that includes landing pages for your campaigns and analysis reports to boost your strategies. However, HubSpot has some guidelines in place for maintaining a good reputation when
delivering campaigns. So, it's important to keep your contact lists clean and organized to take good care of your domain and avoid any issues when sending out campaigns. If you're considering using HubSpot for sales, CRM,
service, or operations, we recommend checking out HubSpot Marketing too! It's super handy, offering all the features you need on a single platform.
Key Features:
- Email health reporting: Use email health data to keep track of your email-sending reputation and determine if you’re on track, if you can improve, or if you need to take action.
- Team email: Connect team-wide email addresses to your shared inbox. Turn incoming emails into tickets, or send them straight into your shared inbox.
- Hubspot mobile app: Work from anywhere with the HubSpot mobile app. Highlights include business card scanning, caller ID, and more. Available for iOS and Android.
Pricing plans
What's Included in these monthly & yearly prices:
If additional marketing contacts are required, there is an option to personalize your plan by adding more contacts at an additional cost.
RESEARCH TOOLS
Staying on top of industry trends, actively seeking out opportunities, and understanding the needs of industry leaders are crucial steps in identifying potential and devising impactful strategies and partnerships. In this
section, we'll explore several tools that have proven invaluable in uncovering strategic insights.
ZoomInfo offers a variety of plans, including SalesOS, MarketingOS, and TalentOS. Today, our focus turns to SalesOS, a platform specialized in identifying strategic contact data. With SalesOS, users gain access to contact
data such as email addresses, job descriptions, and phone numbers, as well as valuable insights into companies and indicators of purchasing intent.
Key Features:
- Contact Information:Find employee contact information such as email addresses, direct dial phone, and mobile phone numbers with just a couple of clicks.
- Insights: The platform features a function called "WebSights," which allows users to identify companies that have visited their websites.
- Engagement Apps and Integrations: ZoomInfo offers a wide range of engagement apps and integrations, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, and many other leading platforms in the industry.
Pricing plans
To access pricing information for ZoomInfo, it's essential to connect with one of their representatives.
Here is the link to
facilitate your inquiry.
ThomasNet is an industrial and marketing sourcing platform where multiple companies are listed to increase their visibility. Among its standout categories is a section that facilitates the search for buyers and suppliers
based on the products and services offered. Moreover, if you're researching a company on ThomasNet, it can be highly beneficial as it provides comprehensive data such as revenue, number of employees, size, location, and the
primary products and services they offer.
Key Features:
- Category Placement: Generate more leads and sales by improving your position across the Thomas catalog.
- Profile Analytics: Supplier Analytics Dashboard of identified companies searching your profile with interest level, category market share, activity metrics, and more.
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Website Analytics: Thomas WebTrax™ is designed to provide industrial companies with analytics and insight into which prospects are engaging with their website and what information they are seeking out.
Pricing plans
What's Included in these monthly prices:
DATA TOOLS
Data analysis is crucial for optimizing online presence, making it essential in today's digital world. To aid in selecting the most suitable tools, we'll introduce two widely acclaimed options known for enhancing online
performance and ranking.
Google Analytics allows you to check statistics of your website such as its performance and user behavior. Based on this data, users can create advertising campaigns to enhance Return on Investment (ROI). Users can also
connect the platform with other apps like Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Google Cloud, Display, and Video 360 for a complete breakdown.
Key Features:
- Predictive Capabilities: By applying Google’s machine learning models, Analytics can analyze data and predict future actions that people may take, like making a purchase or churning.
- Real-Time Reporting: Monitor activity for your company website or app as it happens.
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Free-Form Exploration: Conduct ad-hoc analysis by dragging and dropping multiple variables –different segments, dimensions, and metrics that are used to measure business – onto a canvas to see instant
visualizations of data.
The biggest takeaway from this is that Google offers an online learning platform called Google Analytics Academy, where it offers courses completely free of charge: start your journey
here!
Semrush is a comprehensive tool designed to assist users with various aspects of digital marketing. Whether looking to boost website traffic, outshine competitors in search engine results, create compelling content, or
fine-tune website performance, Semrush has your back. Curious why competitors might be ranking higher? Semrush breaks it down and suggests the best keywords to level up your game. With features like content optimization,
rank tracking, and insightful reports, Semrush empowers users to boost organic traffic and improve backlink profiles.
Key Features:
- Projects: Allows users to get all the necessary data regarding site performance so that they can develop an effective marketing strategy.
- Keywords to track: This is the total number of keywords that can be tracked for all projects simultaneously using the Position Tracking tool.
- SEO Ideas Unit: This is the total number of keyword analyses users can run per month using SEO Content Templates, SEO Writing Assistant, and On Page SEO Checker.
Pricing plans
What's Included in these monthly prices:
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
What are Project Management Tools?
Project management tools help teams organize and complete tasks in an efficient manner. They provide frameworks for planning, tracking progress, and communicating throughout projects. These tools make it easier to manage
timelines, resources, and team collaboration, leading to better outcomes. Let's explore three popular options: Monday, ClickUp, and Microsoft Project.
Monday.com is a popular cloud-based platform that helps manage tasks and workflows to fuel collaboration and productivity. With its comprehensive suite of project management
tools, templates, and user-friendly interface, it's a good companion for boosting team efficiency. Let's get into some of their key features!
Key Features:
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Data Visualizations & Dashboards: The platform allows teams to create customized dashboards, charts, and graphs to visualize project data. Whether it's tracking task completion rates, project milestones, or
resource allocation, Monday.com's data visualization tools provide clarity and transparency for all team members.
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Automations: Automation streamlines repetitive tasks and workflows. Users can create automated actions based on triggers and conditions, such as sending notifications, updating statuses, or assigning tasks.
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Integrations: By integrating with popular applications like Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams, Monday.com enhances workflow efficiency and
collaboration. Users can centralize project-related information, documents, and communication channels within Monday.com.
Pricing Plans
What's Included in these monthly prices:
- Free: Upto 3 Boards, Unlimited docs, 200+ templates, 8 column types, iOS & Android apps.
- Basic: Unlimited free viewers, Unlimited items, 5GB file storage, Prioritized customer support, Create a dashboard based on 1 board.
- Standard: Timeline & Gantt views, Calendar View, Guest access, Automations (250 actions per month), Integrations (250 actions per month), Create a dashboard that combines 5 boards.
- Pro: Private boards, Chart View, Time tracking, Formula Column, Automations (25K actions per month), Integrations (25K actions per month), Create a dashboard that combines 10 boards.
ClickUp is another innovative cloud-based project management solution that provides a centralized hub for project planning, task management, and team communication. Its comprehensive suite of tools offers insights into
project progress and resource allocation, clearing the way for better decision-making and greater productivity within a team. Our marketing team here at SK uses ClickUp on a daily basis so we're a little bias with this one.
Let's check out some of the softwares best features.
Key Features:
- Dashboards: One of ClickUp's standout features is its Dashboards, offering users access to over 15 customizable views, including lists, Kanban boards, calendars, and timelines.
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Templates: ClickUp provides access to a library of over 1000 pre-designed project templates suitable for a wide range of teams and projects. Utilizing these templates can save considerable time, offering a
convenient starting point rather than beginning from scratch. Some of our favorites, and ones we use most frequently are the content calendar and CRM templates!
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Mind Maps: ClickUp's mind maps feature allows users to visually map out workflows using tasks. With this feature, users can create step-by-step processes for their projects by connecting tasks on a mind map.
They can easily draw connections between tasks and adjust workflows by dragging and dropping to connect dependencies.
Pricing plans
What's included in these yearly prices:
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Free Forever: 100MB Storage, Unlimited Tasks, Unlimited Free Plan Members, Two-Factor Authentication, Collaborative Docs, Whiteboards, Everything View, Real-Time Chat, Kanban Boards, Sprint Management,
Calendar View, Custom Field Manager Basic, In-App Video Recording, 24/7 Support.
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Unlimited: Everything in free forever and - Unlimited Storage, Unlimited Integrations, Unlimited Dashboards, Guests with Permissions, Unlimited Gantt Charts, Unlimited Custom Fields, Column Calculations,
Email in ClickUp, Teams (User Groups), Native Time Tracking, Goals & Portfolios, Form View, Resource Management, Agile Reporting, AI Compatible.
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Business: Everything in unlimited and - Google SSO, Unlimited Teams, Custom Exporting, Advanced Public Sharing, Advanced Automations, Advanced Dashboard Features, Advanced Time Tracking, Granular Time
Estimates, Timesheets, Workload Management, Timelines & Mind Maps, Goal Folders, AI Compatible.
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Enterprise: Everything in business and - White Labeling, Advanced Permissions, Conditional Logic in Forms, Enterprise API, Unlimited Custom Roles, Team Sharing for Spaces, Universal Search, Default Personal
Views, MSA & HIPAA Available, Single Sign-On (SSO), Custom Capacity in Workload, Live Onboarding Training, Customer Success Manager, Access to Managed Services, US, EU & APAC Data Residency, AI Compatible.
Microsoft Project, known officially as Project Professional, is a project management software designed for scheduling, resource management, and time tracking. It offers essential features like Gantt charts, kanban boards,
and project calendars for professionals in the field. This tool caters to users across industries, providing tables, views, filters, and a database for tasks like project planning, resource allocation, progress tracking,
budget management, and workload balancing.
Key Features:
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Task Management: Microsoft Project's task management system prioritizes flexibility and visibility in project planning. For instance, tasks can be easily rescheduled with a simple drag-and-drop action,
instantly updating schedules and ensuring alignment with new expectations and resources. This task management feature enables project managers to break down projects into smaller, manageable tasks, assign them to team
members, and monitor progress.
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Project Roadmap: With Roadmap, users can efficiently update and monitor project portfolios in real-time. Unlike traditional methods using PowerPoint or Excel, Roadmap automates high-level timeline creation
by integrating data from Microsoft Project Online, Project for The Web, and Azure Boards.
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Reports: Microsoft Project goes beyond task assignment, offering prebuilt reports for easy sharing with team members. These reports cover progress tracking, resource analysis, program status reporting, and
portfolio monitoring. Reporting is a vital feature, providing graphical reports, pivot tables, and dashboards for visual representation of project data.
Pricing Plans
Let's take a look at the breakdown for the one-time purchase options:
UI/UX & GRAPHIC DESIGN
In today's digital world, UI/UX and graphic design software are essential for creating seamless interfaces and captivating visuals that leave a lasting impression. With so many options to choose from, picking the right software
can feel overwhelming. In this section, we'll dive into three top tools known for their versatility, functionality, and ease of use.
Figma offers two user-friendly tools for design and collaboration: Figma Design and FigJam. Figma Design allows users to create, share, and test digital designs, while FigJam provides online whiteboards for brainstorming and
planning. Both tools are suitable for designers, managers, writers, and developers. Figma is a free web-based tool that supports high-quality prototype creation and vector design. Let's get into some of the key features!
Key Features:
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Real-Time Collaboration: Figma's multiplayer feature incorporates real-time collaboration among team members, allowing simultaneous work on design files. Figma also serves as an online whiteboard, making the
design process more efficient.
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Interactive Prototyping: Figma's prototyping tool lets designers create interactive prototypes right within their design files. With clickable elements and smooth transitions, it's easy to showcase design
concepts and user flows to clients and team members.
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Auto Layout: Auto layout in Figma is a handy feature that streamlines the resizing and repositioning of objects on the canvas. With auto layout, you can quickly adjust the size and position of elements
without the need for manual tweaking. This tool is essential for creating responsive interfaces as it automatically adjusts elements within frames to accommodate changes in content, ensuring designs look great on
different screen sizes.
Pricing Plans
What's included in these monthly prices for Figma Design:
- Starter: Figma editor, 3 collaborative design files, Unlimited personal drafts, Basic file inspection.
- Professional: Everything in Starter and - Unlimited Figma files, Team libraries, Advanced prototyping.
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Organization: Everything in Professional and - Org-wide libraries, Design system analytics, Branching and merging, Private plugins, Centralized file management, Unified admin and billing, Single sign-on.
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Enterprise: Everything in Organization and - Advanced theming with 40 modes, REST API for variables, Design system defaults by workspace, Syncing workflows via REST API, Dedicated workspaces, Guest access
controls, Role setting via SCIM, Idle session timeout, Advanced link sharing controls, Advanced codegen, Annotations and status, Unlimited version history, Shared and private projects.
What's included in these monthly prices for Figma Jam:
- Starter: Figma editor, 3 collaborative design files, Unlimited personal drafts, Basic file inspection.
- Professional: Everything in Starter and - Unlimited FigJam files, Open sessions, Sharing permissions, Team libraries, Audio conversations, Voting.
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Organization: Everything in Professional and - Org-wide libraries, Centralized content management, Custom templates, Custom color palettes, Unified admin and billing, Private plugins and widgets, Single
sign-on.
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Enterprise: Everything in Organization and - Dedicated workspaces, Advanced design systems, Guest access controls, Role setting via SCIM, Idle session timeout, Enforced password links, Network access
restrictions, Onboarding and account support, Expiring public links.
Canva is a user-friendly, web-based graphic design platform offering a plethora of templates and creative ideas for various projects. Its intuitive interface makes it accessible to beginners and those seeking simplicity in
design. The tool does not require any installations and can be accessed directly through its website.
Key Features:
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Magic Studio: Discover Canva's Magic Studio, powered by AI to simplify design tasks. From resizing for social media with Magic Resize to instant object transformations with Magic Edit, these tools streamline
graphic design. Magic Media and Magic Morph offer creative possibilities, while Magic Write simplifies content creation with AI-generated text.
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Brand Kit: Create and maintain brand consistency with Canva's Brand Kit feature, available in Canva Pro. Easily save and access all your brand assets, including logos, color palettes, fonts, templates,
images, and icons, in one centralized location. Whether the user is working with multiple brands or just one, Brand Kit ensures quick access to design elements, saving significant time and effort.
Pricing plans
What's included in these yearly prices:
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Free: Easy drag and drop editor, 1M+ professionally designed templates, 1000+ design types, 3M+ stock photos and graphics, AI-generated writing and designs, design printing and delivery, 5GB of cloud
storage.
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Pro: Everything in free, plus - Unlimited premium templates, 100M+ photos-videos-graphics-audio, 100 Brand Kits to manage your brand, Quickly resize and translate designs, remove backgrounds in a click,
Boost creativity with 20+ AI tools, plan and schedule social content, 1TB of cloud storage, 24/7 Customer Support.
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Teams: Everything in pro, plus - Scale your brand and centralize assets, ensure brand consistency with approvals, edit-comment-collaborate in real time, generate on-brand copy with AI, team reports and
insights, pay as you grow, 1TB of cloud storage, 24/7 customer support, AI admin controls, SSO, ISO 27001 certification and SOC2 type I compliance, volume pricing available.
After exploring this information, it's important to take a moment to think about which marketing software suits your business size, structure, and needs. We recommend trying out free trials first to get to know the software and see if it fits your needs. Also, getting quotes from different providers can help you understand what each offers and compare them. By taking these steps, we believe you'll find the right software to create a successful marketing plan and make 2024 your best year yet!
