In this fast-paced world of digital marketing, having the right tools and platforms at your disposal can make all the difference. Whether you’re looking to automate your marketing efforts, gain deeper insights into your audience, or streamline your content management, the right digital marketing platforms are essential.
Based on my experience as a digital marketing coach and consultant, let me introduce you to 21 of the most definitive digital marketing platforms that can help you achieve your business goals, enhance your marketing strategies, and drive better results. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, these platforms offer the functionalities you need to succeed in the digital landscape.
I have divided these by functionality to give you a feel for all of the different types of tools needed to tackle digital marketing efficiently. I also begin with what Google offers, as they are the foundation for your success in digital. Needless to say, for every one of these categories, there are TONS of different tools available, so consider this my shortlist of recommendations.
Every digital marketer relies on the Google Marketing Platform for daily website management. Whether we’re talking about Google Sheets, Google Ads, Google Drive, or Google Docs, there’s little these programs can’t do for you. Let’s focus on the key digital marketing platforms that Google provides us.
The latest iteration of the program, Google Analytics 4, represents a real game-changer for your digital marketing strategy. The software relies on predictive analytics for tracking campaign progress, allowing you to assess how much organic traffic you’ll accrue in the forthcoming period. Among others, it is a perfect tool for sentiment analysis.
With Google Analytics, you gain valuable insights regarding your target audience. The software shows you where the traffic is coming from and gives you other demographic insights. Google Analytics 4 also provides engagement, monetization, and retention data, helping you increase the number of potential customers.
Google Search Console is the basic digital marketing tool for SEO experts. Unlike Google Analytics, this software is much more concerned about keyword positioning and its fluctuations. For example, it shows you how many total clicks you’ve got for each phrase and how its position changed compared to the previous period.
Through a single dashboard, you gain insights about click-through rate, bounce rate, pages per session, and recurring users. The robust analytics tool also shows performance from different digital channels, specifically where your website traffic comes from. On top of that, the advanced tool provides actionable insights into page experience, mobile usability, and core web vitals.
Google Ads is a must-have tool for setting up and measuring advertising campaign performance. The software guides you from the earliest research stages to the eventual bidding process. With Google Ads, you find the ideal target audience for your digital marketing campaign and create posts that will avert their attention.
When setting up the process, you can also choose what type of ads you want to run. Digital marketers can select between shopping, search, videos, Performance Max, and other digital channels. While Google Ads doesn’t allow you to run ads on social media platforms (except YouTube), it helps with just about any other form of digital advertising.
This category is reserved for HubSpot, the most comprehensive customer data platform on the web. This software accrues real-time insights from various customer segments, which you can use to improve conversions and customer loyalty.
This all-in-one solution allows you to streamline just about any digital marketing process. You can use it for SEO, SMM, email campaigns, influencer marketing, and any other process under the Sun. The software excels at assessing your online presence, generating leads, and driving potential customers through the funnels.
The comprehensive suite breaks down incoming traffic for each landing channel. It shows you how the website, social channels, and emails are converting for your brand. The thing I love the most about HubSpot is the lead scoring system, which sets the basis for customer relationships and points out users most likely to convert.
Website Content Management Systems
CMSs allow marketing experts to publish and arrange their digital content. They are the invisible string between content writers and websites, allowing you to transfer articles from your computer to the online shop.
WordPress is another must-have tool for just about any digital marketing strategy. It serves as the basis for your content marketing effort, allowing you to post articles and build pages for your website. The platform integrates with various other programs, allowing you to streamline the entire blogging process.
The thing I love about WordPress is that it supports nifty programs such as RankMath and Yoast, so you can optimize articles before posting them. The platform also supports plugins for social media management, helping you assess your traffic from social media channels like Facebook and Instagram.
On the basic level, Shopify resembles WordPress. This is a software that allows you to post actionable content on your site and improve your online presence. However, unlike WordPress, this online marketing platform is much better for web shops. The software connects you with payment processors and introduces numerous plugins for converting users and tracking sales.
One of the Shopify’s key features is the cart. The platform allows visitors to transfer products into the basket and order them. This is my favorite tool for global shipping, making the entire process a breeze. Shopify also helps you track users through the sales funnel and communicate with them throughout.
These digital marketing solutions are ideal for SEO experts. They allow you to track keywords and perform keyword research, assess incoming links, performance audits, and boost traffic performance.
Semrush is one of the most popular online marketing platforms for SEO experts. However, besides search engine optimization, the software also helps your email campaigns, social media management, and other digital marketing efforts. It’s basically an all-in-one solution for building your digital presence.
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Semrush is my favorite tool for keyword research. SEO experts use it for regular audits and spotting issues that are hindering their content performance. Semrush is also great for social media management, allowing you to create and post from a single dashboard.
Ahrefs offers numerous advanced features for your SEO campaigns. The software is especially great for competitive research, showing you how other websites drive their visitors. I regularly use it for keyword research and tracking links; the marketing automation platform quickly picks up all online mentions and shares.
One of the latest additions to the platform is the AI keyword grader. This key feature predicts how your articles would perform in Google and provides suggestions of things you can improve. Together with intent data, you can create incredible posts that will not only dominate search engines but also lead to high conversion rates.
Further Reading: The 15 Best Rank Tracker Tools to Rock Your SEO in 2024
For the most part, Moz performs a function similar to Semrush and Ahrefs. Some of the platform’s basic features are keyword tracking and research, link tracking, and so on. Most people use the marketing automation platform to assess their online visibility and see how their traffic fluctuates from week to week.
The software gives you valuable insights into your keyword rankings and the traffic you’re getting from each one of them. Moz also comes with Domain Authority, a metric that tracks the relative power of your website. I especially love its local marketing tools, which measure customer engagement and reviews across different directories.
With email marketing platforms, you streamline the entire email outreach process. These tools help you create content, find recipients, send emails in bulk, track responses, and perform subsequent communication.
Mailchimp is a comprehensive platform that lets you streamline email marketing campaigns. The software excels at customer segmentation, creating a breakdown of prospects, past clients, and people who are unlikely to interact with your brand. As such, it is the best email tool for targeting and conversion.
Like most modern tools, Mailchimp comes with generative advanced features. Use the tool to create emails that convert without having to overspend on a content writing team. The software comes with customizable dashboards where you can track funnel performance and conversion rates.
ActiveCampaign does wonders for segmenting users into categories. It tracks down potential customers or your email marketing campaigns, allowing you to populate recipient lists with minimal effort. It’s worth noting that the program is every bit as effective for Facebook Messenger and other messaging platforms as it is for emails.
ActiveCampaign comes with 250+ email templates that will streamline your daily workflow. As if that wasn’t enough, you can also use artificial intelligence to generate content from scratch. One of its advanced features is automatic deal updates, which keep track of all your past dealings with specific contacts.
Further Reading: The 18 Best Email Marketing Software Tools to Consider Investing in Today
Klaviyo is a perfect solution for your email and mobile marketing. The platform comes with a wide range of features that will maximize your return on investment. It gives you valuable insights about each prospect while also assigning scores based on the conversion likelihood.
Similar to past entries, Klaviyo now includes generative AI features. You no longer have to write messages by hand, as artificial intelligence can perform this task for you. I also need to mention the platform’s advanced reporting capabilities, which make all the difference when working with clients.
ConvertKit combines email tools, automation, and monetization features all in one solution. The software helps your business increase the subscriber count by generating custom sign-up forms, landing pages, and links. The reason why I love this simple drag-and-drop email builder is because it provides excellent results with minimal investment.
ConvertKit provides the best results for email sequences. You can organize communication within its intuitive interface, which helps you track what’s happening with each recipient. With triggers that notify you of each message, you can stay on top of your email campaigns.
The best way to boost your social media presence is by using specialized digital marketing tools. These programs assist you in creating paid search campaigns and boosting organic performance within Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels.
Facebook Ads allows you to set objectives, implement bid strategy, optimize ad delivery, and customize other aspects of your paid campaigns. Decide which location you wish to target, and find optimal demographics for your posts. Within Facebook Ads you can create and post ads without having to use any other tools.
The platform’s robust analytics track performance for each campaign in real-time. You can assess metrics such as shares, clicks, and reach to decide whether specific ads are making money for your brand.
This robust social media marketing platform allows you to streamline all your SMM campaigns. Within a single customizable dashboard, you can track all your conversations across different social channels. Sprout Social has recently integrated AI chatbots into its messaging client, allowing you to instantly respond to users’ queries.
My favorite thing about the platform is how it handles publishing and scheduling. Sprout Social allows you to post new content on Facebook, Instagram, and other channels with a single click. The software tracks your followers across different mediums and assesses their sentiment toward your business.
Similar to Sprout Social, Hootsuite combines all these social features within a single platform. You can start your campaigns by utilizing the tool’s social listening to see what other competitors are doing. Learn what is trending on the web and exploit it to create your own content.
Hootsuite has a light CMS where you can create posts for your social account. By using this platform, you can schedule and organize posts and make sure they’re published at the exact time each day. As an additional feature, Hootsuite allows you to track a custom set of metrics to see how your performance has changed over time.
Within SocialBee’s dashboard, you can create, organize, schedule, recycle, and publish your social posts. The software uses a simple drag-and-drop system that will make things comfortable even for complete laymen. I love the fact that the platform has integrated Canva, making life easier for your graphics team.
Like other platforms, SocialBee measures how the audience engages with your posts. In fact, the program is perfect for analyzing your ideal clients and learning what makes them tick. With its real-time data tracking, you can rest assured that you’re always in the loop.
Further Reading: 19 Best Social Media Marketing Tools for 2024 by Functionality
SocialPilot is a perfect platform for small entrepreneurs and large marketing teams alike. Its collaborative tools make synchronization between members a breeze, allowing all employees to stay on the same page.
As with other entries within this category, SocialPilot excels at scheduling. Create long-term content plans for your brand, and create posts in advance. By relying on artificial intelligence, you’ll never have writer’s block. On the other hand, custom branding will assist you in spreading your message and finding the perfect design for your business.
Sendbile allows you to organize all your future posts within a customizable dashboard. Here, you can monitor upcoming tasks and attach already finished content. The software also has a workplace function, which allows you to organize teams between different functions and tasks.
The thing that separates this platform from the rest is its ability to discover trending topics. Within the dashboard, you can find new ideas for your campaigns without ever having to switch between software. Sendible is, by default, integrated with Canva, Pexels, and GIPHY, giving you access to various visual resources.
With graphic design platforms, you create all sorts of intricate digital marketing materials. These suite of tools are rather complex but can also provide high-quality results for your business.
There’s little AdobeExpress can’t do for your brand. In terms of its graphic design features, this platform is second to none, allowing you to create videos, images, flyers, brochures, and other marketing materials. The software is integrated with all other Adobe products, including AI-driven tools, giving it much more flexibility.
For example, you can tap into Adobe Firefly to generate images from scratch, implement magic fill, or remove backgrounds and objects. With this software, you can modify your content to fit any platform or purpose. While the program is relatively hard to use, it allows you to produce the most impressive visuals.
Further Reading: The 17 Best Infographic Maker and Graphics Tools for Your Marketing and Business Needs
By using generative AI platforms, you can create articles, images, videos, and other marketing materials. In this particular instance, I wanted to focus on software that would assist you in generating textual content.
Jasper just might be the most popular generative AI platform in the world. The software allows you to generate blog posts and other textual content from scratch by relying on simple prompts. Through automation, you can save lots of time for your business while also reducing writing costs.
My favorite thing about Jasper is its branding features. Through fine-tuning, each new post resembles the previous one, making it look as if the same person wrote everything on your website.
Further Reading: 15 Best AI Social Media Post Generators to Check Out
Conclusion
Selecting the right digital marketing platform is crucial for any business looking to thrive in the digital age. By understanding the strengths and capabilities of these 21 definitive platforms, you can create a tailored marketing strategy that drives growth, enhances customer engagement, and delivers measurable results. Whether you’re focused on automation, social media, SEO, or analytics, these tools provide the foundation you need to build a successful digital marketing presence.
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