Many marketing software platforms focus on specific aspects of your marketing strategy, such as inbound marketing tools to grow traffic or outbound marketing software to convert more leads into sales.
A full marketing management solution goes even further, giving you a comprehensive way to stay on top of your marketing plans, manage your traffic and leads, track the ROI of your campaigns, and even project manage the planning and execution of your campaigns.
If you’re a small business that is struggling to juggle all the moving parts of your overarching marketing strategy, it’s time to integrate marketing management software into your operations. But choosing the right tool is important. In this article, we’ll explore the best marketing software for small businesses (and what to look for in any marketing software you choose).
10 Best Marketing Management Software For Small Businesses in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat is Marketing Management Software for Small Business?
Marketing management software lets you focus on the key areas where your time and skills are needed while streamlining all the monotonous (yet important) tasks that need to happen in the background.
There are three types of marketing management software aimed at the three pillars of modern marketing strategy:
- Marketing workflow tools, such as platforms for building, developing, and scheduling email campaigns
- Marketing intelligence platforms, like analytics tools that collect and analyze data to give you actionable insights on key areas like consumer trends and website visitor behavior
- Marketing automation tools that streamline and automate recurring marketing tasks and triggers
This software empowers users to oversee marketing campaigns and maximize their small business’ resources and time. And some of the best marketing management software combines all three of the above categories into a comprehensive platform so that you can track and manage numerous marketing KPIs and activities in one place:
- Marketing data collection and data analytics
- Customer relationship management (CRM), including lead generation, lead scoring, and lead nurturing
- Planning, building, and activating specific marketing campaigns, including branding, content creation, and getting sign-off from stakeholders
- Team collaboration so that marketing doesn’t live in its silo, but is instead visible and integrated throughout the entire business
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in Marketing Management Software for Small Business?
Choosing the right marketing management software for your small business will help your marketing team operate as efficiently as possible, but every small business has unique needs and budgets. Here are some things to keep in mind while you review your options:
- Marketing automation: Marketing automation tools enable social media campaigns and email marketing automation
- Extensive features: A good platform provides a mix of digital marketing and email marketing tools and social media management platform functionality
- CRM integration: Good CRM results in more sales. Ensure the software integrates well with CRM tools to track the entire customer journey
- Analytics: Integration with Google Analytics and other analytics tools accurately measures marketing performance and provides useful insights
- Social media marketing: Good social media management enables users to schedule social media posts, manage multiple social media channels, and interact with potential customers
- Free version or trial options: Many marketing software providers offer a free plan or a trial plan with limited features so you can test the tool before dipping into your marketing budget
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Marketing Management Software for Small Businesses in 2024
To make things easier, we’ve assembled a list of the best marketing automation software and marketing management software in 2024. Each option works great for small businesses, but most of these products also easily scale as your business grows.
1. ClickUp
Unlike some software that focuses on just one area of your marketing strategy, ClickUp marketing is an all-in-one productivity suite that does it all.
Does your team need to brainstorm marketing ideas, and then turn that brainstorming into actionable tasks with due dates and assignees? Clickup’s Whiteboard does exactly that.
Are you short on time? A large selection of marketing and business operations templates, including the ClickUp Marketing Campaign Management Template, take you from ideation to execution quickly.
Dealing with bottlenecks on an urgent inbound campaign? ClickUp lets you visualize and take action on every milestone of a project with just a few clicks, whether you love a simple checklist or a more complex Kanban board or Gantt chart.
Because ClickUp is more than just a marketing platform, but also a comprehensive project management platform, it’ll keep even the most complex marketing plans on track and help you juggle every project, team member, and deliverable you need.
ClickUp best features
- Brainstorm, plan, and execute marketing programs with extensive project management features
- Efficiently allocate and manage resources for your marketing campaigns with resource management features
- Fast-track your marketing campaigns and content creation with expert-crafted artificial intelligence (AI) tools
- Track and analyze progress toward your marketing goals with visual dashboards
- Collaborate easily by working together in real time and keeping team members on the same page
ClickUp limitations
- Some users find the interface overwhelming due to its numerous features
- Some customers say the mobile app lacks the desktop version’s full functionality
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp AI is available for purchase on all paid plans at the price of $5 per Workspace member and internal guest per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
2. HubSpot
HubSpot designed its marketing software for businesses of all sizes. As its name implies, the software centralizes all marketing tools and data in one hub to bridge the gap between marketing channels and teams.
The marketing management and marketing automation platform features tools for email marketing, landing pages, social media, and lead management, and the automation of repetitive tasks makes life easier for marketing and sales teams. Specifically for small businesses, the company offers a free version with the essential tools you need to get started.
HubSpot best features
- Connect tools and experiences through the Marketing Hub, which unites teams on a platform that allows for deeper customer connections
- Use the powerful online form builder for better lead generation and communication with prospective clients
- Sync between HubSpot and Salesforce bi-directionally without technical requirements
- Access a library of free educational content, including articles, online courses, and certifications
HubSpot limitations
- Many users find HubSpot expensive, especially small businesses and startups who want more than the limited features offered in the free plan
- Some customers want better support for integration with the tools they use
- Users complain about limitations in the reporting and analytics capabilities, especially in lower-tier plans
HubSpot pricing
- Free Forever
- Starter: $50/month
- Professional: $800/month
- Enterprise: $3,600/month
HubSpot ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (10,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (5,000+ reviews)
3. Asana
Asana serves as marketing management software that enhances collaboration and improves campaign outcomes. The company aims to help marketing teams set clear goals and meet them promptly. Asana provides tools to track campaign data, workloads, and handoffs in a single platform, and the software integrates with over 270 apps, allowing marketing tools to work together seamlessly.
Asana best features
- Boost collaboration and accelerate campaign production, ensuring teams work better together
- Connect marketing campaigns to overarching business goals, ensuring teams focus on revenue-driving work
- Unite marketers around common goals and track progress across initiatives in a central hub
- Integrate with 270+ apps, allowing marketers to access information seamlessly across multiple products
Asana limitations
- Users find the mobile app’s functionality limiting, especially on smaller screens
- Some customers find the inability to assign multiple users to a task frustrating
- Time-tracking features aren’t available on all pricing tiers
Asana pricing
- Free Forever
- Premium: $10.99/month per user
- Business: $24.99/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing
Asana ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (9,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (12,000+ reviews)
4. Monday.com
While it bills itself as a “work management” platform, Monday.com offers unique tools for marketing and creative teams that help handle every step of the marketing process. The software provides features for asset management, campaign tracking, content calendar, and strategic planning.
You can even use it to set and track goals and measure the impact of your team’s marketing efforts. The software also integrates with tools such as Supermetrics, Google Ads, and HubSpot, ensuring a comprehensive marketing solution.
Monday.com best features
- Streamline and optimize marketing work processes from idea to delivery for maximum efficiency
- Efficiently manage content and design requests through a centralized system
- Organize and manage marketing events seamlessly
- Visually plan and track campaigns with Gantt charts
Monday.com limitations
- Some users say the platform can be slow to load
- A number of users feel the learning curve is too steep
- Some customers have been unable to find the integrations they needed
Monday.com pricing
- Free Forever
- Basic: $8/month for four seats
- Standard: $10/month for three seats
- Pro: $16/month for three seats
- Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing
Monday.com ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (8,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,000+ reviews)
5. Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft designed the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform to boost business efficiency and reduce costs. The platform offers a connected environment linking people, data, and tasks and provides tailored solutions with a focus on integrating sales and marketing.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 helps users understand customer needs, speeds up lead conversions, and aligns marketing strategies with team tasks. The platform also provides AI to enhance productivity.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 best features
- Move to the cloud with confidence and boost productivity with rapid AI adoption
- Work together by connecting your entire business through Dynamics 365 applications
- Increase visibility into customer needs to lead customers down the sales pipeline faster
- Analyze and optimize campaign performance with integrations such as Supermetrics and Google Ads
Microsoft Dynamics 365 limitations
- Some areas of the user interface aren’t intuitive enough
- The software sometimes struggles with performance when dealing with large datasets
- Some users would prefer enhanced customization capabilities
Microsoft Dynamics 365 pricing
- Essentials: $70/month per user
- Premium: $100/month per user
Microsoft Dynamics 365 ratings and reviews
- G2: 3.8/5 (500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (5,000+ reviews)
6. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a leading email marketing software tool that turns emails into revenue. The company has expanded into a large email marketing and automation brand, and small businesses and large enterprises alike use it. The software offers advanced email and SMS automation based on behavioral data to easily engage and convert customers, and generative AI tools allow users to create on-brand content quickly.
Mailchimp best features
- Win new customers with personalized emails and automation that get you more opens, clicks, and sales
- Boost orders and customer lifetime value by personalizing emails and SMS based on behavioral data
- Create on-brand content with generative AI tools and choose from expertly designed templates
- Analyze performance with custom reports, funnel visualization, and other analytics data
Mailchimp limitations
- Some users find the features limited compared to other email marketing platforms
- The software can be complex for beginners who are new to email marketing
- Some users find the lower-tier plans’ automation capabilities too restricting
Mailchimp pricing
- Free Forever
- Essentials: $13/month
- Standard: $20/month
- Premium: $350/month
Mailchimp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (12,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (16,000+ reviews)
7. Brevo
Brevo is an all-in-one platform that automates marketing campaigns across channels such as email, SMS, WhatsApp, and chat. A feature-rich marketing platform, Brevo allows users to create smart campaigns, tracks leads, and helps to close sales, and the transactional email service leads to swifter mail delivery.
Brevo best features
- Use smart campaigns to build relationships and automate marketing campaigns over channels such as email, SMS, WhatsApp, and chat
- Communicate instantly with customers using the real-time chat feature
- Integrate with over 150 leading digital marketing tools, including CRM, content management systems, and e-commerce
Brevo limitations
- Some users find the performance sluggish, especially when creating campaigns
- Some customers find troubleshooting difficult with Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
Brevo pricing
- Free Forever
- Starter: $25/month
- Business: $65/month
- Brevo Plus: Contact sales for pricing
Brevo ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (600+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (1,000+ reviews)
8. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a marketing tool that gives users insights into media mentions and content ideas, allowing them to connect with over 700,000 journalists. With features like content discovery, research, and monitoring, pitches are relevant and timely. The tool lets users quickly identify content that performs well in specific niches and focuses uniquely on content marketing projects.
BuzzSumo best features
- Index billions of articles and posts, allowing for in-depth content analysis and digital marketing strategies
- Identify the right influencers for your brand, enhancing lead generation and social media engagement
- Gain quick insights and data access directly from your browser through the Chrome extension
- Use custom integration to enhance marketing automation capabilities through the platform’s powerful application programming interface
BuzzSumo limitations
- Some users find the free version too limited
- Like other SEO and content research tools, Buzzsumo’s learning curve can be frustrating for new users
- Some users find the software expensive for individuals and small businesses
BuzzSumo pricing
- Content Creation: $199/month for 1 user
- PR & Comms: $299/month for five users
- Suite: $499/month for 10 users
- Enterprise: $999/month for 30 users
BuzzSumo ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (100+ reviews)
9. Jira
Atlassian’s Jira is leading project-tracking software that caters to various business units, including marketing and software development. The software offers features for work management, reporting, and automation. Jira integrates with over 3,000 tools in Atlassian’s ecosystem, providing endless possibilities for feature expansion.
Jira best features
- Break down big ideas into manageable chunks across teams using user stories, issues, and tasks
- Start with ready-made templates, such as Scrum, Kanban, bug tracking, and DevOps
- Customize your workflow to adapt to your team’s needs, allowing you to start simple and grow more complex as needed
- Take advantage of Jira’s scalability from small businesses to large enterprises, ensuring that growing teams can scale without friction
Jira limitations
- Some users find the software difficult to navigate or configure for their needs
- Users may find the numerous features and customization options overwhelming
- Some customers complain about slow performance with large projects or instances
Jira pricing
- Projects: Starts at $10/month for 10 users
- Development: Starts at $20/month for 10 users
- Service Desk: $20/month for 10 users
Jira ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (5,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (13,000+ reviews)
10. Creatio
Marketing Creatio is an omnichannel sales and marketing solution that improves customer journeys and allows marketers to better engage with customers. The software has various features to improve lead generation workflows and digital ads’ effectiveness. With lead management, campaign management, and event management, Marketing Creatio offers a comprehensive solution for marketing teams.
Creatio best features
- Automate marketing workflows and build applications without coding through Creatio’s no-code platform
- Create marketing campaigns and manage leads with Creatio’s built-in automation features
- Enjoy better lead generation and improved marketing strategies through automated sales processes
- Automate customer service workflows for small businesses and large enterprises across multiple channels
Creatio limitations
- Users may find Creatio too expensive
- Some users report challenges in customizing processes and workflows
- Users wanting advanced reporting and analytics feel the product is lacking
Creatio pricing
- Growth: $25/month per user
- Enterprise: $55/month per user
- Unlimited: $85/month per user
Creatio ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (19 reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseImprove Your Marketing Efforts Today
As you can see, some marketing management software platforms focus on one specific area of your marketing strategy, such as email automation tools. And then there are more comprehensive solutions that do it all. In many cases, there is no difference in price point between the two.
The best choice for you depends on whether you’re okay with using different tools and learning different platforms for every separate area of your marketing.
For an all-in-one marketing management platform, that also integrates with separate tools, if you still want to use them, give ClickUp a try today! It goes beyond just marketing management, letting your team collaborate, communicate, and execute your small business goals across the entire organization.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
