Marketing Software

The perfect social media tool empowers you to streamline your social media management, allowing you to focus on what matters most – growing your business and engaging with your audience. With careful consideration and a bit of trial and error, you’ll find the ideal platform 

To help get you started, this guide explores the top social media management platforms for small businesses. We’ll compare some of the most popular tools, highlighting their strengths and potential drawbacks.

The best social media tools for small businesses in 2024

1. Zoho Social: The budget-friendly all-rounder for small businesses
2. Buffer: Simplicity reigns supreme for solopreneurs and teams
3. Hootsuite: The multitasking master for agencies and diverse businesses
4. Sprout Social: The engagement expert for data-driven businesses
5. Loomly: The visual storytelling champion for social media management
6. Sendible: The affordable all-rounder with social listening prowess
7. SocialPilot: A cost-effective choice with AI assistant

Social media tool functionality: A detailed comparison

Feature	Zoho Social	Buffer	Hootsuite	Sprout Social	Loomly	Sendible	Social Pilot
Free Tier	Yes	Yes (Limited)	No	No	Yes (Limited)	Yes (Limited)	Yes
Scheduling	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Analytics & Reporting	Basic	Basic	Advanced	Advanced	Basic	Comprehensive	Basic
Social Listening	Basic	No	Advanced	Advanced	No	Yes	Basic
Team Collaboration	Yes	Limited	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Content Curation	Limited	Yes	No	No	No	No	Limited
AI-Powered Features	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Pricing	Affordable	Affordable	More expensive	More expensive	Affordable	Competitive	Competitive

Zoho Social

• Budget-Friendly Champion: Offers affordable plans with a free tier, making it ideal for small businesses starting out.
• All-in-One Hero: Provides scheduling, analytics, reporting, and basic social listening, catering to diverse needs.
• Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Facilitates collaboration with team members, assigning roles and monitoring progress.
• Potential Drawback: The interface might not be as intuitive for complete beginners compared to some competitors.

Buffer

• Simplicity Reigns Supreme: User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop scheduling makes managing multiple accounts a breeze.
• Content Curation Champion: Suggests relevant content to share, saving time and effort.
• Free Forever Friend: Offers a forever-free plan for managing up to three social media profiles, perfect for solopreneurs.
• Potential Drawback: Lacks advanced features like in-depth analytics and social listening offered by some competitors.

Hootsuite

• Multitasking Master: Manages a vast array of social media platforms, ideal for agencies or businesses with diverse online presences.
• Analytics Ace: Provides detailed reporting and analytics, helping you understand content performance and audience engagement.
• Collaboration Cornerstone: Offers robust features for team collaboration, including assigning tasks and monitoring progress.
• Potential Drawback: Pricing plans can be steeper compared to simpler platforms, making it less budget-friendly for smaller businesses.

Sprout Social

• Engagement Expert: Offers advanced social listening features, allowing you to track brand mentions and respond to customer inquiries effectively.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Provides comprehensive analytics and reporting, empowering you to make data-driven decisions about your social media strategy.
• Teamwork Triumphs: Facilitates seamless collaboration with team members, including assigning tasks, managing workflows, and approving content.
• Potential Drawback: Lacks a free tier and can be expensive for smaller businesses with limited budgets.

Loomly

• Visual Storytelling Superstar: Excel at managing visual content on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, with drag-and-drop calendar and post previews.
• Collaboration Companion: Offers features for team collaboration, including assigning posts and managing content queues.
• Free Plan Starter: Provides a free plan with limited features, allowing you to test the platform before committing.
• Potential Drawback: Lacks advanced social listening and engagement features available in higher-tier plans.

Sendible

• Affordable All-Rounder: Offers a comprehensive suite of features, including scheduling, analytics, social listening, and reporting, at a competitive price point.
• Team Player: Facilitates team collaboration with features like role-based permissions and content approval workflows.
• Social Inbox: Provides a unified platform to manage messages and conversations across various social media channels.
• Potential Drawback: Free plan has limited features, and higher tiers might be overkill for very small businesses.

SocialPilot

• Cost-Effective Choice: Offers competitive pricing plans, especially for managing multiple social media accounts.
• AI-Powered Assistant: Uses AI to suggest content, analyze sentiment, and optimize scheduling for better engagement.
• Drag-and-Drop Scheduling: Simplifies scheduling and content calendar management.
• Potential Drawback: Lacks advanced features like in-depth social listening and reporting offered by some competitors.

Choosing the right social media tool for your small business

Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to social media for small businesses. Research, explore free trials, and consider your specific requirements to find the social media management platform that empowers your online presence.

Our final tip is to consider these factors before making your choice:

• Number of social media profiles you manage: Choose a platform that supports the platforms you use and scales as your needs grow.
• Features required: Prioritize features essential for your workflow, such as scheduling, analytics, social listening, or team collaboration.
• Budget: Compare pricing plans and features to find the most cost-effective solution for your needs.
• Ease of use: Consider the learning curve and choose a platform that aligns with your comfort level and technical expertise.

Email marketing is a powerful tool for fostering customer relationships and driving sales. But with a plethora of platforms available, selecting the right one can feel overwhelming. This article highlights the best email marketing software for 2024 and includes a handy comparison of their features, helping you choose the platform that best aligns with the needs of your business.

The top 10 email marketing platforms for 2024

1. Mailchimp: A solid option for beginners and small businesses due to its user-friendly interface, free plan, and core functionalities. However, businesses with larger lists or more complex needs might find its limitations and pricing structure restrictive, requiring them to explore other options.
2. ActiveCampaign: A powerful platform ideal for businesses seeking advanced automation, segmentation, and CRM integration. However, its steeper learning curve, higher cost, and limited free trial might deter beginners or businesses with simpler needs.
3. Constant Contact: A good choice for small businesses and organisations prioritising ease of use, strong customer support, and reliable email deliverability. However, businesses seeking advanced automation, extensive integrations, or high scalability might find its functionalities and pricing less attractive compared to other options.
4. GetResponse: A powerful all-in-one platform ideal for businesses seeking a comprehensive marketing solution that includes email marketing, automation, and additional functionalities. However, its higher cost, complex interface, and limited free plan might deter smaller businesses or those solely focused on basic email marketing needs.
5. Drip: An excellent choice for e-commerce businesses seeking a dedicated platform with features specifically designed to increase conversions and revenue. However, businesses outside of e-commerce and those with limited budgets or needing advanced analytics might find its functionalities and pricing less suitable compared to other options.
6. Dotdigital: A powerful platform ideal for businesses seeking advanced marketing automation, personalisation, and seamless integrations. However, its higher cost, steeper learning curve, and lack of a free plan might make it less suitable for smaller businesses or those just starting with email marketing.
7. Zoho Campaigns: Zoho Campaigns is a good option for budget-conscious businesses and beginners seeking a user-friendly platform with core email marketing functionalities. However, businesses requiring advanced features, extensive automation, in-depth analytics, or expecting significant growth might need to explore more scalable and feature-rich options.
8. HubSpot: Offers a free tier with basic email marketing functionalities, but advanced features are part of their comprehensive marketing suite, which can be expensive for smaller businesses.
9. MailerLite: A budget-friendly option with a user-friendly interface and generous free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers. However, advanced features like marketing automation are limited.
10. Moosend: A good option for businesses seeking an affordable platform with user-friendly features, marketing automation, and built-in tools for lead capture. However, businesses requiring highly advanced features, extensive reporting, or expecting exceptional scalability at the enterprise level might need to explore alternative platforms with more robust functionalities.

Email marketing features and functionality: A detailed comparison

Feature	Mailchimp	ActiveCampaign	Constant Contact	GetResponse	Drip	Dotdigital	Zoho Campaigns	HubSpot	MailerLite	Moosend
Ease of Use	Easy	Moderate	Easy	Easy	Moderate	Moderate	Easy	Easy	Very Easy	Easy
Drag-and-Drop Editor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Email Automation	Limited	Advanced	Moderate	Advanced	Advanced	Advanced	Moderate	Basic (Free), Advanced (Paid)	Limited	Advanced
Segmentation	Basic	Advanced	Moderate	Advanced	Advanced	Advanced	Moderate	Basic (Free), Advanced (Paid)	Basic	Moderate
A/B Testing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Landing Pages	Limited	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Limited	Yes
CRM Integration	Limited	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Ecommerce Integration	Limited	Yes	Limited	Yes	Yes	Yes	Limited	Yes	Limited	Yes
Analytics	Basic	Advanced	Moderate	Advanced	Advanced	Advanced	Moderate	Basic (Free), Advanced (Paid)	Basic	Advanced
Free Plan	Up to 500 contacts	No	Up to 100 contacts	No	No	No	Up to 2,000 contacts	Free tier with limited features	Up to 1,000 contacts	Free tier with limited features

Mailchimp: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• User-friendly: Mailchimp boasts a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop editing, making it easy for beginners to create and send emails.
• Free plan: A generous free plan with up to 500 contacts and basic features allows small businesses and individuals to experiment with email marketing.
• Marketing automation: Paid plans offer marketing automation capabilities, enabling automated email sequences based on subscriber behavior.
• Integrations: Integrates with various third-party tools and services, enhancing functionality.

Weaknesses:

• Limited features in the free plan: The free plan offers basic functionalities, and advanced features like advanced segmentation and automation require paid plans.
• Costly for larger lists: Pricing can become expensive for businesses with large subscriber lists as they move up the paid tiers.
• Customer support: Customer support has received mixed reviews, with some users experiencing slow response times or limited assistance.
• Limited scalability: While Mailchimp can handle a decent list size, its scalability might be an issue for very large businesses or those expecting rapid growth.

ActiveCampaign: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Advanced automation: ActiveCampaign excels in automation capabilities, allowing users to create complex workflows based on subscriber behavior and data.
• Powerful segmentation: Advanced segmentation features enable precise targeting of email campaigns to specific audience segments.
• Built-in CRM: The platform incorporates a CRM system, allowing users to manage contacts, track interactions, and personalize campaigns effectively.
• Scalability: ActiveCampaign can handle large subscriber lists and complex campaigns, making it suitable for growing businesses.

Weaknesses:

• Learning curve: The platform’s extensive features and functionalities can lead to a steeper learning curve compared to simpler options.
• Cost: ActiveCampaign can be expensive compared to some competitors, especially for smaller businesses with basic needs.
• Limited free trial: The free trial period is shorter than some competitors, offering less time to explore the platform’s functionalities.
• User interface: While not overly complex, the interface might feel less intuitive compared to some user-friendly options.

Constant Contact: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• User-friendly: Constant Contact boasts a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop editing, making it easy for beginners to create and send emails.
• Strong customer support: The platform is known for its exceptional customer support, offering phone, chat, and email assistance.
• Email deliverability: Constant Contact prioritizes email deliverability, ensuring a high chance of your emails reaching your audience’s inbox.
• Event management tools: Includes built-in tools for managing event registration, invitations, and follow-ups.

Weaknesses:

• Limited marketing automation: Compared to competitors, Constant Contact’s marketing automation features are more basic, limiting the ability to create complex automated workflows.
• Limited integrations: Integrates with fewer third-party tools and services compared to some competitors.
• Pricing: While not the most expensive option, pricing can become less competitive for larger businesses with extensive needs.
• Limited scalability: Similar to Mailchimp, Constant Contact’s scalability might be insufficient for very large businesses or those expecting explosive growth.

GetResponse: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• All-in-one marketing platform: GetResponse offers a comprehensive suite of tools beyond just email marketing, including landing pages, webinars, and CRM functionalities.
• Advanced marketing automation: The platform boasts powerful automation capabilities, allowing users to create complex email workflows based on subscriber behavior and data.
• Ecommerce marketing features: Provides features specifically tailored for ecommerce businesses, such as abandoned cart emails and product recommendations.
• Scalability: GetResponse can handle large subscriber lists and complex campaigns, making it suitable for growing businesses.

Weaknesses:

• Pricing: Compared to some competitors, GetResponse can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses utilising only basic features.
• Complex interface: While offering extensive functionalities, the interface might feel overwhelming for beginners and require a learning curve.
• Limited free plan: The free plan has significant limitations, offering only a small number of contacts and basic functionalities.
• Customer support: Customer support has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting slow response times or limited assistance.

Drip: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Ecommerce focus: Drip is specifically tailored for e-commerce businesses, offering features that cater directly to their needs.
• Abandoned cart automation: Recover lost sales with automated emails reminding customers about abandoned carts.
• Product recommendations: Personalise emails with product recommendations based on past purchases and browsing behavior.
• Customer segmentation: Segment your audience based on purchase history, interests, and other relevant factors for targeted campaigns.
• Ease of use: Despite its e-commerce focus, Drip maintains a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop editing, simplifying email creation.
• Integrations: Integrates with various e-commerce platforms and other marketing tools, streamlining workflows.

Weaknesses:

• Limited outside of e-commerce: While powerful for e-commerce businesses, Drip’s functionalities are less suited for other industries and might not offer the same level of effectiveness for non-commerce email marketing campaigns.
• Pricing: Drip’s pricing structure is primarily based on the number of contacts and email sends, which can become expensive for businesses with large subscriber lists or high email volume.
• Limited free trial: Compared to some competitors, Drip offers a shorter free trial period, limiting the time users have to explore its features before committing.
• Basic analytics: Though Drip offers basic analytics, it might lack the advanced reporting features needed by businesses seeking deeper insights into their email marketing performance.

Dotdigital: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Advanced marketing automation: Dotdigital offers powerful marketing automation capabilities, allowing users to create complex, multi-channel customer journeys based on various data points.
• AI-powered personalisation: Leverages artificial intelligence to personalise email content with product recommendations, dynamic offers, and other data-driven elements.
• Seamless integrations: Integrates seamlessly with various CRM, e-commerce platforms, and marketing tools, fostering a unified customer experience.
• Focus on deliverability: Maintains a dedicated deliverability team ensuring a high chance of emails reaching your subscribers’ inboxes.
• Scalability: The platform can handle large subscriber bases and complex marketing campaigns, catering to the needs of growing businesses.

Weaknesses:

• Cost: Dotdigital can be expensive compared to some competitors, especially for smaller businesses with basic needs.
• Steeper learning curve: Due to its advanced functionalities, Dotdigital might have a steeper learning curve compared to user-friendly options, requiring more time to master.
• Limited free plan: Unlike some competitors, Dotdigital doesn’t offer a free plan, making it difficult for potential users to experiment with the platform before committing.
• Limited public reviews: Due to its focus on enterprise-level businesses, Dotdigital might have fewer publicly available reviews compared to widely used platforms, making it challenging to gauge user experiences.

Zoho Campaigns: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Affordable: Compared to some competitors, Zoho Campaigns offers a budget-friendly pricing structure, making it attractive for small businesses and those starting with email marketing.
• User-friendly interface: The platform boasts a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop editing, making it easy for beginners to create and send emails.
• Core email marketing features: Zoho Campaigns offers essential functionalities, including:
  • Drag-and-drop email builder
  • Email automation based on triggers and behavior
  • Landing page creation for capturing leads
  • Social media integration for campaign promotion
• Integrations: Integrates with other Zoho applications and various third-party tools, streamlining workflows.

Weaknesses:

• Limited advanced features: Compared to higher-tier platforms, Zoho Campaigns might lack advanced functionalities like:
  • Highly complex marketing automation workflows
  • AI-powered personalization
  • In-depth analytics and reporting
• Limited free plan: While offering a free tier, it has significant limitations, including a low contact limit and restricted features.
• Customer support: Customer support options might be limited compared to some competitors.
• Scalability: While suitable for smaller businesses, Zoho Campaigns’ scalability might be an issue for very large companies or those experiencing rapid growth.

HubSpot: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Freemium model: HubSpot offers a free tier with basic email marketing functionalities, allowing smaller businesses and individuals to experiment without initial investment.
• Ease of use: The platform maintains a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop editing, making it easy for beginners to create and send emails.
• CRM integration: Seamless integration with HubSpot’s CRM system fosters a unified platform for managing contacts, personalizing campaigns, and tracking interactions.
• Landing pages and forms: Built-in tools for creating landing pages and forms to capture leads and grow your email list.
• Scalability: HubSpot scales well, catering to the needs of businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.

Weaknesses:

• Limited features in the free plan: The free tier has limitations on contacts, emails per month, and advanced features, requiring upgrades for full functionality.
• Cost for advanced features: Upgrading to access advanced marketing automation, personalization, and analytics can become expensive for businesses with larger needs.
• Steeper learning curve for complex features: While the core functionalities are user-friendly, mastering advanced features and functionalities might require more time and effort.
• Limited design flexibility: Compared to some competitors, design customization options for emails might be somewhat limited.

MailerLite: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Affordable: MailerLite offers a very budget-friendly pricing structure, making it attractive for small businesses, solopreneurs, and individuals starting with email marketing.
• User-friendly interface: The platform boasts a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop editing, making it easy for beginners to create and send emails.
• Generous free plan: The free plan offers up to 1,000 subscribers and includes core functionalities like email creation, scheduling, and basic analytics.
• Landing pages: Even the free plan allows creating landing pages to capture leads and grow your email list.
• Good deliverability rates: MailerLite prioritises email deliverability, ensuring a high chance of your emails reaching your subscribers’ inboxes.

Weaknesses:

• Limited marketing automation: Compared to competitors, MailerLite offers limited marketing automation capabilities, restricting the ability to create complex automated workflows.
• Limited integrations: Integrates with fewer third-party tools and services compared to some competitors.
• Scalability limitations: While suitable for smaller businesses, MailerLite’s feature set and scalability might be insufficient for larger companies or those experiencing rapid growth.
• Limited analytics: The free plan offers basic analytics, and even paid plans lack the advanced reporting features found in some competitor platforms.

 Moosend: Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

• Affordable pricing: Moosend offers competitive pricing plans, making it an attractive option for businesses of various sizes, from startups to established companies.
• User-friendly interface: The platform boasts a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop editing, simplifying email creation for beginners.
• Marketing automation: Moosend provides marketing automation functionalities, allowing users to create automated email workflows based on triggers and subscriber behavior.
• Landing pages and forms: Built-in tools for creating landing pages and forms to capture leads and grow your email list.
• Transactional emails: Supports sending transactional emails, such as order confirmations and password resets, alongside regular marketing campaigns.

Weaknesses:

• Limited free plan: While offering a free tier, it has significant limitations, including a low contact limit and restricted features.
• Limited advanced features: Compared to some higher-tier competitors, Moosend might lack functionalities like:
  • Highly complex marketing automation workflows
  • In-depth campaign reporting and analytics
  • Advanced segmentation capabilities
• Customer support: Customer support options might be limited compared to some competitors.
• Scalability: While suitable for businesses of various sizes, Moosend’s scalability for extremely large companies or those experiencing explosive growth might be limited compared to top-tier platforms.

Choosing the right email marketing platform for your business

There’s no “one size fits all” solution. The best platform depends on your specific needs and budget. Consider factors like your technical expertise, desired features, and email marketing goals. Most platforms offer free trials, allowing you to test-drive their functionalities before committing.

By carefully evaluating your requirements and exploring the available options, you can select the email marketing platform that empowers you to connect with your audience and achieve your marketing objectives.