Get Started with Digital Marketing: 15+ Tools to Make It Easy
So, you want to dive into digital marketing? Maybe you're launching a side hustle, trying to grow your blog, or you’re just tired of shouting into the void on Instagram with zero results. Whatever brought you here—good call. Digital marketing can be a total game-changer... if you know what you're doing. But let’s be real, when you’re new to the game, it can feel like trying to drink from a firehose. Overwhelming. Messy. Slightly soul-sucking.
But here's the thing: you don’t need to be a tech genius or hire a $5,000-a-month agency to make real progress. You just need the right tools—and that’s exactly what I’m serving up today.
Let’s break it down, no fluff, no jargon. Just me, you, and 15+ tools that’ll actually make your life easier.
Why Digital Marketing Feels Like a Beast (And Why It's Totally Tameable)
Digital marketing is kind of like working out: everyone knows they should be doing it, but most people don't know how to start. SEO, email funnels, landing pages, analytics, scheduling… it's enough to make your head spin.
But here's the good news: you don’t need to master everything overnight. You just need to start small, keep it consistent, and use tools that do the heavy lifting.
1. Email Marketing Tools (aka The Money-Makers)
You’ve probably heard this before, but your email list is gold. Social media followers come and go. Your list? Yours forever.
Top Tools:
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Mailerlite – Super user-friendly, great automation, and free for up to 1,000 subs. Perfect for beginners.
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ConvertKit – If you're a blogger or creator, this is your jam. Easy workflows and tagging.
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Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) – Affordable and solid for eCommerce too.
Pro tip: Don’t wait until you have a big audience. Start your list from day one. Thank me later.
2. Social Media Scheduling Tools (Because You're Not a Robot)
Posting every day manually? Yeah, no thanks.
Game-Changers:
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Buffer – Clean interface and dead simple to use.
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Later – Visual planner for Insta addicts. Great for seeing how your grid looks before posting.
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Metricool – Planning + analytics in one. Plus, it supports TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn... all the chaos.
Ever wondered how some people seem everywhere at once? Spoiler: it's not magic. It’s scheduling.
3. Graphic Design Tools (No, You Don’t Need Photoshop)
Your stuff needs to look good. Period. But nobody’s got time to spend 3 hours making a quote post.
Use These:
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Canva – The holy grail of drag-and-drop design. Templates galore. Even the free version is a beast.
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VistaCreate – Canva’s underrated cousin. Also free. Sometimes better templates.
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Remove.bg – Instantly deletes backgrounds. Because nobody’s got time for the pen tool.
FYI: Looking professional doesn’t mean being a designer. It means using tools that make you look like one.
4. SEO Tools (AKA How People Find You Without Ads)
If you're not using SEO, you’re basically hiding your content under a rock. Let’s fix that.
Easy SEO Wins:
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Ubersuggest – Great for beginners. Keyword ideas, competition check, and site audit in one.
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Keywords Everywhere – Browser extension that shows search volume everywhere you go.
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Answer The Public – Ever wanted to know exactly what people Google? This tool is like mind reading.
IMO, SEO feels intimidating at first. But once you see your blog ranking on Google? Addicting.
5. Analytics Tools (Because Gut Feelings Don’t Pay the Bills)
Guessing what works is cute… until you spend 2 weeks promoting something that flops. Data saves lives (okay, maybe just time and sanity).
Tools to Use:
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Google Analytics – The OG. Shows who's visiting, from where, and what they’re doing.
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Hotjar – Heatmaps + recordings of how users interact with your site. Kinda creepy but super useful.
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Fathom – If Google Analytics makes your eyes glaze over, this is a clean, privacy-focused alternative.
Quick tip: Set up your analytics BEFORE you launch anything. Tracking after the fact? Not fun.
6. Content Writing & Editing Tools (Because Typos Happen)
Words matter—especially when you're trying to sell or connect. A single awkward sentence can ruin your vibe.
Must-Haves:
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Grammarly – It’s like having a grammar nerd on your shoulder (minus the judgment).
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Hemingway App – Makes your writing bolder and clearer. It even tells you when you're being too fancy.
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Quillbot – AI-powered paraphrasing. Handy for repurposing content or breaking writer’s block.
Honestly, don’t overthink your writing. Just write like you talk... then let these tools polish it up.
7. Landing Page Builders (Capture Leads Without a Developer)
You don’t need a full website to get started. A landing page can do wonders.
Best Options:
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Carrd – $19/year. YES, really. And it’s gorgeous.
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ConvertKit Landing Pages – Comes free with their email plan. Plug-and-play style.
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Leadpages – More advanced, but worth it if you want high-converting templates.
Question: Ever clicked a link, saw a clean, simple page, and thought “I need this!”? That’s a good landing page.
8. Automation Tools (So You Can Actually Sleep)
The dream: making money while you nap. The reality: setting up workflows that handle stuff for you.
Automate Your Life With:
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Zapier – Connects everything to everything. New email subscriber? Auto-add them to Google Sheets? Easy.
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IFTTT – Similar to Zapier but slightly simpler. “If This, Then That” logic.
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Make (formerly Integromat) – For the advanced nerds who want deeper automations. (Don’t worry, it’s optional.)
Work smarter, not harder. Automations make it feel like you cloned yourself—minus the evil twin part.
9. Bonus: AI Content Helpers (Use With Caution)
AI is the buzzword of the decade. And yeah, it can help—but don’t expect it to do all the work.
Use Wisely:
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ChatGPT – Great for brainstorming ideas, writing outlines, or breaking through creative block.
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Jasper – More structured and template-driven. Good for marketing copy.
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Copy.ai – Handy for product descriptions, ad copy, and social captions.
Remember: AI is a helper, not a replacement. Your voice and story still matter more than any algorithm.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need Every Tool. Just the Right Ones.
Starting digital marketing doesn’t mean signing up for 47 tools and losing your mind. Start simple. Pick 3-5 tools that fit your current goals. Want to grow your audience? Focus on email and social media schedulers. Want sales? Work on landing pages and automation.
And remember, everyone starts at zero. Every pro marketer once Googled “what is SEO?” and panicked about their first email blast.
Now it’s your turn to start. Grab one tool. Test one idea. Take one action. That’s how momentum builds.
You’ve got this—no marketing degree required :)
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