Running a small business is a juggling act. You’ve got customers to serve, invoices to send, emails to answer, and somewhere in between, you need to invest some time in the right marketing efforts to grow your business.
The good news? You don’t have to do it all manually.
Marketing automation tools can save you time on repetitive marketing tasks, nurture leads, and help your business grow without adding hours to your already packed schedule.
Automation can be a game-changer. Whether you run a home cleaning service, a boutique law firm, or a local plumbing business, the right tools can help with lead generation, engaging your audience, and boosting revenue.
Let’s dive into the best marketing automation tools for small businesses and how they can work for you.
HubSpot— Best All-in-One Solution
If you’re looking for a powerhouse tool with a wide range of advanced features that do it all—email marketing, CRM, social media scheduling, and automation workflows—HubSpot is a top pick. Small businesses love it because it scales with them.
Best For: Service-based businesses that want a full marketing and sales ecosystem.
Example Use Case: A home inspection company can use HubSpot to automate follow-up emails after an initial inquiry, nurture leads with helpful content, and even schedule social media posts promoting seasonal maintenance tips.
ActiveCampaign— Best for Email Automation
Email is still one of the best ways to stay connected with customers, and ActiveCampaign makes it incredibly easy. With advanced automation, lead scoring, and segmentation, this tool ensures your messages reach the right people at the right time.
Best For: Businesses that rely heavily on email marketing, such as coaching services, consultants, or personal trainers.
Example Use Case: A business coach can automate a welcome email series for new subscribers, send follow-ups based on engagement, and even segment contacts based on their interests.
Mailchimp— Best for Simplicity and Affordability
Mailchimp is a favorite among small businesses for a reason—it’s user-friendly and budget-friendly. It’s great for email marketing, basic automation features, landing pages, and even SMS messages, making it a solid choice for those just dipping their toes into marketing automation.
Best For: Small businesses just getting started with email marketing.
Example Use Case: A cleaning service can set up an automated email series that reminds past customers to schedule their next deep clean or offers a seasonal discount.
Zapier— Best for Connecting Your Favorite Apps
Zapier isn’t a marketing tool in itself, but it’s the glue that holds your marketing tech stack together. It allows you to connect different apps and automate repetitive tasks without writing a single line of code.
Best For: Businesses that use multiple tools and need them to “talk” to each other.
Example Use Case: A plumbing company can automatically add new leads from a Facebook ad form to their CRM, send a follow-up email via Mailchimp, and create a task in Trello for the sales team—all without manual input.
ManyChat— Best for Chatbot Automation
Customers expect quick responses, and chatbots can help you deliver just that. ManyChat allows small businesses to automate conversations on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and even SMS.
Best For: Service businesses that get a lot of customer inquiries on social media.
Example Use Case: A boutique law firm can use ManyChat to answer FAQs, schedule consultations, and qualify leads—all through an automated chat system.
Hootsuite— Best for Social Media Management
Social media is a critical marketing channel, but managing multiple platforms can be a headache. Hootsuite lets you schedule posts, track engagement, and automate responses—all in one dashboard.
Best For: Businesses that rely on social media for client engagement, such as beauty salons, fitness trainers, and photographers.
Example Use Case: A personal trainer can schedule posts, automate responses to common inquiries, and track social media engagement all from one platform.
ChatGPT— Best for Writing Content on Autopilot
If your marketing strategy requires content creation of any kind (it should), AI software like ChatGPT, Jasper AI, and others are a must-use. While not technically automation, these Artificial Intelligence tools do wonders to streamline and speed up the lengthy process of content writing for social media, email marketing campaigns, website content, and more.
Best For: Businesses that rely on content as any part of the sales or marketing, such as, well, literally anyone.
Example Use Case: A wellness clinic creating SEO content on their website to rank on Google, serve their clients with tailored information for popular searches, drive web traffic, and build a lead pipeline.
Calendly— Best for Appointment Scheduling
If your business revolves around appointments, Calendly is a must-have. It automates scheduling, sends reminders, and syncs with your calendar to prevent double bookings.
Best For: Businesses that rely on scheduled appointments, such as consultants, wellness clinics, or home services.
Example Use Case: A tax consultant can allow clients to book appointments online, send automatic reminders, and even follow up with a post-appointment email.
Keap— Best for CRM and Automation in One
Keap combines customer relationship management (CRM) with powerful marketing automation features. It’s perfect for small businesses that need an all-in-one solution but find HubSpot a bit too complex or pricey.
Best For: Businesses looking for a simple yet powerful CRM and marketing automation tool.
Example Use Case: A wedding planning business can automate lead capture, send personalized follow-ups, and manage client communications seamlessly.
How to Choose the Right Marketing Automation Tool for Your Business
With so many options, how do you pick the right one? Consider these factors:
Price: Some tools offer free plans or free trials, while others require a more significant investment.
Ease of Use: Some tools provide a simple user interface, while others require a significant learning curve. Choose a tool that fits your tech comfort level.
Scalability:Will the tool grow with your business?
Integration: Make sure it works with the apps you already use.
Operational Needs: Some tools are set-up and go, while others require a more significant ramp up. Select tools that enhance the processes your organization needs to function effectively and efficiently, and consider expanding your tech stack as you grow.
Customer Needs: Your automation tools aren’t just for you and your teams. You should also consider the specific needs of your audience. Will your audience benefit from a more streamlined appointment scheduling experience? Automated follow-ups and reminders? Email automation that walks them how to do what you’re suggesting they do?
Customer Support: Read reviews to see if users rave about (or complain about) support.
Customer Data: Select a tool that provides a variety or relevant data points that you can use to better understand and nurture your target audience.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Marketing automation isn’t about replacing the personal touch—it’s about elevating the customer experience through automated touch points, and freeing up your time to focus on what really matters: running your business.
Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or part of a marketing team, the right automation tools can help you attract more customers, nurture leads, and ultimately results in business growth without burning you out.
The benefit of living in this digital world is that most digital marketing strategies can be automated. Whether you’re a local business or an online service provider, let technology do some of the heavy lifting. Your future self will thank you.
Not sure where to begin building your automation tech stack?
At J&H Creative Consulting, we offer a fractional CMO service which involves onboarding one of our senior marketing experts to consult with you and your team and determine the right automation efforts and tools from CRM to email marketing, and more. We even stay on through implementation and training.
