Best Marketing Automation Tools For Bloggers in 2023
Updated: May 15
Marketing automation tools for bloggers are a must-have in 2023. If you’re looking to stay on top of your game, it’s going to be hard without such tools.
In short, they will help you simplify your marketing efforts, save you tons of time, and reach more people. If these reasons alone are not enough to try out a few of those yourself, I don’t know what is!
In this blog post, we’ll go through the eight best marketing automation tools for bloggers in 2023. Whether you’re just starting or you already have blogging experience, these tools can help you big time.
Also, we’ll go over some key stuff to look for when choosing a marketing automation tool for your blogging business. Don’t worry, by the end of the article, you’ll know exactly what to look for when choosing a marketing tool.
So, let’s dive in!
What are marketing automation tools?
Marketing automation tools are software that help you automate all repetitive marketing tasks. Some repetitive tasks in question refer to email campaigns, social media posting, lead generation, and many more.
By using marketing automation tools, bloggers can easily improve the effectiveness of their campaigns. Also, this is when you start thinking at a larger scale.
Instead of spending time manually posting each post to all your social media channels, why not just automate it? That way, you can save at least 30 minutes per day, if not more.
Now, to paint a picture of what these marketing automation tools are.
Imagine if you planned out an entire social media strategy, all with a full 90-day content calendar. All you need to do now is create the content and post it on your social media channels.
But manually posting on social media can get time-consuming.
So, a good example of a marketing automation tool a blogger can use is - a social media automation tool like Buffer or Hootsuite.
Create your posts, schedule them, and just let it go. There’s really no need to hit that “post” button every time manually. This opens up so much room for strategic thinking and analysis, and makes it easier to focus on other content-creation tasks.
Your ROI can easily skyrocket if you got the right set of tools and a good strategy in place.
Why do bloggers need marketing automation tools?
Now, why would you even need a marketing automation tool?
If that’s the question you’re asking, you’re already a few steps behind your competition. The right question would be - which marketing automation tools do I need?
But to answer this question, you need these tools to manage your marketing efficiently.
From automating emails and social media posting to automating lead generation processes, there’s a tool for everyone. So, please, don’t do everything manually. It will just hurt your chance for success in this AI-driven new world.
And you know that’s true! But you’re still wondering “Hmm, why should I use these tools at all and pay for them when I can do everything for free?”
You can do it for free, but let’s think about this for a second. How far can your business go when you’re a one-man team with a limited amount of time available?
The answer is - not so far.
Now you may wonder “But my budget is low, what should I do?”
There is a solution to every problem. And the solution would be - look for tools that have free plans. Or try to look for a free alternative to some expensive tools.
I’ve been there, with 0 budget and 1000 tasks in the backlog. You got to find your way around. It’s that simple. Just try to do a bit of research, and go deep when looking for tools. Not everyone has the same needs, so some free tools may fit you perfectly.
Trust me, there are a ton of marketing automation tools for bloggers - and there are many free tools you’ll most likely love to use. Once you figure out you can do A/B testing, workflow automation, and analyze your marketing efforts with just a few free tools, you’ll be mindblown.
If you’re a blogger that’s racking up more than 1000 visitors per month, you probably know that data-driven decisions are the way to go. And oh boy, do I have some tools for you!
Now, it doesn’t hurt to be a bit cautious when buying a marketing automation tool for your blogging business. So, let’s see which things you should pay attention to when choosing a marketing automation tool.
Here's a nice graphic from Encharge on why you should you marketing automation tools.
It's easy to see that data backs up this entire story we're going through currently.
What to look for when choosing a marketing automation tool?
Let’s get down to business. You’re looking for a marketing automation tool for your blogging business, but it’s a bit hard to choose from one million available tools on the market.
I hear you. This is not easy. You have a limited budget you’ve decided to allocate to marketing automation tools and you don’t want to waste it.
So, here are the 6 most important factors you need to consider before choosing a marketing automation tool for your blog.
It needs to be easy to use
If you’re not tech-savvy or you just don’t want to waste your brainpower on learning how to use a tool that will automate your emails or social media posting, you’ll appreciate a simple user interface more than anything.
And this is where some tools just miss the entire point of their existence. What you’re looking for here is a user-friendly interface that won’t make you question the decision to buy this tool.
It’s simple as that.
This will save you tons of time and effort and allow you to concentrate your energy on what really matters.
The tool needs to have the right features
This is where I was wrong many times. Instead of looking for a tool with features I need, I used to look for tools that had the most features.
Even if the price was a bit higher, I bought them.
And guess what happened? I stopped using it in the next few weeks and canceled the subscription, only to switch to an alternative.
There may be a tool that has a ton of features but they aren't as good as you'd want them to be or they're just missing one key thing you need. On the other hand, there may be a tool that has 3 simple features that work perfectly and they're exactly what you need.
This is something you need to pay attention to. Make a list of the features you need, that are important for your blogging business. Once you’ve made your list, look for tools that don’t offer much outside what you’re looking for.
Fewer features, but more developed > More features, less developed
Or, we could say:
Quality > Quantity
Software integrations are key
Let’s put it this way - you’re already using 5 tools and you’re in the market for a new, social media automation tool.
Besides all the key factors you’re weighing on, you know that it would be nice if that new tool could integrate with your other tools (and even your website!)
So, the search begins and you start asking some questions:
Can I integrate that tool with my CRM so I can have a better overview of my users?
Can I connect this tool with my website to get the website data in the tool?
Can I connect this tool with my task management platform to automatically create new tasks?
Can I connect this tool with my other lead generation tools?
Luckily, you’ll find the list of available integrations on the tool’s website, so this step shouldn’t be too hard.
I think that integrations are extremely cool and save you time, but I’d say that ease of use, features, and price are the still top 3 factors you pay attention to.
Customization is a must-have
It’s really not hard to confirm this, right? When creating a marketing campaign in, let’s say, an email automation tool - we want it custom.
This is such a basic requirement.
While I researched the topic, I ran across dozens of blog posts that had so many words on why customization is important. I was shocked by the amount of corporate-style lingo and obvious detachment from the niche they’re targeting.
It’s just not that complex. You have a unique blog and a unique audience. When creating a marketing campaign, you should not just copy and paste some template and pretend you’ve done the best you can.
Of course, starting with predefined templates and customizing them up until the point you create your own templates is a good thing. As long as you're taking your audience into account.
So, look for tools that can serve as a playground of sorts. Mailchimp was the first one (for me, at least) that offered that kind of playground with its email workflows. I was thrilled by the fact that I can create a unique 10-step email automation.
The best thing - I could tailor the entire messaging to my audience! Every email was custom. And let me tell you - the audience knows it. They know when you’re authentic.
So, look for tools that allow you to customize your messaging. Or anything else, as Mailchimp does.
All in all, customization in marketing automation tools is crucial for creating targeted and effective campaigns that resonate with your readers. Believe me, it really is important.
Tool pricing is where it all goes down
If a tool is more expensive, it must be better, right?
Oh boy, do I have some news for you!
I’ve had free tools do a better job than some paid ones. But that's not always the case.
And it all comes down to a simple price/features ratio.
Remember, marketing automation tools come in all shapes and prices, from free to even a few hundred dollars a month (or even thousands if you're looking at enterprise plans).
Now, consider your budget and choose a tool that offers the exact features you need, but is within your price range. The search itself may even be fun sometimes and you’ll learn a bit about different tools on the market.
Still, there are some things you should consider here. If a tool costs 3X more than what you can afford, but it can also help you get 10X revenue, beware. This is a common trap most bloggers (me included) fell for.
The tool itself isn’t going to make any money, that’s all you. So if you’re going to choose a more expensive tool, be sure that you have a sound strategy in place and a day-to-day activity list prepared.
Support makes all the difference
Now imagine, you just started using a social media tool and you’ve experienced some troubles a few weeks later. Some of its features seem to stop working and you're instantly checking their website's help section.
But there's no answer to your question there. There is no live chat support or chatbot. You've sent them an email but there's been no answer in days.
Chances are, you'll start to think about alternatives that may fit your needs but also provide active support.
So, choose a tool that can offer you a reliable support channel. Some tools provide support chatbots, support email, and even support on their social media channels. If you’re lucky, phone support too!
Next, check their website for tutorials and documentation - especially if you’ve just chosen a bit complex tool. If you can find detailed documentation, like documentation on HubSpot’s website, you can be sure that you’ll most likely find an answer to any question you may have.
But when it comes to using the tool, tutorials and how-to guides are a must-have. Of course, the best way to learn how to do something is - to do it. But, there are many bits and quirks you may overlook.
So, be sure to check their website for all the important resources.
To summarize, when choosing a marketing automation tool for your blogging business, be sure to take these 6 factors into account.
It may take some time, but when you find a marketing automation tool that meets your unique needs, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your marketing goals.
What are the best marketing automation tools for bloggers in 2023?
There are a ton of marketing automation tools for bloggers tools on the market, but which ones are the best?
Worry not, here’s the list.
#1 ConvertKit
The first email automation tool for bloggers on the list is ConvertKit. It’s a powerful email automation tool designed for small businesses (blogging businesses included) aiming to optimize their ROI.
With ConvertKit, you can do a ton of marketing stuff. From building responsive opt-in forms (and embedding them) to creating landing pages from scratch, and setting up your custom drip email marketing sequences.
It’s a well-rounded email automation tool that offers everything you need to create a lead magnet, promote it, grab your users’ email addresses, and then nurture and sell to them over in the emails.
Awesome support, a ton of guides, and a high-quality set of features every blogger needs. Recommended!
Here are ConvertKit’s best features:
What’s best about ConvertKit:
You can create your own automation rules and set up custom workflows with triggers like new subscriptions, completed courses, product purchase, etc.
There are blueprints already prepared to help you set up new automation workflows (awesome for newbies!)
You can create custom opt-in forms with specific CTAs for all your posts
There are landing page templates you can editor with a visual editor (custom CSS changes are also possible)
You can create drip email sequences with a drag-and-drop editor
Price: There is a free plan with limited features. The Creator plan (for up to 1000 subscribers) starts is $29/month.
#2 Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a marketing automation tool you probably already know of. In essence, it’s an email marketing automation platform, but in recent years has expanded its feature list.
What you’ll love to know is that Mailchimp offers a ton of email marketing features like:
Email tracking and analytics
Custom campaign reports
Managing and segmenting users
Creating custom templates and using predefined ones
Marketing automation sequences
If you’re looking to do email marketing, I’d personally recommend Mailchimp if you’re just starting out. It allows you to dive into the email marketing space and get your first results for free.
Their support is marvelous, so you’ll find hundreds of help articles and how-to guides on their website. Besides, you can reach them through email or live chat, so you don’t need to worry about support at all. And another benefit - they have a mobile app!
Also, if you’re running an eCommerce (besides your blogging business), you can integrate Mailchimp and create targeted eCommerce email campaigns, automate product follow-ups, and much more.
What’s best about Mailchimp:
You can automate any email interaction ever
You can customize signup forms and integrate them on your website or social media
There is a ton of predesigned email templates, but you can create one yourself (or code it)
It takes little-to-no effort to segment users on Mailchimp and create personalized email campaigns
You can even integrate Facebook and Instagram ads into Mailchimp
Mailchimp’s reporting features are top-notch, all insights are actionable
Price: There is a free plan (up to 12,000 emails to 2,000 subscribers per month), other pricing plans are complex and depend on the number of emails and subscribers.
#3 Hootsuite
If you’ve gotten serious about automating your social media efforts, you’ve heard of Hootsuite. In my opinion, definitely one of the go-to social media tools for bloggers.
In essence, Hootsuite allows you to schedule your posts across various social media (and YouTube), manage both paid and organic content, and keep track of all customer conversations with a single inbox.
With Hootsuite, you can manage all your social media from a single dashboard and get actionable insights in real-time. And if you’re wondering, they are superb when it comes to supporting their users.
On their website, you’ll find help articles, guides, courses, expert certifications, training, and much more. And it’s all about social media! Useful, isn’t it? So, when choosing a social media automation tool for your blog, Hootsuite can easily be one of your top picks.
What’s best about Hootsuite:
You can schedule posts for all your social media from one dashboard
If you’re working in a team, you can collaborate by assigning tasks and approving posts
You can automate posts to be published at the best times (for your audience)
Hootsuite allows you to monitor brand mentions, industry topics, and competitors which is pretty neat
Answer to all your messages from a single inbox
You can customize all your reports to get the dashboard look you want
If you’re doing ads, you can follow their performance
There’s a mobile app
Price: On March 31, 2023, Hootsuite is shutting down the free plan. Pricing starts at $99/month, so think about how this fits into your budget when choosing a social media tool.
#4 Buffer
Ah yes, Buffer. I love this one and it’s the one I’m using currently for my social media automation - both for my blog and for my marketing activities at Propoze and PROTOTYP.
Buffer is a streamlined social media automation tool you’ll love the moment you start using it. Why is that? It’s their free plan. Undoubtedly. But we’ll get to that.
If you’re a freelancer, blogger, or small business owner, I recommend using Buffer. It helps you manage multiple social media profiles, plan and schedule your posts, and analyze social media performance.
It’s so well adapted to all social media platforms and they keep introducing new features to allow you to conquer social media. Some awesome features they released are Instagram direct scheduling, multi-user collaboration, suggested media feature, social media calendar, image creator, GIF uploader, and many more.
Also, they have a mobile app so you can do all that while on the move.
Now, why do I love Buffer so much?
When I started out with digital marketing, my budget was 0. Well, not technically 0 since my time goes in the budget too. I was looking for a free social media scheduling tool and I discovered Buffer.
If you manage, let’s say, 3 social media channels (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn), you can do that for free in Buffer. They have a free plan which allows 1 user to manage up to 3 social media profiles and schedule 10 posts per platform.
Keep in mind that if you schedule 30 posts for your 3 profiles, you can still keep scheduling new posts once your first batch gets published. There’s no monthly limit. Brilliant. Buffer knows how to hook new users with its free plan and it shows.
What’s best about Buffer:
It connects all your social media in a single dashboard
If you’re a content freak, you’ll love this - you can schedule up to 2,000 posts for each social media profile
You can share content from anywhere with their browser extension and mobile app
You can add more team members to your account
Analytics insights are straightforward and actionable
Price: Buffer’s free plan is awesome, but the Essentials plan helps you make the most out of your social media. Only $6/channel. So, if you have 5 channels, that’s $30/month. Not too bad.
#5 SEMrush
For a few years, SEMrush was my favorite tool in the entire world. I fell in love when I decided to spend $120 on the Pro plan (keep in mind, I’m in Croatia, so that’s a LOT of money for an individual).
I was using it for several years, combining its free features with other tools’ free features. But that won’t get you to the finish line. Once I decided to become a SEMrush pro, I was amazed.
Even though it’s an SEO (search engine optimization) tool, they’ve gone so far on the roadmap that they now have - a CRM, writing analysis tools, backlink analysis, site audit features, reporting features, and many more.
SEMrush keyword research capabilities are unmatched (maybe Ahrefs comes close), so if you plan on getting serious with SEO, go for SEMrush.
Some may say “But what kind of automation tool is this?”
If you’ve ever done keyword research, you know that tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs automate a ton of stuff. No manual keyword scraping, everything is ready and prepared, all that’s required is that you search for something.
All in all, 10/10, a phenomenal piece of marketing automation tool.
What’s best about SEMrush:
You can see what your competitors are ranking for, what kind of content are they ranking, and all the other important stuff like DA, referring domains, backlinks, etc.
With SEMrush you can even review your competitors’ ad data because SEMrush tracks ads through Google and Bing. This will help you optimize your ads and be a bit more strategic about them
You can find a ton of long-tail keyword
There’s a chart for everything and you can get access to so much SEO data that it’s just incredible
Price: You can use some features for free (there is a daily limit), but the pricing officially starts at $119.95.
#6 Ahrefs
What to say about Ahrefs if I don’t want to repeat what I said for SEMrush?
It’s really hard to tell. In the last several months, I’ve been leaning more toward Ahrefs because of one simple reason - it’s like SEMrush, but with a simpler and better user interface. It’s extremely easy to navigate and it has all the features an SEO professional could ever want.
The features are pretty much similar to SEMrush, except there are not many features outside the SEO sphere.
If you’re just starting out with SEO, I’d personally recommend you try Ahrefs. It’s a straightforward and easy-to-use marketing tool you’ll love from day 1.
Now, what’s important to mention is that SEMrush easily beats Ahrefs when it comes to value for money. If you aim to use every tool you have to its maximum extent, go for SEMrush.
Otherwise, go for Ahrefs.
What I’d like to say here - there’s no correct answer. This is totally subjective and I claim every right to express my own opinion since I’m the one paying for hosting on this website.
What’s best about Ahrefs:
You can track your website’s health, issues, keywords, and backlinks in a single dashboard
It has an easy-to-understand UI and a ton of learning resources
Ahrefs is incredibly accurate when it comes to SEO data
Price: No free features, pricing starts at $99/month.
#7 HubSpot
If you’re in the marketing industry, or you’ve ever tried to learn something about marketing - you probably know about HubSpot.
Essentially, HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing automation tool that offers an incredibly wide range of tools and modules a modern-day marketer needs.
Keep in mind, HubSpot is huge. And its Marketing Hub is only a part of the HubSpot CRM platform. I personally use it to manage leads and craft automated emails for my B2B efforts at PROTOTYP.
What needs to be said is - HubSpot is easy to use. Once you arrive to the main dashboard, you’ll get a clear overview of all your marketing activities. You can monitor your website traffic, social media engagement, email marketing performance, and much more.
The awesome thing about HubSpot is that it allows you to start automating your marketing campaigns for a very low price. If you’re new to marketing automation, HubSpot may be one of the best tools to start with.
Moreover, you’ll have access to HubSpot’s reporting and analytics modules which are more than enough for any blogger in the industry.
All in all, if you’re looking to improve your website traffic, supercharge your lead generation, and optimize your conversion rates - HubSpot is your go-to marketing automation tool.
What’s best about Hubspot:
A ton of features for a low price
CRM and SalesHub are also accessible
All marketing efforts can be managed through HubSpot
Easy to use with intuitive navigation
Price: There is a free plan with free tools. The Starter pricing plan is $20/month.
#8 Trello
You’re looking for a project management tool for your blogging business? Or you simply want to better organize your efforts? Trello is your go-to tool in this case.
If you know about Kanban and love using it, you’ll adore Trello. Essentially, it’s a Kanban board tool that allows you to create as many boards as you like, create new tasks, assign them, track your progress, and gather all your documents in one place.
One of the best features of Trello is its visual organization system. So, you can create boards, lists, cards, and categorize tasks and projects however you like.
Also, you can add comments, attachments, and due dates to each card (which usually represents a task) - making it easy to collaborate with your team.
Another good thing about Trello is that you can customize your boards. Use new backgrounds, labels, and power-ups to create whatever kind of board you need.
And if you’re keeping your documents on Google Drive, you can integrate it into Trello so you have access to your entire document repository. And, of course, there is a Slack integration so this just brings team collaboration to another level.