9 Simple Marketing Tools Startups Can Use Today

You’ve got a product to build, customers to serve, and a to-do list that never shrinks. Marketing usually ends up wedged between “answer the phone” and “fix the thing that broke”. The right tools don’t make marketing perfect—but they do make it doable.

This guide is for early-stage startups and small local businesses that need practical momentum: get discovered, capture interest, and follow up consistently without becoming a full-time marketer. Think “simple digital marketing tools for startups” you can set up in an afternoon and actually keep using.

Simple isn’t “cheap” or “basic”. Simple means your marketing still works on your busiest week.

A tool is genuinely simple when it does three things: it saves time (automation or templates), it reduces decision fatigue (clear next steps), and it doesn’t require technical know-how (no complicated set-up or jargon-heavy dashboards). If it also plays nicely with what you already use—Google, your mobile phone, your calendar—that’s a bonus.

One more reality check: the “best” tool depends on your sales cycle. A café and a B2B service startup have different needs. The goal is to pick a small set that covers the essentials, then stick with it long enough to see results.

Most startup marketing boils down to five jobs: being findable, looking credible, capturing leads, following up, and learning what’s working. You don’t need 20 platforms—you need coverage across these five.

What follows are the most useful categories, with examples and how to use each without getting stuck.

If you serve a local area, your fastest wins often come from people already searching. That means your map listing matters.

Start with Google Business Profile. It’s free, and it helps you appear in map results and local searches. The simple approach is: choose the right category, add opening times, add real photos (your shopfront, team, best-selling product), and post a short update once a week. Don’t overthink the copy—clarity beats clever.

Trade-off: map visibility is competitive. If you’re in a busy category (e.g., “plumber” or “beauty salon”), you’ll need reviews and consistent updates to stand out.

A website doesn’t need to be fancy; it needs to answer questions quickly. For most startups, that’s:

Who you help, what you offer, how much it costs (or how pricing works), where you operate, and how to book/buy.

Tools like Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress.com can get you live quickly with templates. If you’re running ads or promoting a specific offer, add dedicated landing pages rather than sending everyone to your homepage. Landing pages work because they keep the visitor focused on one action—book, request a quote, join a list.

It depends: if you’re experimenting with your offer weekly, a lighter landing-page tool can be easier than a full site rebuild. But if you’re established locally, a proper site builds trust long-term.

Startups often lose leads because they rely on “DM us” or a generic contact page that nobody checks. A simple form fixes this.

Google Forms works for basics (quick, free, and familiar). Typeform is popular when you want a more guided, friendly feel. For websites, most builders include form blocks you can connect to your inbox.

The key is what happens after the form. Send an auto-confirmation that sets expectations: “Thanks—if you enquired about X, we’ll reply within 1 working day.” That one line reduces back-and-forth and makes you look organised.

Common mistake: asking for too much information. If you add too many required fields, completion rates drop. Ask only what you need to respond with a useful next step.

Email is still one of the most reliable channels because it doesn’t depend on an algorithm. For a startup, it’s also your best “repeat attention” tool—you can follow up without starting from zero.

Mailchimp, Kit, and MailerLite are solid options for simple newsletters and automations. The two automations worth setting up early are:

Welcome email: sent immediately after someone joins your list.

Enquiry follow-up: a short sequence if someone requests info but doesn’t book.

Keep your emails practical. One idea, one offer, one action. You’re not writing a magazine.

Trade-off: email only works if you keep your list clean and your promise clear. If people sign up for “10% off” then you only send unrelated updates, they’ll stop opening.

Social media is useful, but it’s a time sink if you treat it like a daily chore. Scheduling tools turn it into a weekly task.

Buffer and Later are straightforward for planning and publishing posts ahead of time. If you only choose one social channel, pick the one your customers already use (for many local businesses that’s Facebook or Instagram; for some services it’s LinkedIn).

A simple rhythm that works: one customer result, one behind-the-scenes post, one helpful tip each week. Repetition is fine. Your audience isn’t analysing your content calendar—they’re trying to decide if they can trust you.

It depends: if you rely on footfall and last-minute decisions, Stories and short-form updates can matter more than polished posts. If your sales cycle is longer, consistent educational content builds confidence.

You don’t need to be a designer; you need to be consistent.

Canva is the go-to for quick flyers, social posts, menus, and simple ads. Use a small set of templates, lock in your brand colours and fonts, and reuse layouts. This avoids the “every post looks different” problem that makes small businesses feel less established.

Trade-off: templates can look generic if you don’t add real photos or specific details. Your images, your team, your location—those are what make template designs feel authentic.

You can’t improve what you don’t measure, but you also don’t need a complicated reporting set-up.

At minimum, track three things each month: where enquiries came from (Google, social, referrals), how many enquiries you received, and how many turned into sales. A simple spreadsheet is enough.

If you want proper website tracking, use Google Analytics and Google Search Console. They can look intimidating, but you only need a few basics: which pages get visited, what people search to find you, and whether your key actions (form submissions, bookings) are happening.

Trade-off: data can distract you. If you’re spending more time looking at charts than talking to customers, pull back. Measure just enough to make one decision per month.

For local businesses, reviews are marketing. They influence click-throughs, bookings, and even how you rank in local search.

The tool can be as simple as a saved message on your phone: after a successful job, send a polite request with a direct link to leave a review. The habit matters more than the platform.

If you want more structure, use a lightweight reputation tool that sends requests automatically after purchase or appointment.

It depends: if you’re in a sensitive category (health, legal, personal services), be careful with wording and timing. The goal is to invite honest feedback, not pressure people.

The easiest way to waste time is switching between apps and retyping the same information.

Zapier and Make let you connect tools so that, for example, a form submission creates a row in a spreadsheet and sends you a notification. For many startups, that’s enough automation to save hours over a month.

But the simplest “source of truth” is often a CRM or even a shared spreadsheet where every lead goes. If you can’t answer “how many leads did we get last week and what happened to them?”, tools won’t fix the underlying issue.

A useful rule: automate only after you’ve run the process manually a few times. Otherwise, you’ll automate the wrong workflow.

When you’re comparing options, ignore the feature lists and focus on your next 30 days.

Pick tools that match your immediate constraint. If you’re not getting found, prioritise local search and reviews. If you’re getting enquiries but not closing, prioritise follow-up (email/CRM). If you’re too busy to post, prioritise scheduling and templates.

Also consider who will run it. If it’s you, choose the most straightforward interface. If you have a part-time admin or a co-founder who likes systems, you can afford slightly more structure.

If you want a place to start with free, no-setup helpers designed for small businesses, [Local Biz Toolkit ](https://localbiztoolkit.co.uk) is built for exactly that: practical tools that save time and remove the “where do I even begin?” barrier.

Day 1: Claim and complete your Google Business Profile, add photos, and write a clear description.

Day 2: Publish a simple website or landing page with one primary action (call, book, or form).

Day 3: Add a lead form and an auto-reply that sets expectations.

Day 4: Set up an email list and a short welcome email.

Day 5: Create three Canva templates you can reuse.

Day 6: Schedule a week of posts in Buffer or Later.

Day 7: Decide on your monthly tracking sheet and commit to one metric review day.

None of this is glamorous. That’s the point. Simple tools earn their keep when you’re busy—and the best marketing system is the one you’ll still be using three months from now, even after a long day on the tools.