Short answer
- Start with free tools from Google and Meta: Google Business Profile, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Meta Business Suite.
- Add one design tool (Canva has a free plan) and one way to collect reviews (your direct Google review link costs nothing).
- Pay for tools only when a free one limits you, and only for a job you do every week.
- AI tools are useful for first drafts of captions, emails and ideas. They don't replace knowing your customers.
The core kit (free)
If you set up nothing else, set up these. All four are free to use, and together they cover how people find you, what they do on your site, and where you post.
| Tool | What it does for you | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Your listing on Google Search and Maps: hours, photos, reviews, posts, calls and directions. | Every business that serves customers locally |
| Google Search Console | Shows which Google searches show your website, how often people click, and any indexing problems. | Anyone with a website |
| Google Analytics | Shows how many people visit your site, where they come from and what they do there. | Anyone with a website |
| Meta Business Suite | Manage your Facebook page and Instagram account in one place: schedule posts, answer messages, see insights. | Businesses on Facebook or Instagram |
Tip: set them all up under one business Google account and one Meta account that you own, not a staff member's personal account or an agency's. When people leave, the access stays with you.
Tools by job
Instead of choosing tools by brand, start from the job you need done. Most of these jobs have a free option that's good enough for a small business.
Getting found on Google
- Google Business Profile for Maps and local results. Run through my free local SEO checker to see what's missing.
- Google Search Console to see the searches you already appear for. The "Performance" report is the best free keyword research a small business can get, because it's your own data.
- Bing Webmaster Tools, free, the Search Console equivalent for Microsoft's search engine. Worth five minutes to set up.
Understanding your website visitors
- Google Analytics for visits, sources and actions.
- Google Tag Manager, free, if you need to add tracking codes (for example the Meta Pixel) without editing the website each time.
- Your website's own form and call buttons: make sure each one is something you can count. A visitor number means little without knowing how many called.
Social media and posting
- Meta Business Suite for Facebook and Instagram posts and messages.
- The built-in scheduling inside each platform is often enough. Paid schedulers make sense when you post to four or more platforms every week.
Design and video
- Canva (free plan available) for social posts, flyers, menus and simple ads, with templates sized for each platform.
- Your phone's camera and built-in editor for quick clips. If you want them edited into polished reels, that's what my video reels service does.
Reviews and reputation
- Your direct Google review link, available from your Business Profile. Put it in a text template and a QR code. Free and more effective than most review software for a single location.
- Paid review platforms help mainly with many locations or automated requests from a booking system.
Email and SMS
- Many email platforms offer a free tier for small lists. Check current limits before choosing, since free tiers change often.
- If you already use a booking or point-of-sale system, look there first: many include basic email or text reminders.
- Whatever you use, only message people who agreed to hear from you, and include a clear way to opt out.
Marketing research tools
Before paying for a keyword or competitor tool, try the free research you already have access to:
- Google Keyword Planner shows search ideas and volume ranges. It's free but sits inside Google Ads, so you need a Google Ads account to use it (you don't have to run ads).
- Google Search Console shows real searches people used to find you.
- Google Trends shows when interest in a topic rises and falls during the year, useful for seasonal businesses.
- Meta Ad Library lets you see ads that businesses are running on Facebook and Instagram, including your competitors.
- Your competitors' Google profiles: their categories, review counts and photos tell you what you're up against in the map results.
AI marketing tools: where they help
AI writing and image tools are useful for a small business when you treat them as an assistant, not an author:
- Good uses: first drafts of captions and emails, rewording your service descriptions, brainstorming offers, summarizing reviews to spot common complaints.
- Be careful with: facts about your business (prices, hours, claims) that need checking, AI images that misrepresent your real work, and publishing large amounts of generic text on your website.
- Never: generate fake reviews or testimonials. It breaks Google's and Meta's rules and, in many places, consumer protection law.
When to pay for software
A simple test before any subscription:
| Question | If the answer is no... |
|---|---|
| Do I do this job every week? | A free tool or a one-off service is probably enough. |
| Has the free version actually limited me? | Stay on free until it does. |
| Will someone own and use it after the first month? | Don't buy it. Unused software is the most common marketing waste. |
| Can I measure what it changed (calls, bookings, time saved)? | Set that measure before you pay. |
For what agencies and freelancers typically charge to run these tools for you, see my guide on marketing agency costs.
A 1-hour setup plan
- 15 minutes: claim or check your Google Business Profile, fix hours and categories, copy your review link.
- 15 minutes: verify your website in Google Search Console and submit your sitemap.
- 15 minutes: add Google Analytics to your website (or ask your web designer to).
- 15 minutes: connect Facebook and Instagram in Meta Business Suite and turn on message notifications.
If you'd rather not touch any of it, my $397 website includes Google Business Profile setup and Search Console, and you can see a free preview first on the website design page.