The 13 Best Digital Marketing Analytics Tools to Try in 2024

Over the past 30 days, Samsung has been on fire in the digital world, reaching a massive estimated reach of more than 757 million on social media. Impressively, 75% of the sentiment surrounding them is positive. Plus, X (Twitter) is emerging as the most active platform in these lively discussions. Now, take a moment to reflect on your brand. Do you have any idea how you’re doing there? With the right marketing analytics tools, you can access your own statistics.

Marketing analytics tools are specialized software solutions designed to collect, analyze, and interpret vast amounts of marketing data, such as:

• Engagement rates
• Click-through rates
• Conversion statistics 
• Audience demographics
• Customer behavior patterns
• Social media sentiment analysis

But the cool part is how marketing analytics tools transform those raw numbers into actionable insights – like identifying which marketing channels are delivering the best ROI, understanding customer journey touchpoints that need improvement, or spotting the latest trends in customer feedback on social media.

I imagine you’re all in after hearing this… but hold your horses. There are many tools on the market, and you need to make a decision. How?

This article is your handy guide. I’ll go through the top tools to empower your marketing game. 

Get ready to make marketing data your best friend!

Top Marketing Analytics Tools:

1. Brand24 for AI-driven insights and mentions monitoring
2. Google Analytics for website traffic and user behavior analysis
3. HubSpot Marketing Hub for automating workflows
4. Heap for comprehensive user interaction tracking
5. Salesforce for managing customer data
6. Hotjar for visualizing user behavior with heatmaps
7. Funnel for streamlining data collection 
8. Klipfolio for visualizing key metrics
9. Mixpanel for advanced user behavior and retention analytics
10. WhatConverts for detailed conversion tracking
11. Mailchimp for managing email campaigns and automation
12. Semrush for comprehensive SEO analysis
13. SproutLoud for centralizing marketing across multiple locations 

01 Brand24

Free 14-day trial.

Brand24 is one of the leading marketing analytics tools and data sources for brand image pros out there. It’s adept at gathering and dissecting online mentions while keeping track of crucial marketing metrics. 

It leverages cutting-edge AI technology to serve up ready-to-use reports and identify the volume of positive, negative, and neutral mentions. But it doesn’t stop there.

Brand24 extends its prowess to measure social media reach, both on and off social platforms, and dives deep into sentiment analysis, offering tangible metrics like Reputation Score and Presence Score. 

Additionally, it calculates the Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) and monitors user-generated content, providing a 360-degree view of your brand’s digital footprint.

And it is all intuitive and adjustable!

Fun fact: giant companies like IKEA use the tool. 

Brand24 zips through social media and online platforms, grabbing real-time mentions (even those not tagged directly) of your brand from every corner. The data sources of Brand24 include:

• Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, Quora, Telegram, and Twitch
• Review sites such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, Booking, App Store, Google Play, Trustpilot
• Blogs
• Video platforms
• Podcasts
• Discussion forums
• Newsletters
• Online news sources
• Other publicly available sources

What’s great is how it doesn’t just track mentions but digs deeper. It tells you how people feel about your brand, spots the influencers talking about you, and pings you with timely alerts on the latest buzz.

Plus, it wraps up all these marketing data into sleek reports that make understanding your brand’s online footprint easier. Thanks to advanced AI technology, Brand24 gives you all the complex data in the form of simple insights, as below. 

Example: an identified spike in positive mentions and a potential cause of it.

Interpreting data can be challenging, especially if you’re not a pro, but this tool is an excellent guide. It’s professional yet approachable, making it a top pick for marketers who want to stay ahead of the game and take control over brand image.

Key features:

• Media monitoring
• Automated, AI-supported reports
• Competitor analysis and comparison
• Sentiment analysis
• Alerts and notifications for specific keywords or trends
• Share of voice in the industry (also UGC content)
• Reputation Score
• Presence Score
• Influencer identification
• Hashtag analytics
• Advanced filters search

Take a look below. As you can see, Brand24 gave me clear charts based on the data it collected. 

What I personally find helpful is how the tool tells me what’s behind any unusual picks and lows. I don’t have to review each mention and count the stats to get insights. 

The tool does it for me.

Let’s travel to Barbie Land for a moment. In this case, the tool interprets the increase in mentions as the result of the Golden Globes nominations. 

Brand24 highlights the possibility of fashion trend influence and, thus, the popularity of the “Barbie” name. It also shows the most popular mentions from the pick, so you can go and check it out. 

How cool is that!

Ah, and here’s a bit about the latest Barbie drama. The fact that Ryan Gosling got a nomination for the Oscars and Margot Robbie was snubbed resonated with many people and created a lot of buzz in the online world. 

These features make Brand24 an effective tool and a real game-changer for marketers. 

Do you want to know what people say about your brand? Are you seeking valuable insights? 

Leverage these analytics for strategic planning, real-time image management, and, in general – a better understanding of your audience.

02 Google Analytics

When considering digital marketing analytics tools, Google Analytics is free yet one of the most powerful software. 

Honestly, most digital marketers and webmasters told me they can’t imagine working without it. It dives deep into website traffic, user behavior, and other key metrics.

Also, what makes Google Analytics shine is its proficiency in website analytics. It provides many valuable insights into the customer journey. 

It’s effective at uncovering trends in traffic, pinpointing the sources of visits, and assessing user engagement levels. These insights are essential in optimizing websites for better user experiences and improved conversion rates.

But, as you probably know, managing this kind of data is not a walk in the park. To manage and visualize this wealth of data more effectively, integration with tools like Google Data Studio can be a game-changer.

What is a Google Data Studio?

Data Studio allows you to create your own dashboards and reports, making data analysis more accessible and readable. 

This tool also enables using some customizable templates to make the process faster. It is particularly helpful for those who find the Google Analytics dashboard a bit overwhelming or don’t want to spend hours turning data analysis and creating reports.

Key features:

• In-depth website analytics
• Tracking user behavior
• Conversion tracking
• Customizable templates for reports and dashboards
• Real-time analytics

These functionalities make Google Analytics a great choice out of all the web analytics tools. Ideal for marketers focused on understanding and improving website traffic.

03 HubSpot Marketing Hub

HubSpot Marketing Hub is a dynamic, all-in-one marketing software. I talked to a few marketing managers about it, and the outcome was simple. People love its versatility. 

It’s designed to streamline various marketing functions – from content and social media marketing management to lead generation and marketing analytics.

This tool stands out for its ability to automate and integrate various complex marketing processes. It makes it easier to attract, engage, and delight customers. Isn’t that what’s marketing about?

Another thing users appreciate is its user-friendly interface and the range of tools available. 

Key features:

• Comprehensive content management
• Automated marketing workflows
• Social media integration and analytics
• Lead generation and management tools
• Integrated marketing analytics and reporting

These features make HubSpot Marketing Hub an excellent choice for marketers aiming for a seamless, efficient marketing strategy. However, you need to know that most people find it too costly, 792 euros/month is a major expense.

04 Heap

Heap jumps into the marketing analytics game as a key player, offering a unique approach to understanding customer interaction on your website. 

With a focus on automating the collection of every user click, swipe, and form submission, it captures a goldmine of data without the need for you to tag each action manually. 

What sets Heap apart is its ability to give you the full picture of how users engage with your site, enabling you to make data-driven decisions with precision.

Key features:

• Automatic tracking of all user interactions
• Easy setup without the need for coding
• Comprehensive funnel and path analysis
• Retroactive data analysis for insights from past user interactions

Heap is a match for those who value in-depth data and insights, enabling a deeper understanding of user experiences to optimize website performance and conversion rates.

05 Salesforce Marketing Cloud Suite

Salesforce was primarily known for its customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. But it has quickly evolved into one of the best marketing analytics software. 

It provides solutions for many needs (from customer data management to personalized marketing strategies).

The platform is great if you need to understand your customer profile. It’s packed with features and offers detailed marketing analytics. Just a heads up, though – it can be pretty complex and might take some time to learn.

Key features:

• Advanced customer data management
• Personalized marketing campaign tools
• Detailed customer insights and analytics
• Comprehensive CRM integration
• Customizable to various marketing needs

These aspects make Salesforce a powerful choice for marketers seeking in-depth customer insights and personalized marketing strategies.

06 Hotjar

Hotjar is like the heat vision goggles of the digital marketing world, visualizing user behavior with heatmaps that show you exactly where people are clicking, scrolling, and dropping off. 

Beyond just numbers and charts, Hotjar provides a visual story of the user experience, making it a go-to for UX designers and marketers alike who are keen on optimizing website layouts and improving user flows.

Key features:

• Heatmaps for visualizing user clicks, taps, and scrolling behavior
• Visitor recordings to watch real user sessions
• Conversion funnel analysis to identify drop-off points
• Feedback polls and surveys for direct user insights

If visual data and direct user feedback are what you’re after to polish your website’s user experience, Hotjar is perfect.

07 Funnel

Funnel is your go-to for making sense of all that marketing data chaos. It’s like having a personal assistant that grabs all your marketing data from different advertising platforms and organizes it for you. 

Super handy, right?

It’s especially great at pulling together info from everywhere, so you don’t have to juggle a dozen tabs just to see how your ads are doing.

What’s cool about Funnel is how it automates data collection. You’re getting a system that does the hard work for you so that you can focus on the bigger picture.

Just a heads up, though – it’s got some pretty advanced features that might take a minute to get used to. But once you’re up to speed, it’s a game-changer in keeping your marketing data neat.

Key features:

• Automated data collection from multiple sources
• Simplified performance tracking and analytics
• Easy integration with various advertising platforms
• Customizable data reporting
• Streamlined data management processes

Funnel is ideal for marketers who need a comprehensive yet user-friendly solution for managing and analyzing their marketing data effectively. It’s beneficial for managing marketing campaigns on multiple channels.

08 Mixpanel

Mixpanel takes marketing analytics a step further by not just tracking data but also showing it through the lens of user behavior and retention. This tool gives you insights into how often users return and what keeps them hooked. 

It’s a favorite for SaaS businesses and mobile apps looking to dive deep into the user journey and drive engagement through targeted, data-informed strategies.

Key features:

• Advanced user behavior and retention analytics
• Customizable event tracking
• Cohort analysis for segmented user behavior
• A/B testing for product and feature optimization

For teams obsessed with user engagement and retention, Mixpanel offers the insights needed to fine-tune products and marketing strategies for maximum impact. 

09 Klipfolio

Now, here’s the scoop on why Klipfolio is on the list, as it is definitely less popular than the other marketing analytics tools. 

It turns those dry metrics and data into something you’d actually want to look at. It’s also a great place to store your data history, so nothing gets lost. 

And security? Top-notch. Your data’s locked up tighter than grandma’s secret cookie recipe.

Key features:

• Metrics and data visualizations
• Data storage and history
• Tight data security and privacy controls
• Client reporting solutions

But, fair warning – when Klipfolio gets its hands on super large data sets, it might slow down a bit. Plus, some users complain there is no Python API integration, limiting the use of SQL only for analysis purposes.

10 WhatConverts

You can think of it as your marketing efforts detective. The tool is great at uncovering the ‘whodunit’ of your marketing campaigns – which ads, keywords, or social media posts are (really) leading to those important customer conversions.

It’s a tool that doesn’t just count your wins. It shows you where and how you’re winning. WhatConverts is pretty big on details – from tracking every lead source to providing detailed reports. And that all helps to understand the success of your campaigns.

Key features:

• Super-smart conversion tracking
• A magnifying glass on where your leads come from
• Reports that make data easy to understand

For marketers looking to get a clear picture of their campaign successes, WhatConverts is like having a crystal ball that actually works. 

But, while it’s a powerhouse of data (and most marketers see it as its advantage) – it might take some time to get used to all the features it offers.

11 Mailchimp

Although it used to be, it is now so much more than just an email marketing analytics tool. In fact, I’d rather call it an all-in-one marketing analytics platform. What it does, you’ll probably ask?

This platform is adept at managing email marketing campaigns, automating marketing processes, and providing analytics for insightful data interpretation. Mailchimp simplifies marketing automation, audience targeting, predictive analytics, and campaign tracking, offering a seamless experience.

Key features:

• Easy-to-use email campaign management
• Automated marketing workflows
• Audience segmentation and targeting
• Basic analytics and reporting tools
• Integration capabilities with other marketing platforms

It’s particularly useful for small to medium-sized businesses. Looking to engage with their audience effectively without getting lost in complex software. However, as businesses grow, some might find its features limiting compared to more specialized or advanced platforms.

For businesses seeking a straightforward, efficient way to handle various marketing tasks, MailChimp is a solid choice.

12 Semrush

Semrush is a comprehensive tool that’s got you covered for SEO, content marketing, competitor monitoring, and PPC. It’s pretty much a goldmine for any digital marketer aiming to boost their website’s ranking or keep an eye on the competition.

This tool is a big YES if you want to uncover the right keywords to attract more visitors, determine where your competitors are getting their traffic from, or need help creating content that resonates with your audience. 

It’s particularly valuable for those who are serious about enhancing their SEO and overall content marketing effectiveness.

Key features:

• SEO features to rank higher
• Content tools that help you create stuff people want to read
• Sneaky competitor insights
• Pay-per-click for online ads
• Social media tricks

If you’re new to the whole SEO and digital marketing scene, getting to grips with Semrush might initially feel a bit daunting. But give it some time; soon, you’ll find it indispensable for crafting and executing a successful marketing strategy.

13 SproutLoud

SproutLoud is a marketing analytics software designed for businesses spread across multiple locations (like franchises or dealer networks). You can think of it as the control center of your various marketing channels.

The platform’s real charm is in ensuring your brand message stays consistent across all marketing channels. But here’s the kicker – it also allows local partners to tweak marketing efforts to their liking. 

This marketing analytics tool empowers local branches to personalize their marketing efforts without straying from the overall brand marketing strategy. And well, no surprise, it all leads to better campaign performance.

However, just a heads up – some folks find it a bit complex when they first dive in, and it’s not exactly the cheapest tool, so be prepared.

Key features:

• Centralized marketing automation for multi-location businesses
• Customizable marketing materials for local branches
• In-depth analytics and reporting on campaign performance
• Brand consistency and compliance checks
• Localized marketing support

SproutLoud is a great fit for those looking to streamline their marketing efforts across different locations without losing that local touch.

How to choose the right marketing analytics tools?

Choosing the right marketing analytics software can seem to be a tall order. But whether we like it or not, it’s a crucial step to make sure the features meet your specific needs. And it leads us to the starting point – What are the most important features of a great marketing analytics tool?

You probably won’t like my answer, cause – it depends. 

The variety of marketing analytics tools on the market is vast, which is good! However, to make things easier – here’s a ready-to-use list of potential needs and features to keep an eye on.

What to look for in marketing analytics software?

1. User-Friendly Interface
   Easy navigation and a clear layout are crucial, especially for teams that might not have extensive technical expertise. I believe we all used a tool with an outdated user interface, and oh, wasn’t it a rough ride?
2. Data Collection and Integration
   The tool should be able to collect data from a wide range of sources (like social media, web analytics, CRM systems) and integrate them seamlessly for a holistic view.
3. Real-Time Analytics
   For quick decision-making, real-time data analysis can be very handy. This feature allows you to monitor your marketing campaigns and react promptly to changes in market trends. It is also a great feature regarding brand image management – you can quickly react to any mentions and respond to users’ voices.
4. Predictive Analytics and AI Capabilities
   Advanced tools should offer predictive analytics to forecast trends and AI-driven insights for deeper analysis.
5. Segmentation and Audience Analysis
   A good tool will allow you to segment audiences and analyze behavior patterns, which is crucial for targeted marketing strategies.
6. Conversion Tracking and Attribution
   Understanding which marketing efforts lead to conversions is fundamental. The tool should track the customer journey and attribute conversions correctly.
7. Competitor Analysis
   Keeping an eye on competitors’ strategies and performance can offer valuable insights, so this feature can be a significant advantage.
8. Sentiment Analysis
   For brands focusing on social media, sentiment analysis helps understand the emotional tone behind social mentions.
9. Scalability
   The tool should grow with your business, accommodating increasing data volumes and more complex analytical needs over time.
10. Customer Support and Training
    Good customer support and training resources are vital for helping your team make the most of the tool and seamless tool introduction.
11. Cost-Effectiveness
    The tool should offer a good balance of features and cost – affordable for small businesses but scalable for larger enterprises. Many of the tools provide custom pricing, which is usually a pretty good option as you can be sure you’ll pay the relevant price. But here’s the thing – you’ll have to spend some time on emails to get an offer.
12. Integration with Marketing Platforms
    Seamless integration with existing marketing platforms (like email marketing analytics tools and social media platforms) is a big plus.
13. Customizable Dashboards and Reports
    The ability to tailor dashboards and reports to specific business needs and goals is essential for effective data visualization and interpretation.
14. Compliance and Security
    Ensuring data privacy and security is non-negotiable, especially in line with GDPR and other regulations.

By identifying crucial features for your brand, you’ll be better equipped to choose a marketing analytics tool that meets your needs and enhances your marketing efforts.

Conclusion

So there you have it, a roundup of the hottest marketing analytics tools to look out for in 2024. 

It’s clear that finding the right tool is less about the ‘best’ in the market and more about what’s best for your specific needs.

If I were to name my personal winners – Brand24, Google Analytics, and HubSpot Marketing Hub would be the choices for improving my marketing strategy. 

Brand24 is your ear to the ground for mention monitoring, Google Analytics serves as the eye for web traffic and user behavior, and HubSpot Marketing Hub acts as the central nervous system, automating and integrating your marketing workflow seamlessly.

They collectively cover a wide array of marketing needs—from AI-driven insights to detailed user interaction tracking and workflow automation—ensuring you can effectively measure and act on the most critical marketing metrics.

These are mine, but it’s totally okay if you find a different tool that is a more suitable option for you. And if you still can’t make up your mind – here are a few key takeaways to guide you in making your choice:

1. Test opportunities

Don’t miss out on the chance to take these tools for a spin. Free trials are your best friend here – they’re like test-driving a car. Brand24’s free trial, for example, is an excellent opportunity to dip your toes in the water before diving in.

2. Eyes on your goals

Keep your specific goals at the forefront when looking through the various marketing tools. 

Do you want to understand your customers better, find new prospects, improve presence score, or get a handle on your social media? 

With so many amazing features out there, it’s easy to want it all. But it’s important to stay focused and pick a tool that aligns with what you need most. 

Remember, the best tool for you is the one that directly addresses your requirements.

3. Ease of use

A user-friendly tool is a treasure. Look for something that integrates smoothly into your existing workflow, making your job easier, not more complicated.

All in all, these tools are about turning data into decisions and insights into action. 

Whether you’re a small business or a big player, there’s something in this list that can up your marketing game.

Notes taken? See for yourself how tracking the right data can make a real difference. Start a free trial!