Growth hacking isn’t about tools – it’s about taking on a mindset of explosive growth with minimal resources and beating out the 800-lb gorillas with creativity and innovation. 

That said, the right tool will make it a heck of a lot easier to hack your way to growth. 

And if you’re banging your head against a wall trying to figure out your next move, simply understanding what some tools do can lead to a Eureka moment.

So, here’s a list of our absolute favorite growth hacking tools to help you hack through the marketing jungle into success.

Discourse.org

As far as growth hacking tools go, Discourse is not one that makes it on most people’s lists. But we’re trying to change that.

Discourse is an open-source forum platform that lets you engineer communities around your business. Think of it like creating a subreddit for your target audience.

Featuring an intuitive and user-friendly interface, Discourse allows users to easily organize conversations and pin topics of interest. It also allows users to hide categories they are not interested in, as well as bookmark topics and conduct surveys. In short, everything you want out of a discussion group.

Discourse is a great growth hacking tool for communities and projects of all sizes. It’s easy to use and host, and provides a great way to keep track of discussions and interests. The only drawback is that it gets a lot of updates and that makes it hard to keep up with features. 

Additionally, the privacy terms may be confusing for some, as private messages are not private to the admin. So, there’s a bit of a learning curve but it’s one well worth navigating through.

Zapier

Zapier is an excellent growth hacking tool for businesses looking to automate their workflow without writing any code. It allows users to create ‘zaps’ that are triggered by events in their connected apps and automate workflows as a result.

Zap can handle simple tasks like sending Slack messages when you schedule a Google calendar event. And you can even chain zaps to automate very complex workflows.

In addition, Zapier provides helpful support materials such as videos, newsletters, and documents to assist users in leveraging the platform. Its ability to quickly link multiple systems together is especially advantageous for businesses that rely on multiple systems for their operations.

The only downside to Zapier is its cost; users need to upgrade to get the software’s full potential. Nevertheless, it is a great tool for businesses looking to streamline their operations and cut down on tedious, repetitive tasks.

Typeform

Typeform is a no-code platform that enables you to create personalized experiences and build strong relationships, all through thoughtfully designed forms, quizzes, surveys – even asynchronous video solutions.

If you find yourself wishing Google Forms had a bit more functionality and pizzazz, Typeform is the perfect growth tool to try.

Not only that but its user experience makes completing these easy as pie thanks to features like Logic Jump which tailors questions specifically for each respondent; saving time and providing a more accurate response rate in return. It’s no wonder why Typeform has become such an amazing force of growth in this digital age!

Typeform has revolutionized the way we capture customer data, but there’s still room for improvement. Integrating with more business intelligence platforms would make it easier to export collected info and get valuable insights from deeper analysis.

Oh yeah, and it integrates seamlessly with a bunch of other tools through Zapier 👆

Referral Factory

Referral Factory makes it quick and easy for your business to turbocharge customer acquisition by utilizing referral marketing. With just a few clicks you can set up your own program tailored specifically to your needs, or use one of the premade templates – all in under five minutes! 

Integration with Hubspot and many other CRM platforms takes out any extra hassle from generating links and allows automatic access within moments. Plus, with amazing customer support on hand throughout implementation, you’ll be provided strategic insights into how best to reward customers as an incentive for referring friends.

We were able to launch our campaign quickly, thanks to the intuitive and straightforward setup. You can have multiple campaigns running at the same time and in different languages, which is a great option. 

Referral programs are a staple of quick growth and Referral Factory is a great overall solution but if you’re in the e-commerce space, Referral Candy is a solid alternative and one that we frequently rely on.

Influitive

Gamification is the name of the game when it comes to growing on a budget and Influitive is one of our favorite tools for the job.

Influitive is a powerful platform that creates dynamic relationships between businesses and their advocates. It allows users to engage in personalized challenges with exciting opportunities, like earning rewards for points, badges, or levels! 

Not only does it integrate easily into existing CRM systems but the Influitive team provides invaluable guidance along every step of your customer journey. 

Through our experience using this amazing tool, we’ve been able to foster meaningful connections while gaining a crucial understanding of how best to support our customers.

Influitive provides an excellent means of maximizing the value you can get from your existing customers, but its Discussions module could be improved. With a high level of activity comes difficulty in following threads and staying abreast with new responses – something that should be addressed to ensure users keep up with all their conversations!

Discord

Discord is one of the most popular communication platforms right now. But most people write it off because it was originally conceived as a voice chat solution for gaming. 

Fortunately, that makes it an ideal tool to gain an edge over your competitors. 

Discord can be a valuable tool for growth hacking if you use it to build and engage with a community, collaborate with influencers, run promotions and contests, and provide excellent customer support.

The possibilities are endless, but the basic takeaway here is that Discord is a unique tool to build a community. And if you’re trying to grow fast, there’s nothing quite as powerful as a base of true believers behind you.

Beware, though, Discord users are very good at sniffing out shills. If you’re going to use it, you had best be ready to deliver in a big way and genuinely connect with users. 

SparkToro

SparkToro is the brainchild of Rand Fishkin, the founder of MOZ and an undeniable thought leader in the field of digital marketing. 

With this user-friendly research tool, you can access an incredible amount of data in just one click. See which websites and social accounts customers visit, along with the hashtags they use – all without weeks or months of painstaking manual work. 

It’s easy too: comprehensive guided tours ensure understanding from start to finish while helpful tips on each tab make navigating the interface a breeze.

The only drawback we can see is that the price may be a little high for small businesses. However, the value of the data over time makes up for it. Additionally, an API is in the works but hasn’t been released yet. We look forward to seeing it soon!

Airtable

On your path to growth, you’ll run into very specific problems that you’ll need to solve quickly. And relying on off-the-shelf software often doesn’t quite address your needs or has you paying for features you don’t need. Enter Airtable.

Airtable is a powerful platform that allows users to build custom applications without writing any code. It has many useful features, such as the ability to customize processes and automate workflows, making it an ideal tool for streamlining projects and processes.

Its visual design is particularly impressive, as it takes the same functionalities of a spreadsheet, but manages to make it easier and more efficient to sort, update and change views. The free version is packed with features, and the UI is visually appealing as well.

The only minor drawback is that it lacks UI customization, meaning some processes are more cumbersome than they should be. Other than that, it is an excellent tool that makes building custom applications a breeze.

Unbounce

An effective landing page can be a powerful tool for businesses: boosting conversions leads to increased sales and revenue. When well-designed and optimized, this valuable asset has the potential to make or break your bottom line.

That’s where Unbounce really shines.

Unbounce is a powerful, all-in-one landing page builder that helps you create high-performing, on-brand pages with ease. With over 1.5 billion conversions and AI-powered optimization, Unbounce allows you to quickly generate leads and increase engagement. 

The drag-and-drop feature is what makes Unbounce stand out. You can quickly copy and paste elements from different pages, and even share templates across pages. Plus, they have an extensive selection of templates that are ready to use. What’s more, you can customize the appearance of elements across all devices, and even hide some that won’t display properly on smaller screens. 

Unbounce is also among the most customer-focused companies we’ve had the chance to work with. Their support team is really on top of their game and digs in to solve problems fast.

FOMO

Fomo supercharges e-commerce websites with real-time social proof. Fomo lets you show your visitors know when someone else is buying, how much time is left on a sale, and much more. 

Setting up Fomo is super easy – within minutes, you can connect it with your payment gateway accounts and have Fomo popups displaying on your website. Not only does it make your visitors feel more secure, but it also helps to increase your conversion rate. We’ve found it to be a great return on investment.

The configuration process is straightforward once you get the hang of the UI, but there is a bit of a learning curve. And, the customer service was a bit slow when we asked for help, but when we did get in touch with them, they were very friendly and helpful.

Hootsuite

Audience interaction, trust building, customer insights, product testing, leads, and traffic. Social media gives you access to all of that without a single dollar spent on paid advertising. And Hootsuite is our go-to tool to keep it all organized.

Hootsuite is an all-in-one social media management platform that makes it easy to manage, schedule, and measure the success of your social media campaigns. With an intuitive dashboard and tabbed layout, it’s easy to keep track of activity across all your social media channels. The platform also offers powerful analytics, including suggested post times to ensure maximum visibility, so you can maximize your reach. 

The social publishing tools offered by Hootsuite are especially user-friendly and allow you to quickly create, curate, and schedule content for multiple platforms. However, the analytics could use some more customization options and better explanations to help beginners make the most of them. 

ScrapingBee

Web scraping is a powerful growth hacking tool that can give businesses an edge. By gathering large amounts of data in quickly, you can gain invaluable insights into the behaviors and preferences of your customers as well as market trends and industry movements from which to draw meaningful conclusions for optimizing their strategies.

Scrapingbee is a comprehensive web scraping service designed to extract data from websites and web pages quickly and easily. It uses a network of real browsers to bypass common obstacles such as CAPTCHAs, JavaScript challenges, and IP blocks, making it ideal for high-volume web scraping.

We’ve found Scrapingbee to be an invaluable asset for our business. It’s easy to use and the technical support is top-notch. We can now collect the data we need in a fraction of the time it used to take us. Plus, their team is constantly innovating which makes it easier for us to stay ahead of the competition. 

The only downside is the pricing, which can become quite expensive for high-volume requests due to extra charges for geo-location and JavaScript. However, considering the reliability and quality of the service, it’s still a great option.

Jasper

AI copywriting isn’t a secret anymore and Jasper can be replaced with any of a number of great AI writing tools. Jasper is the one we opted for all the way back when it was still Jarvis and we haven’t looked back.

Alternatives to Jasper include Copy AI, Copysmith, Writesonix, Simplified, and the list goes on and on. The AI copywriting space is a warzone right now, so grab some free trials and start looking for your best match. 

The larger point though is that you probably have to choose one. If you’re bootstrapping a business right now and NOT relying on AI, you’re basically handicapping yourself for no good reason.

Mouseflow

Mouseflow is a website optimization and analytics tool that stands out from the crowd thanks to its powerful features and intuitive interface. It allows you to track and analyze the behavior of your website visitors in real-time, helping them identify areas of opportunity for improvement. It also provides a range of tools, such as user recordings, click rage analysis, and auto-tagging.

We have found Mouseflow to be incredibly useful when it comes to seeing how people progress through our website. The user recording tool is straightforward and intuitive, allowing us to quickly speed up, skip ahead, and track clicks and taps. The auto-tagging feature also allows us to quickly skim through recordings and focus on tags that are relevant to our needs. 

The only downside to Mouseflow is that there are still some minor technical issues that we have experienced. Occasionally, we have received errors when trying to watch recordings. However, the support team is always prompt and helpful, so this has never been a major issue.

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one marketing platform that offers powerful email marketing, automated marketing campaigns, and customer service and support tools. It is designed to help businesses create targeted, personalized emails and track customer behavior and sales leads.

We love ActiveCampaign! It was very easy to get used to and is a great tool for marketers. It offers excellent segmentation capabilities and is perfect for tracking customer behavior. The customer support is also top-notch; everyone we’ve spoken to has been kind and helpful.

ActiveCampaign also provides a thorough onboarding process, with personalized coaching and endless possibilities for interacting with your customers. You can automate every part of your marketing funnel, yet still maintain a nice personal touch with your best leads. 

Slidebean

Growth hacking is all about persuasion and effectively communicating your ideas. That’s just as true at the customer level as it is when you’re pitching for your next round of funding. 

Slidebean is a tool that will supercharge your ability to execute the latter. 

Slidebean is a tool designed specifically to help startups present to investors. It provides a range of useful features to help get businesses investor-ready, such as pitch deck consulting services, a toolkit to prepare financials, and beautifully-designed templates. 

The separation of design and content makes it easier for users to focus on different things at once. The software is also incredibly easy to use and has some beautiful graphic design elements. We were thoroughly impressed with how quickly we were able to create a professional-looking pitch deck.

The one downside is that users can’t embed private videos into the decks and have to rely on YouTube or Vimeo. Other than that, we are big fans of Slidebean and recommend it for way more than just pitching to investors. Any time you need to make a killer presentation, Slidebean will help you get your point across.

WotNot

Fast growth often means you can’t be the best at everything all the time. And streamlining customer communications with chatbots is an excellent alternative to having a dedicated team for every minor inquiry.

WotNot is an amazing tool for building chatbots with no coding required. It has a simple and intuitive drag-and-drop visual editor for creating bots, which even your grandmother can use with ease. The flow of the bot is easily changed with drag-and-drop, and there is a great dashboard analytics tool to keep track of how the bot is performing. The free tier is a great feature, as it allows users to get a feel of the product before committing. 

However, WotNot is still relatively new and lacks certain advanced features. That being said, the development team works quickly to deploy updates, so this won’t be an issue for long. All in all, WotNot is a great tool for building chatbots without the hassle of coding.

ProductHunt

ProductHunt is a go-to platform for businesses looking to harness the power of growth hacking.

By launching your products or services on ProductHunt, you can receive invaluable feedback from early adopters and tech enthusiasts that will help identify opportunities to improve upon the offering before it reaches its target audience. 

What’s more, by taking advantage of this networking hub brimming with founders, investors and entrepreneurs – who are able to provide valuable resources, you have an opportunity to expand even further in terms of market share and brand recognition.

By connecting with the vibrant ProductHunt community, you open up a world of possibilities including accessing potential customers and partners to grow your business. Furthermore, relationships forged within this network can even help supply invaluable advice from experienced investors.

Vyper

VYPER is an excellent marketing tool that makes it easy to run viral campaigns. With it, you can set up Referral Campaigns, Reward/Loyalty Programs, Giveaways, Contests, Leaderboards, and more.

The tool is incredibly user-friendly and makes it easy to set up and maintain giveaways throughout the year. It also helps to extend your social media reach and grow your email list with its powerful features. The visual editor is also very handy and flexible.

The only downside is that VYPER currently only supports a limited number of email providers. However, this is something that they are working on and should be improved soon.

Overall, VYPER is an excellent tool for those looking to run successful viral campaigns. We highly recommend it.

Choosing The Right Tools For The Job

Marketing and customer relationships tools are becoming increasingly refined and tailored to specific tasks. So it’s all the more important to find the right tool for your business at it’s stage of growth. 

But, doing that without succumbing to “Shiny Object Syndrome” that has you chasing after every new tool that’s released can be a huge time investment.

So, here are several factors to consider when choosing the best growth hacking tools for your business:

Define your goals

Identify the specific goals you want to achieve with your growth hacking efforts, such as increasing website traffic, generating leads, or improving customer retention. This will help you to narrow down the tools you need and ensure that you choose tools that are aligned with your objectives.

Consider your budget

Determine how much you are willing to invest in growth hacking tools and choose tools that fit within your budget.

Evaluate the features and capabilities of the tools

Consider the features and capabilities of the tools you are considering, and choose tools that offer the features and functionality you need to achieve your goals with the least superfluous features.

Read reviews and testimonials

Look for reviews and testimonials from other businesses or individuals who have used the tools you are considering (like ours!). This can help you to get a sense of the effectiveness and reliability of the tools.

Test the tools

Always use a trial period or a free version of the tools you are considering to see how they perform in practice if these are available. This can help you to make an informed decision about which tools are the best fit for your business

Growth Hacking Tools – Closing Thoughts

Some of the tools on this list are great for giving you an extra oomph when your business needs it most. Others will scale well with your business when you need it. 

But it’s important to understand that you can’t make up for a bad strategy with good tools. 

While growth hacking can be a powerful tool for driving business growth, it is not a replacement for traditional business growth strategies. While it can be effective in certain situations, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution for all businesses and you’ll eventually get to a point where you can’t scale anymore with growth hacks.