You’ve heard of Canva. You’ve heard of Mailchimp. You’ve probably been pitched on HubSpot, Hootsuite, and all the other usual suspects.
But the truth is, some of the best tools for local business owners are the ones flying quietly under the radar—used by smart marketers, but not yet overhyped or overused.
If you’re looking for tools that actually save time, improve visibility, or drive engagement—without breaking the bank—this list is for you.
10 Under-The-Radar Digital Marketing Tools That You Should Know About Now
1. Opus Clip
For: Turning long videos into short-form content
– Why it’s awesome: Upload a podcast, livestream, or explainer video, and Opus Clip uses AI to find the best 15–60 second moments, complete with subtitles, cuts, and social-friendly formatting.
– Local play: Perfect for businesses that host webinars, record service demos, or shoot customer testimonials.
2. Postwise
For: Writing engaging social posts with AI
– Why it’s awesome: Designed to write, rewrite, and schedule social media posts in your voice. It’s lightweight, fast, and way easier than trying to be clever from scratch.
– Local play: Create a month of Instagram captions, Facebook posts, or tweets in minutes—no copywriting background needed.
3. TidyCal
For: Appointment scheduling
– Why it’s awesome: It’s a dead-simple, white-label alternative to Calendly—built by AppSumo. Affordable (often lifetime for $29), customizable, and integrates with Zoom, Google Calendar, and more.
– Local play: Great for any service business that needs to schedule consultations, demos, or appointments.
4. Local Falcon
For: GBP rank tracking
– Why it’s awesome: Instead of just checking where your business ranks on Google, Local Falcon shows you how you rank in every square mile of your city—visually.
– Local play: Helps identify areas where your GBP needs more attention or where you’re dominating. Invaluable for SEO pros and DIY business owners alike.
5. VideoAsk by Typeform
For: Video-based lead capture & customer engagement
– Why it’s awesome: Create interactive video funnels where you ask questions on camera and let customers respond by video, voice, or text.
– Local play: Use it as a virtual front desk, a feedback tool, or a personalized quote generator on your website.
6. Warm Welcome
For: Video email, widgets, and welcome messages
– Why it’s awesome: Add a personal video bubble to your website, email signature, or contact form to greet visitors. Feels way more human than plain text.
– Local play: Helps build trust instantly—especially for high-touch services like real estate, coaching, or consulting.
7. Pineapple Builder
For: Landing pages and microsites (no tech required)
– Why it’s awesome: Build gorgeous, modern pages optimized for mobile and AI-driven search, with zero design skills.
– Local play: Perfect for one-off campaigns, niche service pages, or promoting special offers.
8. Trustmary
For: Collecting and showcasing reviews
– Why it’s awesome: Automatically pulls in your Google/Facebook reviews and turns them into sleek, trust-boosting widgets for your website. You can also collect video testimonials through it.
– Local play: More trust = more conversions. This gives your reviews a front-and-center role.
9. AnswerThePublic
For: Content and social media ideas
– Why it’s awesome: Enter a keyword (like “roof repair” or “pet grooming”) and see what real people are searching for, interested in, and asking.
– Local play: Use it to create blog titles, FAQs, or social content that mirrors what your customers are actually Googling.
10. Nifty Images
For: Personalized email marketing
Why it’s awesome: Add dynamic, personalized content to your emails—like first names inside images, countdown timers, or custom offers.
Local play: Use it for birthday offers, seasonal sales, or one-time event promos that stand out.
Honorable Mention: FeedHive
For: Social media scheduling + AI-powered suggestions
– Why it’s awesome: FeedHive goes beyond scheduling—it uses AI to suggest the best times to post, track engagement trends, and even auto-rewrite your content in different tones (professional, witty, direct, etc.).
– Local play: Great for busy business owners who want their content to perform better without spending hours on strategy. Set it, tweak it, and go.
So what did you think?
You don’t need a giant tech stack to win online—you just need the right tools that give you an edge and help you move faster than the competition.
Whether you’re trying to capture leads, boost your Google rankings, show up stronger on social media, or just make your business feel more personal—these under-the-radar tools can give you a serious advantage (without the bloat or cost of the big guys).
We love helping small businesses thrive! For a free, no-obligation chat to see where you are and how we might help, book a time on our calendar here.