Lead generation is all about finding people who might be interested in what you're offering.
For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), generating leads can feel intimidating because there are so many channels to explore and a variety of tools for each one. Building a consistent process for lead generation—rather than diving in only when the sales pipeline runs dry—can be especially challenging.
In this article, I’ll walk you through essential lead generation methods for small businesses and recommend top tools tailored to SMB needs.
How to choose the right lead generation tools for SMBs
Let’s start by considering the key factors to look at when choosing lead generation tools.
Integrations
In my experience, integrations are the single most important element to evaluate. Without them, syncing leads across your tools can be challenging, if not impossible. It’s crucial to ensure that your lead generation tools easily connect with your existing tech stack, like CRM systems, email marketing platforms, and analytics tools. Native integrations are usually more reliable, but you can always rely on Zapier to bridge any gaps between tools that don’t integrate directly.
Pricing
As a small business, I understand that budget is limited, and flexibility matters. It’s essential to choose tools with pricing plans that allow for experimentation before making a commitment. Free trials or freemium models are great for testing functionality without immediate investment.
All-in-one solutions
All-in-one tools offer some strong advantages:
- They save time since you only need to learn one platform.
- They streamline work because you don’t have to constantly switch apps.
- They reduce the need for additional integrations.
Hunter.io is a good example of an all-in-one lead generation tool, as you’ll see below.
How I chose these tools
For this list, I prioritized tools based on the following factors:
- Certified third-party reviews: I focused on tools with positive feedback on platforms like G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot.
- Pricing: I only included tools offering generous free plans or trials.
- Ease of use: I skipped tools with steep learning curves to save you time.
- Integration options: Bonus points went to tools with widespread integration capabilities.
I personally tested multiple tools in every category for this list, confirming that their core functionalities worked as advertised. Some of these tools are ones I use daily.
Best SMB tool for cold email: Hunter.io
Cold email lets you reach out directly to potential customers who may not yet know about your product but could really benefit from it. This approach works for both landing your first client and scaling an established business.
Why you need a tool to send cold emails at scale
Running email outreach manually is painfully time-consuming. Cold email tools help you find the right prospects, access their contact information, and automate outreach at scale. They also provide insights into how well your emails are being received.
Hunter.io is an all-in-one cold email platform with a generous free plan, making it ideal for SMBs starting with email outreach.
Hunter.io’s strengths
Hunter.io’s free plan lets you find 25 emails and verify 50 monthly, indefinitely. It’s a perfect setup for small businesses.
The platform includes everything you need for cold emailing:
- Discover to identify target companies,
- Email Finder and Domain Search for contact details,
- Email Verifier for accuracy, and
- Campaigns to schedule emails.
Hunter.io’s weaknesses
The entry-level paid plan starts at $49/month, so if you’re on a tight budget, sticking to the free plan might be best initially.
Also, there’s currently no free trial for the paid plans. However, you can try some paid features (e.g., by downloading a sample of results in the Domain Search).
Hunter.io’s pricing
The free plan is available, with paid plans starting at $34/month when you’re ready to scale.
Hunter.io reviews
On G2, Hunter.io scores 4.4/5 from over 550 reviews, with users appreciating our support and ease of use.
Hunter demo
How to Find the Verified Email Address of any Professional using Hunter.io's Email Finder
Best SMB tool for managing calls: Allô
Phone calls are critical for many SMBs, especially those serving local markets. But as your business grows, managing call volume can become overwhelming.
Why you need a phone system
A professional phone system helps you manage calls efficiently, projects a polished image, and directs callers to the right team members.
In this category, I want to bring your attention to Allô. I like its mobile-first approach and its AI superpowers.
Allô’s strengths
Allô’s AI capabilities provide context for calls, delivering relevant information instantly, which improves efficiency. The pricing is competitive, starting at $20/month, and its cloud-based system is easily scalable.
Allô’s weaknesses
Allô doesn’t offer a free trial or free plan. And like all VoIP systems, Allô is highly dependent on the quality and stability of your internet connection.
Allô’s pricing
Pricing starts at $20/month.
Allô’s reviews
While new, Allô has a perfect 5/5 score on the App Store.
Allô’s demo
Revealing Allô – AI Phone Answering Assistant- Answer business phone calls 24/7 & book appointments
Best SMB tool for website lead capture: BDOW! (formerly Sumo.com)
Lead capture tools are perfect for engaging undecided website visitors, making it easy to design eye-catching pop-ups and forms.
Why you need a lead capture tool
Lead capture tools will help you capture the details of your visitors who might not be ready to buy now but are curious to receive updates from your company or want to receive a free resource.
A lead capture tool makes it easy to design eye-catching forms and popups and offers plenty of options for showing them at the right time in the right section of the screen.
In this category, I picked BDOW for its generous free plan and its ease of use. You might have heard of them under their previous name: Sumo.com.
BDOW!’s strengths
BDOW! offers a free plan for up to 10,000 monthly visitors. It also has an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, ideal for users without technical expertise.
BDOW!’s weaknesses
Customization options may feel limited for more complex branding needs, and advanced features may take time to master.
BDOW!’s pricing
Paid plans start at $15/month with a 14-day free trial.
BDOW!’s reviews
BDOW! scores 4.2/5 on Capterra, with users appreciating its generous free plan and user-friendly interface.
BDOW!’s demo
What is BDOW!? The best tool for building your email list!
Best SMB tool for email marketing: MailerLite
Regularly reaching out to both new and existing customers keeps your business top of mind.
Why you need an email marketing tool
I’ve probably tried a dozen tools in this category, from Mailchimp and Active Campaign to some less-known competitors. And I know choosing the right tool in this category is essential for SMBs.
An email marketing tool will help you design professional emails, collect statistics about their performance, and configure follow-up sequences.
In this category, I chose MailerLite because of its generous free plan and its easy-to-use interface.
MailerLite’s strengths
MailerLite has a generous free plan (1,000 subscribers, 12,000 monthly emails) and a visually appealing, user-friendly interface. It also includes basic landing page and form builders.
MailerLite’s weaknesses
Account validation can take up to 24 hours, and support is limited for free and lower-tier plans.
MailerLite’s pricing
The entry-level paid plan starts at $9/month with a 30-day free trial.
MailerLite’s reviews
MailerLite scores 4.7/5 on Capterra, with users highlighting its ease of use and robust automation features.
MailerLite’s demo
MailerLite demo: A quick tool overview for beginners
Best SMB tool for live chat: Tawk.to
Adding a live chat option makes your website more interactive and accessible.
Why you need a live chat tool
Answering your visitors' questions on your website is crucial to increasing your conversion rate and collecting feedback about your offer. A live chat tool makes all that easy.
In this category, Tawk.to is the winner. Their free plan beats all the other available options on the market, and the product itself is robust.
Tawk.to’s strengths
Tawk.to provides all essential features for free, including unlimited agents, messaging, and chat history, plus customization options to match your branding.
Tawk.to’s weaknesses
The free version includes Tawk.to branding on the widget, and there’s no built-in CRM functionality.
Tawk.to’s pricing
Tawk.to offers a free unlimited version, with a $29/month plan to remove branding and access premium AI features.
Tawk.to’s reviews
With a 4.6/5 score on Capterra, users appreciate Tawk.to’s free version for covering essential live chat needs.
Tawk.to demo
The new and improved tawk to mobile dashboard
Best SMB tool for social media management: Buffer
In many industries, having a social media presence is the single best way to drive leads. But managing social media can be time-consuming, especially if you want to be consistent about it.
Why you need a social media management tool
A social media tool makes it easier to schedule work, analyze results, and plan ahead.
These tools let you post across different social media networks, schedule posts in advance, and generate content ideas.
Buffer is my favorite because it covers most networks, offers a generous free plan, and is super easy to use.
Buffer’s strengths
Buffer is easy to use, supports all major platforms, and provides useful insights. Its AI content suggestions are a plus, especially compared to some alternatives.
Buffer’s weaknesses
Advanced analytics are available only in premium plans, and there’s no bulk uploading feature.
Buffer’s pricing
Pricing starts at $6/month per social channel, with a 14-day free trial.
Buffer’s reviews
Buffer scores 4.5/5 on GetApp, with users commending its scheduling features and user-friendly reports.
Buffer’s demo
Getting Started with Buffer Tutorial
These tools offer affordable, user-friendly ways to drive lead generation and grow your small business. With a solid lineup across multiple channels, you’re equipped to reach potential customers and streamline your processes.
Send cold emails with Hunter