Question: Is there a free marketing automation tool that can help startups like mine grow their user base without breaking the bank?

If you're looking for a free marketing automation tool to help your startup grow its user base, fyli is a good choice. The AI-powered tool finds your target audience and engages with them automatically, and it generates viral content to drive traffic and conversions. The tool uses AI agents to run your marketing 24/7, with modules for learning about your product, creating campaigns, measuring results and scaling up. Fyli is in beta testing, but it's free to try, so it's a good way to get a leg up on growth with AI-powered marketing automation.

Another good option is ZooTools, an all-in-one growth platform for small and medium-sized businesses. ZooTools connects to other apps to help you find users, get them engaged and keep them around. It includes tools to capture leads through referrals and contests, send targeted email campaigns, and optimize email engagement with AI. ZooTools has a good track record helping businesses acquire and retain users, and it's free to use. New features are added all the time.

If you're more interested in general purpose workflow automation, Zapier connects to more than 7,000 apps to automate a wide variety of tasks, including marketing campaigns, lead tracking and sales pipeline management. Its graphical interface means you can set up your own automation without having to write a line of code, so it's a good option for startups trying to get their operations in order and working more efficiently.

Last, MailerLite offers a full featured email marketing tool with automation abilities, a drag-and-drop editor and integration with third-party apps. Its free plan lets you send 12,000 emails per month and includes one user, so it's a good option for startups trying to reach a larger audience and make money through email marketing.