Not really. Now a days you need to work on quality links from authority sites. The next thing that is just as important is Social Media. The more social media you have going for you the better.
Don't use free tools to build backlinks to your main site. If you are looking to do it for free just do it manually.
Automated backlink are of low quality links. Google not counting links that are low quality. Start producing quality content and backlink will come by.
It's not effective at all, have you read new updates on how you gain stand on seo world today's era? As Mark Cutt's quoted, High-Quality Sites, Not Links and Public Relations will help you to stand alone on SEO this year 2013.