Can you imagine why some companies, which are not so stick-in-the-mud of traditional marketing, are very successful in meeting their annual target sales and revenue? Top secret online marketing formulas – could be. Well-crafted online marketing strategies – pretty close. Want to know the truth? Sure. Marketing Automation Software (next to CRM software) is what makes these companies prosper year after year. That’s right.
Traditional marketing methods of making your brand known and admired no longer work these days, in fact, they’re close to being dead. Count on us. The current state of marketing is more focused on social media and cloud-based technologies.
Yes, you can still buy massive contact lists, send batches of email campaigns, and then wait for the visitor stats in your web analytics account to flaunt. But doesn’t that sound repetitive, time-consuming, and sad to say, an ineffective marketing approach?
So what’s the deal with this Marketing Automation software that values your precious time and money more than any other marketing methods out there? First, it’s your prospects turning into leads within a matter of days, not months.
Second, it’s the power of marketing intelligence as well as advanced workflow automation that makes marketing programs and campaigns truly effective.
Now let’s get straight to the point. We at ITQlick are here to help you in choosing the right Marketing Automation software for your business. We recently examined the Marketing Automation Software market and we discovered these great software solutions. Here are our top four picks.
1. Pardot
Powered by Salesforce, Pardot promises that your marketing and sales teams can automate and optimize your lead generation while nurturing programs from initial prospect contact through the entire sales process. Currently, a member of the Inc. 500 (at 172nd spot) and it became one of the Top 100 Best Workplaces in 2012, Pardot has been serving SMEs and large enterprises since 2007.
So why choose Pardot? Amazingly, it’s a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) marketing automation application that doesn’t require you to invest in infrastructures. Pardot is committed to making your software investment returns fairly quick with the help of these features:
Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Management, ROI Reporting, Sales Intelligence, and Social Marketing. Starting at $1,000 per month, you can manage up to 10,000 contacts with Pardot’s Marketing Automation system.
We recommend Pardot not just because it is a Salesforce company, but because it has been proven by many to accelerate its marketing pipeline and drive more sales.
2. Marketo
Thousands of companies of all sizes are choosing Marketo because of these products: Marketing Automation, Consumer Engagement Marketing, Real-Time Personalization, and Marketing Management. These products are what comprise “Marketo’s Engagement Marketing Platform”.
For digital marketers and content managers out there, we think and it’s no longer a surprise to you that Marketo was once again named by Gartner as a leader in their “2014 Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management”.
Why would Marketo become a worthwhile software investment for your business? First, Marketo has a simple, scalable, and secure enterprise-class infrastructure for companies of all sizes. Second, its Marketing Automation solution is truly for B2B marketing automation.
It includes features like Advance Lead Scoring, Marketing Program Analyzer, Customer Engagement Engine, A/B Testing, and CRM Integration and API. It can handle up to 10,000 contacts and its standard package can be used by up to 10 sales persons.
Aside from the “Marketo Launchpoint” and “Marketo Institute” (Which we recommend your further explore), Marketo is no doubt a “thought leader” when it comes to modern marketing. Marketo puts marketing first, for this reason, we believe it’s just right for your company.
3. Act-On
This Marketing Automation solution is about simplicity – simple pricing yet a powerful solution. Act-On is offered as a cloud-based integrated marketing platform that covers a wide range of functionality. Act-On is best suited for small businesses who want to build better customer relationships by leveraging features like Marketing Database, Email Marketing, Automated Programs, Lead Scoring, Website Visitor Tracking, Web Event Integration, and Reports and Analytics.
What makes Act-On unique? It’s the API. Act-On’s API helps businesses integrate this Marketing Automation platform with their existing business applications. Act-On also ensures that its customers will receive consistently reliable and professionally delivered levels of services.
Yes, “pro-services”. From simple email and landing page design and creation to above-standard automation and lead generation, and all the way up to full-scale consulting and coaching, Act-On is committed to delivering its promise.
Act-On’s pricing plan is relatively flexible compared to other solutions – starting at $500 per month for 3 marketing and 5 sales users. You have to really give Act-On a try.
4. Hatchbuck
Hatchbuck is committed to delivering its “$99 per month” promise by combining Email Marketing, CRM and Marketing Automation in a single solution. Sounds like an All-in-One marketing software package, right? Well, that’s exactly what they want to sell – the Hatchbuck All-in-One!
With the Hatchbuck Marketing Automation application, connecting with your leads, engaging with your prospects, and growing those prospects into happy and loyal customers is only a few clicks of the mouse away.
Hatchbuck is a true believer in Email Marketing, that’s why they have created this Email Marketing Engine. Sending the right message to the right person at the right time – that’s what this marketing engine’s horsepower can do!
Why Hatchbuck? Three words: easy, friendly, and fun. At the price you can afford, there is no reason for Hatchbuck not to be included in our (and yours) top four picks.
For more Marketing Automation software that will save your precious time, read our post Top 5 Sales & Marketing Automation Software for SMBs.