4 Popular Marketing Automation Tools of 2015

Marketing automation has become a popular practice to help businesses nurture prospects into becoming customers. It uses a special software to automate content based on a prospect’s or customer’s place in the buying cycle. There are many different marketing automation software platforms and technologies these days, so how do you pick one that’s right for your business? Our Raleigh marketing automation strategists have composed a list of some of the most popular marketing automation tools on the market in 2015.

HubSpot

HubSpot is one of the most widely known marketing automation tools. With a variety of features, it is considered to be an “all-in-one” tool, similar to the Constant Contact email platform. It’s a good tool for small business owners because it is easy-to-use and integrates with other software applications. Pros: Easy to use, has lots of features, special landing pages, calls-to-action, “All-in-one” marketing tool, email marketing tools, available for use on HubSpot CMS or your own website, SalesForce integration, social media scheduling, compatible with Google Adwords and Analytics Cons: Costly technical support, unreliable as its own CRM, doesn’t have certain email functions

Marketo

Marketo is good for mid to large businesses who want to develop effective email campaigns, and help their sales team. Business owners looking to start simple and move into more advanced features in the near future should start with Marketo. In the transition to more functionality, you won’t have to switch data and campaigns into a new platform. Pros: Behavior tracking tool, landing page options, engagement marketing, good for medium to large businesses, lead management and conversion abilities Cons: No blogging tool, no social media tools, expensive to use, not flexible enough for smaller businesses

Infusionsoft

Infusionsoft is an email marketing software that is growing quickly. The platform is built for small businesses, but isn’t recommended for the non-technological savvy. Infusionsoft has a reputation for having a steep learning curve, but great control over how far prospects get through your marketing funnels. Pros: Smart email marketing, easy integration with WordPress, social media tool, web analytics and tracking tool, “All-in-one” system Cons: Tracking can be spotty, difficult training and a steep learning curve, expensive to use, additional fees for tools

Ontraport

Ontraport is known for being straight forward right from the get-go. There’s no upfront costs and a 90 day money-back guarantee if you don’t like their product. This platform features a WordPress integration and plug-in, allows you to create membership sites, landing pages, and more. Ontraport even offers its own membership sites with quick and easy set up. Pros: Reliable mail delivery, free WordPress plugin site for members, affordable, lots of good features, no upfront costs Cons: Steep learning curve, few integrations, duplicate clean up, 3^rd party tracking link don’t always work, not an intuitive user interface The best way to find out which marketing automation tool meets your marketing needs is to research your options. Watch demos if they are available and try free trials if they are offered. Our Raleigh SEO experts can also help you decide which software will be the best fit your goals.

Tags: Digital Marketing • Marketing Automation