Best Marketing Automation Software And Platforms
If it exists, it can be automated — at least that’s how it feels sometimes. In 2022, smart online marketing is as important as ever, and in order to stay in the game, companies turn to software. New marketing automation tools appear every year, and each fight for their customer’s attention. But which one is right for you?
Marketing automation: what’s important
Never choose your marketing automation platform without doing research. What might seem like a deal of a lifetime can turn into the worst decision you’ve ever made. Why? Prices. While effective, marketing automation is also extremely expensive. It doesn’t seem so initially, but additional costs will show their ugly face sooner or later. That’s why you better know in advance what four years of marketing will cost you.
Next, check whether this or that marketing automation tool works with your CRM system. And if you don’t use CRM software, better find a marketing automation tool that has it built-in.
Email marketing
Even though emails are old tech, they are significant for marketing. If you think about a drip campaign, ensure your marketing automation works with email. The same can be said about eCommerce: ensure your marketing automation tool integrates into such platforms.
Some of the best marketing automation tools
Autopilot
Do you need email automation? You probably do, and Autopilot has a perfect canvas for creating drip campaigns. Usually a tiresome and quite complex task, with such good software, it’s as easy as pie. It’s also great for setting goals and viewing reports on your progress. The only issue is the price (the usual) — it’s hardly the cheapest tool out there, especially since there’s no CRM built-in.
HubSpot
Most people never even look for alternatives— they just type “HubSpot” in Google search and start using the most well-known marketing automation tool. It’s intuitive, easy to use, and even has a free version, albeit with no automation. In other words, it’s good! But they know it, and that’s why the pricing gets ridiculous. If you’re interested in HubSpot’s features, there are LOTS of tools that can do everything it can — and they cost less, too. But not many have such easy UI and analytics that are as detailed.
ActiveCampaign
If you want features, ActiveCampaign has got features — tons of them. Even better: it doesn’t require any training since it’s highly intuitive. It has predictive content, predictive sending, and tons of other great features, and the price is… great! Especially since it doesn’t get more and more expensive as time goes by.
Mailchimp
As the name implies, Mailchimp is all about email marketing, but not only — not anymore. It also supports website hosting, turnkey eCommerce, and CRM features! It’s easy to use, and it grows constantly. Its pricing is also transparent: there’s a free plan that’s actually GOOD and supports up to 2k contacts with 10k monthly emails. It’s not bad; even the higher tiers aren’t as expensive as HubSpot.