The majority of firms today employ marketing automation in some form or another; in fact, statistics show that more than 70% of organizations use the technology, and that number is growing. Organizations are relying on open-source marketing automation tools since they help them in so many ways.
That is to say, if you aren’t using open-source marketing automation software in 2023, you should think about it. Despite the importance of automation software, it’s a complex space, full of numerous software solutions with various features and uses cases.
It is difficult to decide what automated tools to use to be a better marketer. This blog post is all about the best marketing automation software. So, let us get into it!
What is the Best Marketing Automation Software?
Only email activities, drip sequences, and CRM updates are available on some platforms. Others might be able to assist with lead scoring, sales lead rotation, SMS, and other tasks. SMB and B2C environments may benefit from a more specialist solution, whereas B2B and corporate environments may require a platform with additional capabilities.
As you analyze marketing automation software programs to choose the one that’s ideal for you, keep the following points in mind:
User-Friendliness
Automation isn’t easy to set up as it is, so make sure the software’s interface works for you rather than against you. Look for screenshots of the user interface to see if it appears to be basic and straightforward.
Reporting and Analytics
You’ll want to be able to track the success of any drip campaigns you’re conducting, so your automation software should keep track of the metrics that are most important to you.
Advanced reporting capabilities, such as customized dashboards or automatic reporting through email, may be required in B2B and business contexts with multiple stakeholders.
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Support
“I’m not sure if my software is capable of…” You’ll come to this conclusion as you learn more about the advantages of marketing automation.
Because automation is a technical process, seek companies that provide extensive knowledge bases, tutorials, and other customer assistance alternatives.
Limitations
Some automation software systems may impose limits on the number of activities you can perform each month or the size of your database. Before you begin analyzing software, figure out how many contacts you have, how many emails you send on average, and what you want it to perform. This will keep you from underestimating your automation software’s price.
Scalability and Pricing
If the benefit of automation can be summed up in one sentence, it is that it will make you more efficient, allowing you to focus on the jobs that you enjoy and have the best return. With that in mind, price should be considered alongside capability.
A scaled-down system may be sufficient for SMBs and B2C firms that primarily use email. Enterprise (and consequently more ticket) software, on the other hand, is more cost-effective in the long term for more advanced needs. Choose a service that is both affordable and flexible enough to grow with you as your needs evolve.
After all, scaling properly requires decreasing bloated operations. Integrations how successfully does the marketing automation software integrate with the rest of your system? Integrating your tools allows you to manage data and get more out of them.
Best Automated Tools to use to be a Better Marketer
We’ve compiled a list to assist you in sorting through your alternatives and making an informed decision on the best marketing solution for you and your team.
HubSpot Marketing Automation
In terms of features, HubSpot’s marketing automation is one of the most powerful solutions on this list. It’s also one of the most popular in terms of customer feedback, sitting in the G2 Crowd quadrant’s upper right corner. Of course, HubSpot offers a comprehensive growth suite, which includes sales, marketing, and support software that all interact seamlessly with HubSpot’s CRM.
It takes time to learn the technology (though you’ll be able to scale up faster with HubSpot Academy’s help), but once you do, the creative possibilities are endless. You can create simple email list autoresponders or a sophisticated network of rules to target certain users with the correct email, live chat, and website experience, among other things.
Essentially, the workflows tool automates operations other than email, allowing you to grow your business while spending less time on routine task.
ManyChat
When it comes to marketing automation, it’s not just about email. Consider how you could use other platforms to automate some of your more routine discussions.
ManyChat is a Facebook Messenger and SMS-based chatbot that can do just that. You can make a bot in minutes using their templates and drag-and-drop UI. You may also sync the data you collect about your users with your CRM and other application.
Moosend
Moosend is a multi-industry email marketing automation platform that includes eCommerce and SaaS. Utilizing comprehensive website monitoring and triggers, you can send the appropriate email campaign to individuals in your contacts who have more interest in a specific product or service using Moosend’s automation.
Customer information is useful for creating product recommendation campaigns based on product views.
This information also enables you to develop extensive reports on the campaign’s progress and user engagement, allowing you to make more informed decisions. All of the aforementioned features are available in Moosend’s Free Forever plan for up to 1,000 subscribers, including automation recipes and 80+ integrations.
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Omnisend
Omnisend is an omnichannel marketing automation platform that focuses on eCommerce. You can get started right away with robust automated workflows and pre-built templates intended specifically for online retailers.
Omnisend allows you to merge many channels, such as email, SMS, Facebook Messenger, push notifications, and more, into a single automated workflow. Omnisend also has a WYSIWYG visual builder as well as templates for creating workflows, forms, landing pages, popups, and emails.
Omnisend offers a free plan for basic email marketing as well as three paid plans with various features. Medium to large merchants, on the other hand, will most certainly benefit from Omnisend’s channel management features.
Ontraport
Ontraport is a business automation platform created exclusively for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and small enterprises, unlike other marketing automation products. While they offer CRM and marketing automation capabilities, they also have a number of other tools to help small businesses manage and flourish, including but not limited to:
- Marketing via email
- Landing pages are a type of web page that is used
- Reporting\s Ecommerce
Ontraport’s focus on reporting and insights is one of the most significant features. While some systems can be a bit of a black box, Ontraport gives you a clear picture of how your initiatives are performing.
SendinBlue
SendInBlue began as a digital agency but evolved into a sophisticated email marketing platform that evolved into a popular marketing automation software over time. Reporting and lead scoring are two of their more complex functions.
Furthermore, SendinBlue offers a free subscription that includes basic marketing automation capability, phone assistance, and up to 300 emails each day. SendInBlue also allows you to run SMS campaigns.
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a small business CRM with integrated email marketing, marketing automation, and email marketing. ActiveCampaign’s most powerful and versatile feature is its marketing automation functionality.
It’s one of the most comprehensive packages available. Their deliverability is also regarded as one of the best on the market. This is most likely not a helpful tool for novices or those with limited technical skills. It takes a little more time and effort to learn, but once you do, it’s a very strong platform.
Pardot
Pardot is a cloud automation system that is mostly used by enterprise clients who have the technical skills and time to master the platform. It is part of the SalesForce empire. They have a plethora of capabilities for automating engagement with current contacts, including CRM integration, email marketing, lead nurturing, lead scoring, and ROI monitoring to ensure your campaigns are successful.
You may keep track of all online interactions and provide predictive lead scoring depending on the parameters you define. All of this helps your sales team save time and effort by increasing marketing efficiency. It’s crucial to remember that while Pardot is a great business tool, it lacks lead-generating capabilities and may not be as accessible or inexpensive for smaller enterprises or entrepreneurs.
InfusionSoft
InfusionSoft (now Keap) has been around for quite some time (15+ years, I believe) and has assisted thousands of marketers in achieving their lead, revenue, and customer acquisition goals.
They’re very popular among small businesses and solopreneurs, and I’ve discovered that their user base is fairly sophisticated. Depending on the lead magnet someone signs up for, how many (and which) emails they open and click, or other contact property data, you may put up relatively sophisticated decision trees.
Autopilot
Autopilot is one of the most attractive marketing automation tools on the market. They claim to have the most user-friendly email marketing, messaging, and automation platform in the industry.
As previously said, their visual editor is simple, intuitive, and enjoyable to use. Although their system is intended for more advanced messaging and targeting, you can still use it to construct a simple timed autoresponder.
Marketo
Marketo is a long-standing company that was recently acquired by Adobe and integrated into its enterprise marketing cloud.
With the Adobe connection, you’ll have powerful corporate marketing automation and optimization suite if you use Adobe Analytics for data measurement and Adobe Target for experimentation and personalization. The tool is usually aimed at enterprise customers, so it’s out of reach for most small business owners.
GetResponse
GetResponse is a marketing automation platform with numerous layers and functionalities. They begin with a low-cost plan of roughly $10 per month (which includes basic autoresponders and a 1,000-person list), but their more expensive plans contain powerful capabilities such as:
- Marketing via email
- CRM
- Landing pages are a type of web page that is used
- Autoresponders
- Tools for eCommerce
- Tools for creating a list
Application of AI in Social Media
GetResponse is straightforward to use, and you’ll usually get good results from it; however, it’s ideal for basic capabilities, such as email newsletters. Working with the platform can get more difficult if you want to use extensive conditional logic and marketing automation.
Drip
Drip is one of the few marketing automation platforms on this list that focuses solely on e-commerce marketing. They promise to work with “very much any marketing approach you wish to set in motion,” making them one of the more “open” platforms.
Email is also one of their strong suits. Email Builders Automation Workflows are only a few of the email marketing and automation options available. Personalization and analytics are two areas where they thrive. Drip is a great e-commerce marketing automation tool in general.
Mautic
In this list, Mautic is the only open-source marketing automation platform. It’s also a newcomer, having been created in 2014. They’ve developed swiftly, though, and appear to be gaining traction with high-tech firms. Mautic is currently used by over 200,000 organizations.
Bottom Line
Marketing automation software comes in a plethora of flavors. It all comes down to picking the ideal one for your company’s needs, budget, and technological skills.
