Marketing automation software helps to free up marketers and business owners from the repetitive tasks that stem from creating engaging campaigns and the analysis that comes with those efforts.
This software enables small business owners to design custom digital marketing campaigns to be triggered and executed on a schedule or automatically based on certain parameters. Built in analytics will help marketers analyze how those marketing campaigns performed and provide real time data.
Here are most of the features included in marketing automation software programs:
- Email Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Website and Sales Analytics
- Social Media Management
- Lead Management
- CRM Integration
- Web Conferencing
- Predictive Analytics
- And more…
The following list includes some of the highest rated marketing automation tools for small businesses found on TrustRadius.
HubSpot
Hubspot is one of the most well-known brands in digital marketing. Not only does HubSpot deliver all aspects of marketing, business owners will also have access to a support team to help them navigate the software and understand their analytics. Whether your marketing needs are as small as web pages or as large as full blown email marketing and newsletters, HubSpot can help. Hubspot reviewers consistently praise the reporting capabilities and the ease of use. Users also mention that the platform may be a bit overwhelming for novice users and they wish there were more email and landing page design templates.
“HubSpot is suited to all types of businesses - it isn't limited to any one industry. In all scenarios it will help you manage your customers, see what they are after, track conversations and make sure they are looked after well! The marketing platform again helps you advertise to all types of businesses through different social media platforms which means it is applicable in all scenarios.”
- Business Development Executive | Information Technology and Services | Read the Full Review
This software is perfect for the small business owner that is just beginning to develop their CRM system. GreenRope can be used for CRM and full automated marketing and can be used by any business owner easily. You won’t need an IT support person to be in charge of your automated marketing, GreenRope makes it easy for you to be in total control. GreenRope users enjoy the affordable pricing as well as the customizable dashboard. Users also report difficulty customizing email templates and wish for continued improvement to the GreenRope user interface.
“We use GreenRope to keep track of everything about our customers. Every inquiry, every sales call, all their orders. We are a Start-Up company of 4 years. GreenRope has proved easy enough to get started with that we were able to make use of it within days of getting going.”
- CEO | Industrial Engineering | Read the Full Review
All-in-one platforms like Kentico are convenient for business owners. Kentico is able to handle marketing needs for your business whether you have a brick and mortar store, are strictly e-commerce or a hybrid retailer. The Kentico Support Team is available 24 hours a day, every day of the week so you never have to be worried about not being able to provide a customer solution. Users of Kentico commend the intuitive user interface and navigation and praise the helpful support staff. Kentico reviewers wish there was better product documentation and improved training.
“We use Kentico as the main CMS for our website as well as the websites of all our customers. Kentico CMS is a robust CMS solution that can be used to develop and kind and size of websites. The feature set and options available can help anyone develop website with ease and flexibility.”
- CRM Director | Information Technology and Services | Read the Full Review
Small businesses can use 7Sheep easily to send out email campaigns and automate their marketing campaigns. All you have to do is upload your contacts list into the software and 7Sheep will walk you through how to customize your campaigns. This software can also be used to make traditional marketing materials such as business cards, brochures and flyers. If you are new to digital marketing, this software may be best for you. Users of 7Sheep praise the helpful support team and the affordable price. Users wish 7Sheep had more integrations as well as better overview of drip campaigns.
“7Sheep works very well for a small NGO like us. If you need to integrate a lot of systems this works via the API but you need a developer for that, or ask their support. In general you can use the tool without internal IT staff as it's easy to implement and their support is helpful.”
- Verified User | Non-Profit Organization Management | Read the Full Review
IBM Campaign
If you are a business owner ready to take your digital marketing to the next level and already have a basic knowledge of how to set up marketing campaigns, IBM Campaign is a more advanced marketing option for small business owners that are ready to schedule far reaching campaigns to super targeted audiences. IBM Campaign reviewers enjoy the sophisticated scheduling capabilities for marketing automation and the tracking capabilities. Users wish the platform was more user-friendly and a more robust support team.
“We have been using IBM Campaign as a campaign management tool for 5 years now. It is so powerful for us to know exactly what we send to our customers or non-customers and when they received it. [...] In addition, the response tracking helps us to know which campaign has been more successful, based on their lift. So, in this case, it is easier to adapt our communications for our market.”
- CRM Analyst | Telecommunications | Read the Full Review
Marketing automation software is improving and evolving all the time. Be sure to read reviews left by real users to stay informed of the newest software for your business marketing needs.
Krystle Dickerson is a researcher and regular contributor to TrustRadius, where she shares her knowledge of the latest trends in B2B news and software.