Marketing automation tools save time by automating tasks such as lead scoring, email marketing, and campaign management.
Popular marketing automation tools option to consider include Salesmate, Marketo, Pardot, and ActiveCampaign.
Consider your needs and budget when selecting marketing automation software.
Look for software that natively integrates marketing automation with CRM
Choose a provider that offers good customer support and training resources.
In our rapidly changing digital world, automation is playing a crucial role. It’s no longer considered a luxury but an essential tool that businesses can’t do without. As a result, big and small businesses seek automated marketing platforms to streamline operations and achieve better results.
The best marketing automation software does more than automate repetitive tasks. It aids lead generation, nurturing, conversion, analytics, and reporting. These platforms are evolving to offer sophisticated solutions, catering to small and enterprise businesses alike.
In this article, we aim to help you navigate the best marketing automation platforms of 2024, including identifying the best tools for marketing automation that align with your business size, industry, budget, specific needs, and user-friendly automated platforms.
Whether you require a platform that excels in email and social media marketing or one with robust CRM and e-commerce capabilities, we’ve covered you with a curated list of 20 marketing automation tools and platforms for 2024.
What are automated marketing platforms?
Automated marketing platforms help businesses streamline and automate their marketing tasks to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
These platforms utilize technology to automate repetitive tasks such as email marketing, social media posting, and ad campaigns. They can also provide analytics and data insights, manage customer data, and enable personalization, among other features.
Marketing automation platforms provide businesses with the ability to enhance their marketing efforts, save valuable time, minimize human errors, and ultimately achieve superior outcomes.
Why use marketing automation platforms?
By using marketing automation tools, you can spend more time coming up with original solutions, improve your close rate, and raise the caliber of your leads. This software lets you concentrate on more important daily tasks while helping your business grow.
Let’s dive into why the best marketing automation platforms are becoming a must-have in every marketer’s toolkit:
1. Efficiency
Marketing automation systems are designed to handle repetitive and time-consuming tasks like email campaigns, social media posting, and segmentation.
Businesses can operate more efficiently by automating these activities, saving precious time and resources. In addition, this enables marketing and sales teams to shift their focus toward strategic planning and creative tasks that require human insight and expertise.
2. Scalability
As a business expands, its marketing needs grow as well. Marketing automation platforms can quickly adapt to this growth, capable of managing an increased volume of work.
It eliminates the need to continually increase workforce size or overburden existing team members, allowing a company to grow smoothly and sustainably.
3. Personalization
Automated marketing platforms collect and analyze consumer data, such as browsing behavior, purchase history, and preferences. This information is then used to tailor marketing efforts to individual consumers, leading to more personalized and relevant experiences. It enhances leads or customer satisfaction and fosters stronger relationships.
4. Data analysis
Robust data analysis is a crucial feature of marketing automation platforms. These systems track campaign performance across multiple marketing channels and analyze prospects’ behaviors to provide valuable insights.
This data-driven approach guides the development of future strategies, allowing businesses to make informed decisions and continually improve their marketing efforts.
5. Lead management
B2B marketing automation platforms often include lead management features, such as lead scoring and nurturing programs. These tools effectively move leads through the sales pipeline by automatically sending targeted content based on where they are in the buyer’s journey. Thus, it leads to a more effective sales process and improved conversion rates.
6. Integration
Seamless integration with other business tools is a critical feature of top marketing automation platforms. Whether it’s a CRM, content management system, or customer service software, marketing automation tools can connect with these systems to create a unified, efficient, and effective marketing ecosystem.
7. Affordability
Automation isn’t just for enterprise companies. Many marketing automation tools offer budget-friendly options for small businesses. These cost-effective solutions provide access to automation’s numerous benefits, making it a feasible choice for companies of all sizes.
8. Enterprise-level tools
For businesses with more complex needs, various best enterprise marketing automation tools offer advanced features like predictive analytics, advanced segmentation, and extensive customization options. These sophisticated tools meet the unique demands of enterprise-level operations, making them a worthwhile investment.
9. Customer retention
Features like automated follow-ups and personalized content can significantly improve customer retention. By maintaining regular contact and providing content tailored to individual customer interests and needs, marketing automation solutions help nurture lead relationships and encourage loyalty.
By integrating the best tools for marketing automation into their workflows, businesses, whether small or large, can significantly enhance their marketing strategies and drive growth. In addition, the variety of options available means there’s a perfect solution for every business size and type.
How to choose the best marketing automation tool?
Below are the points you should consider while choosing the best marketing automation software.
Marketing automation tools should be easy to use and integrate seamlessly with your existing tools.
Also, consider the platform’s scalability and customer support. The software should be able to grow with your business, and reliable support is crucial for troubleshooting any issues.
1. Understanding business needs and goals
The first step towards choosing the best marketing automation software is understanding your business’s unique needs and objectives.
Are you looking to automate email marketing, social media posts, or your entire marketing funnel? Do you aim to improve lead generation, enhance customer engagement, or boost conversion rates? Your choice of software should align with these goals.
2 . Evaluating features
Marketing automation platforms come with various features, such as email marketing, CRM integration, analytics, and advanced automation features. Examine these features in detail to determine whether they meet your specific needs.
For example, you’d want a platform with robust email marketing capabilities if you often run email campaigns.
3 . Assessing usability
Automated marketing platforms for your business should be user-friendly and intuitive. Software that is too challenging to use may wind up being more problematic than useful.
Therefore, choose a marketing automation platform that is simple to use and doesn’t necessitate specialised technical knowledge. Ensure the marketing automation software you choose integrates with other third-party tools.
4. Analytics and reporting
Any good marketing automation tool should come with comprehensive analytics and reporting features. It helps you measure the success of your marketing campaigns and learn more about consumer behaviour.
These data-driven insights can then be used to adjust and optimize your strategies. When searching for a marketing automation platform, make sure to find one that offers detailed reports and analytics. You can analyse crucial metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, bounce rates, and consumer engagement with the use of these tools.
5. Free trials
Before committing to marketing automation software, it’s often helpful to test its capabilities and assess whether it suits your business needs. Many of the best marketing automation platforms offer free trials or demo versions.
It enables you in becoming acquainted with its various features, capabilities, and how users interact with it. It also gives you a sense of the software provider’s customer service and support. Free trials can provide valuable insights and help you make an informed decision.
6. Customer support
No matter how intuitive a platform may be, there will likely be times when you need help. Therefore, choose a platform that offers reliable and accessible customer support. It could be in live chat, phone support, an extensive knowledge base, or all of the above.
Best marketing automation tools for growing business
1. Salesmate
Salesmate is an all-inclusive CRM with a marketing automation tool that empowers teams and helps them drive more revenue by automating your entire business process.
Salesmate’s robust marketing automation feature enables you to create multiple processes without the hassle and is considered one of the best marketing automation software. Salesmate provides 15 days free trial.
Pros: Salesmate’s intuitive interface and comprehensive suite of tools are great for businesses of all sizes. Their competitive pricing offers a tremendous return on investment, especially for small enterprises, and their superb customer service guarantees that users have access to the assistance they require at all times.
Cons: Some users may need time to adapt to the more advanced features.
Circleboom Publish is the most comprehensive social media automation and scheduling platform that supports Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google My Business, and TikTok.
Key features
Automated Publishing
Calendar Management
Post Scheduling
Content Management
Pros and cons
Pros: Circleboom Publish is praised for its easy-to-navigate interface and multi-account management feature. Businesses who want to handle and automate their social media posts across numerous platforms would benefit greatly from this service. Plus, its analytical capabilities provide valuable insights into social media performance.
Cons: While Circleboom Publish excels in social media management, businesses may find its other marketing automation features somewhat limited compared to comprehensive platforms like Salesmate. Moreover, some users might wish for more granular analytics and reporting.
When it comes to marketing automation tools, HubSpot is the one leading the market. HubSpot marketing automation platform helps you create powerful automated workflows with a simple visual interface.
Key features
Automated Email Drip Campaigns
Personalized Workflows
Lead Scoring
Analytics
Pros and cons
Pros: Comprehensive toolset, strong analytics, and reporting, high-quality educational resources.
Cons: Pricing can be high for smaller businesses and customization options could be better.
Marketo Engage by Adobe is a leading marketing automation tool that offers numerous automation features for every growing business. It’s a powerful marketing automation tool with salient features such as email marketing, lead nurturing and scoring, and analytics.
Key features
AB Testing
Activity Dashboard
Advertising Management
Behavior Analytics
Behavior Tracking
Behavioral Targeting
Pros and cons
Pros: Extensive and advanced features, scalable for growing businesses, high-quality analytics.
Cons: Could be over-complex for small businesses, higher learning curve, pricing on the higher end. Marketo doesn’t offer a free trial or a free plan.
Pricing
Marketo provides a customer pricing plan based on Database size.
Pardot by Salesforce is yet another robust B2B marketing automation tool. Pardot enables the marketing and sales team to collaborate, engage buyers, close more deals, and build lasting relationships.
Key features
Activity Dashboard
Campaign Management
Email Marketing
Email Tracking
Engagement Tracking
Lead Management
Pros and cons
Pros: Pardot excels in the B2B space with robust marketing features. Its integration with Salesforce’s CRM is a plus for businesses already using Salesforce’s suite of products.
Cons: Its high price point and complexity may not suit small businesses. Also, it has limited social media capabilities, unlike Salesmate, which provides a more balanced marketing solution.
ActiveCampaign is an ideal marketing automation tool that offers simplified and advanced automation processes with automated follow-ups, powerful integrations, and contact segmentation.
Key features
Social Media Scheduling
Retargeting
Customer Journey
A/B Split Testing
Pros and cons
Pros: ActiveCampaign is praised for its robust email marketing capabilities and excellent customer segmentation features. Plus, the platform integrates smoothly with many other tools.
Cons: Some users report that the platform can be a bit complex to navigate initially, especially for newcomers to marketing automation.
EngageBay is an all-in-one marketing automation software that helps small businesses generate more revenue and build better online customer interactions. It allows companies to automate tasks like sending emails and SMS or scoring leads based on their actions.
Key features
Campaign Management
Drip Email Campaigns
Smart Customer Segmentation
Email Personalization
Pros and cons
Pros: EngageBay shines in its versatility as it offers a complete suite of marketing, sales, and customer service tools. Its pricing is also competitive, making it accessible for small businesses.
Cons: Some users have pointed out occasional glitches in the system and wish for more comprehensive customer support.
Flipsnack is a digital publishing tool that helps businesses create professional online magazines, brochures, catalogs, and more. While not a conventional marketing automation tool, it does offer some automation features like scheduled publishing and auto-sharing on social media platforms.
Key features
Contact Management
Drag & Drop
Email Management
Multi-Channel Campaigns
Pros and cons
Pros: Users love Flipsnack’s intuitive design and the quality of its digital publications. Its interactive features add a unique touch to any digital document.
Cons: Flipsnack is a niche tool focusing on digital publishing, so it may only fulfill some marketing automation needs. Some users also feel that the pricing is high for the offered features.
Mailchimp is a widely used marketing automation platform known for its email marketing services. It offers features like email templates, A/B testing, analytics, contact segmentation, and more. In recent years, Mailchimp provides a broad range of marketing tools, including as landing pages, social media ads, and CRM.
Key features
Email Marketing
Marketing Automation
Marketing Calendar
Multi-Channel Marketing
Search Marketing
Social Marketing
Pros and cons
Pros: Mailchimp stands out for its user-friendly interface, vast template library, and comprehensive email marketing features. It’s also appreciated for its free plan, making it a great starting point for small businesses.
Cons: As Mailchimp has grown, some users feel it needs to be more intuitive. There are also occasional criticisms of its customer support.
BIGContacts is an all-inclusive business tool offering CRM and marketing automation. This tool provides a user-friendly experience, making it a reliable choice businesses of all sizes and in a variety of industries.
Key features
Email Management
Email Marketing
Email Tracking
Contact Management
Pros and cons
Pros: Users appreciate BIGContacts for its comprehensive CRM and marketing automation capabilities. It is also popular for its excellent customer service and simplicity of use.
Cons: Some users feel the interface could be more modern and intuitive. The email marketing capabilities are robust but are limited compared to specialized email marketing tools.
SharpSpring is a simplified and robust marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes. It’s focused on sales and marketing automation that helps companies boost their conversion rate and deliver enhanced customer experience.
Features
Behavioral-based email marketing
Dynamic forms
Analytics
Workflow builder
Visitor tracking
Pros and cons
Pros: SharpSpring is often praised for its comprehensive feature set and integrations. It’s also notable for its agency-focused model, offering benefits for marketing agencies managing multiple clients.
Cons: The initial setup can be a little complicated, according to some users, and the user interface could be more simple.
Omnisend is an e-commerce marketing automation tool that helps you to automate your marketing processes across multiple channels. Omnisend is an e-commerce automation tool with robust automation workflows, pre-built automation for cart abandonment, transaction emails, welcome series, and more.
Key features
Customer segmentation
Email marketing
SMS marketing
Integration
Pros and cons
Pros: Omnisend is lauded for its easy-to-use platform and strong email and SMS marketing capabilities. It also provides robust integration with e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.
Cons: Some users find its reporting features lacking and desire more in-depth analytics.
Oracle Eloqua is here to streamline your marketing and sales activities. It’s a versatile marketing automation tool that enables you to manage cross-channel B2B marketing campaigns efficiently and nurture leads at every step.
Key features
Customer segmentation
Lead management
Advanced Intelligence
Sales and marketing alignment
Marketing measurement
Pros and cons
Pros: Eloqua is highly praised for its robustness and scalability, making it suitable for large enterprises with complex marketing needs. It offers in-depth analytics, segmentation capabilities, and excellent integration with other Oracle products.
Cons: Eloqua has a steep learning curve and might not be the best fit for small businesses or those with more specific marketing needs. It also comes at a higher price than other marketing automation tools.
Pricing
Oracle doesn’t publicly list Eloqua’s pricing, and it typically provides custom quotes based on the business’s specific needs.
User.com is an advanced marketing automation software for Enterprises, small businesses, agencies, and businesses of any size. It helps you increase your conversion rate by engaging with prospects and clients and streamlining the entire process.
Key features
Email marketing
Visitor tracking
Live chat
Smart automation
Analytics
Pros and cons
Pros: User.com provides a broad range of functions on a single platform, which can help organisations run more efficiently and without the need for numerous tools. Its user-friendly interface and customization options are also significant advantages.
Cons: According to some users, the platform has sometimes been slow. Moreover, the breadth of features can sometimes make the platform feel complex and overwhelming for new users.
GetResponse is more than just an email marketing platform; it’s a comprehensive marketing automation software designed to help businesses turn leads into customers. It provides the tools to create, customize, and automate marketing campaigns that reach the right people at the right time.
Key features
Drag-and-drop email editor
Landing page builder
Webinar solution
Event-based automation
Webinars
Advanced segmentation
Pros and cons
Pros: GetResponse offers a comprehensive suite of tools in one platform, from email marketing and landing pages to webinars, which can help streamline your marketing efforts.
Cons: Some users find that the platform’s reporting features could be more robust, and the pricing can be higher than other marketing automation platforms.
Pricing
GetResponse marketing automation pricing is based on the number of contacts you want.
Starter- $41.30 (1000 contacts per month)
Customer pricing as per the no of contacts you select.
SendX is a user-friendly and affordable marketing automation software designed for businesses of all sizes. The platform provides tools for email marketing, lead generation, and email automation.
Key features
Email Campaigns
Drip Sequences
Email Templates
Segmentation
Analytics and Reporting
Pros and cons
Pros: SendX is appreciated for its user-friendly interface and affordability. It offers a broad range of features at a competitive price, making it an economical choice for businesses.
Cons: On the flip side, SendX could improve its integration capabilities as it only connects with some commonly used business tools. Also, its automation features, while present, lack the advanced customization options found in other platforms.
Pricing
Pricing plans are based on the subscribers. Prices increase as the no. of subscribers increases.
Business Plan- (1-1000 subscribers)- $9.99 per month
Autopilot is a marketing automation software that focuses on visual customer journeys. You can automate the entire customer journey with Autopilot’s advanced automation and engage better with your customers and prospects.
Key features
Lead segmentation
Building automated customer journeys
Real-time collaboration with teams
Email marketing
Marketing automation
Pros and cons
Pros: Users love Autopilot for its visually appealing and intuitive customer journey mapping. The software also receives praise for its flexibility and integration capabilities.
Cons: Some users mention a steep learning curve and a desire for more analytics features.
Ontraport is a perfect combination of an advanced CRM and marketing automation tool. It provides a seamless user experience and helps you automate your entire marketing process without hassle.
Key features
Marketing automation
Email marketing
Reporting
Landing pages
Pros and cons
Pros: Ontraport’s versatility is one of its main strengths. The platform offers a range of advanced marketing automation features and excels in providing comprehensive customer data and reporting. Users also appreciate its CRM and e-commerce capabilities.
Cons: Some users feel that the user interface could be more intuitive, and there may be a learning curve for those new to marketing automation software.
Drip prides itself on offering advanced automation for e-commerce businesses. It provides a unified channel for managing all your data, executing automated email marketing, and personalizing it as per your company’s requirements.
Key features
Email marketing
Customer journey mapping
Multi-channel touchpoints
Detailed analytics
Pros and cons
Pros: Drip’s strength lies in its e-commerce focus, allowing businesses to personalize and automate marketing processes effectively. Its seamless integration with numerous e-commerce platforms and other tools makes it an excellent fit for online businesses.
Cons: According to some users, drip’s email template builder might be more user-friendly and adaptable. Also, the platform might be more expensive compared to other options in the market, especially for businesses with large email lists.
Pricing
Drip offers a 14-day free trial, allowing potential users to test the platform. The pricing plans are structured based on the number of contacts.
Moosend is an email marketing and marketing automation platform that provides businesses with the tools to manage and automate their marketing campaigns. Its robust Drag-and-Drop email editor and extensive template library, with fully customizable templates, ensure that you send the right message at the right time, every time.
Key features
Email marketing
Marketing automation
Landing pages
Real-time analytics
Pros and cons
Pros: Moosend’s email marketing automation tool allows you to create personalized email campaigns with its drag-and-drop editor, boosting engagement and conversion rates. The platform’s robust analytics tools provide valuable insights into campaign performance and customer behavior.
Cons: While Moosend provides many features, it may need more advanced capabilities provided by other marketing automation tools. Also, users have reported that customer support could be improved.
Pricing
Pricing is based on the number of subscribers and starts at a competitive price.
Pro plan: Starts at $9/mo, billed annually
Enterprise: Custom made plan to meet your individual needs
Essential features of an ideal marketing automation tools
When looking for the best marketing automation software for your business, several features should be considered key indicators of an effective platform. Here are the essential features to look for when evaluating your options:
1. Email marketing automation
The best marketing automation tools should offer robust email marketing features. These should enable you to create, automate, and optimize your email marketing campaigns, allowing for tailored messaging based on customer data.
2. Multi-channel marketing
A top marketing automation platform should support multiple marketing channels, including email, social media, and SMS marketing. It helps in providing a unified customer experience across all channels.
An ideal marketing automation software should seamlessly integrate with your CRM system, making it easier to manage contact data, track interactions, and streamline sales and marketing efforts.
4. Social media management
Social media marketing is a crucial component of many businesses marketing strategies. Therefore, an ideal email marketing automation tool should have features that allow you to manage, schedule, and track your social media posts effectively.
5. Lead generation and nurturing
Lead generation and nurturing are essential for growing your customer base. Advanced automation features should support creating targeted campaigns that attract, engage, and convert leads.
6. Marketing analytics and reporting
The best marketing automation software should provide in-depth analytics and reporting capabilities. These features help businesses track their marketing campaigns’ effectiveness and make data-driven decisions.
7. Landing pages and forms
Marketing automation tools should offer easy-to-use drag-and-drop tools for creating professional-looking landing pages and forms. These can significantly help in lead generation efforts.
8. Personalized marketing campaigns
Personalization can dramatically increase customer engagement. The marketing automation tools allow you to segment your audience and deliver personalized marketing messages based on their preferences and behavior.
9. Drip campaigns
Drip campaigns are a series of automated emails sent out on a schedule. The marketing automation tools for small businesses should include drip campaign functionality to nurture leads and keep customers engaged.
10. Free trial and pricing
A free trial or plan can help businesses test marketing automation tools before committing financially. In addition, the best enterprise marketing automation platforms usually offer tiered pricing plans that cater to businesses of all sizes.
11. Customer support
Quality customer support is an often overlooked but critical feature of any marketing automation solution. The availability of knowledgeable and responsive customer service can make or break your experience with the tool.
12 . Ease of use
A user-friendly interface is essential, especially for small businesses or those without a dedicated IT team. The best marketing automation software should be intuitive and straightforward, minimizing the learning curve for users.
13 . Workflow automation
Workflow automation allows you to automate repetitive tasks and marketing processes, freeing time for other crucial aspects of your business.
Who uses marketing automation platforms?
A diverse range of businesses and professionals uses marketing automation platforms. They cater to different sectors, business sizes, and job roles. Here’s who typically uses these platforms:
1. Small businesses
Small businesses often use marketing automation platforms to streamline their marketing tasks. For example, the platforms can help them automate email campaigns, manage social media posts, and track customer behavior, freeing up more time for other business operations.
2. Medium to large businesses
Larger businesses use marketing automation platforms to manage and analyze extensive customer data. With the help of these platforms, they can coordinate their marketing efforts across various channels, and provide personalized experiences to their large customer base.
3. Marketing teams
Marketing teams use marketing automation software to manage their multi-channel marketing campaigns. These tools help them coordinate email, social media, and content marketing efforts, making their campaigns more efficient and effective.
4. Sales teams
Sales teams use these platforms to track and nurture leads through the sales funnel. They can also use the system to manage leads contact and track interactions, helping them close deals more efficiently.
5. E-commerce businesses
Businesses leverage marketing automation tools for personalized product recommendations, abandoned cart recovery emails, and other retargeting strategies. These platforms can also help manage customer reviews and ratings.
6. Digital marketing agencies
Agencies use these tools to manage marketing campaigns for multiple clients. They can easily monitor and optimize various campaigns from a single platform, which increases efficiency and productivity.
7. Non-profit organizations
Non-profits use these platforms to manage donor communications, fundraising campaigns, and event marketing. The platforms can also help them track and analyze their campaign performance, helping them to engage their supporters more effectively. Additionally, nonprofit management software has gained popularity recently by providing organizations with a centralized platform for member communications, database management, event coordination, and more.
8. Freelancers and consultants
Freelancers and marketing consultants use these tools to manage and automate marketing tasks for their clients. In addition, the tools can help them provide valuable data insights and campaign performance reports.
9. Customer support teams
While traditionally used by marketing and sales, customer support teams can also use these platforms to automate follow-up communications and satisfaction surveys, improving customer engagement and retention.
What is the expected ROI after using marketing automation software?
The return on investment (ROI) for marketing automation solutions can be significant. However, it often depends on the specific use case, the organization’s size, and how effectively the system is implemented and utilized.
However, several key areas typically demonstrate the most significant ROI:
1. Increased sales revenue
By automating lead nurturing processes, businesses can move prospects through the sales funnel more efficiently, often resulting in higher conversion rates and increased sales revenue.
2. Improved marketing efficiency
Marketing automation allows teams to automate repetitive tasks, freeing time to focus on more strategic work. As a result, it can lead to an overall increase in productivity and, by extension, a more effective marketing team.
3. Better lead generation and qualification
Marketing automation tools often include improved targeting and segmentation capabilities, leading to more and better-quality leads. Additionally, these systems can help identify and prioritize high-quality leads, allowing sales teams to focus their efforts where they’re most likely to yield results.
4. Enhanced customer engagement
By allowing personalized and targeted communications, marketing automation can significantly enhance customer engagement. It guides to improved customer retention and loyalty, and an increased lifetime customer value.
5. Data-driven decision making
Marketing automation solutions provide valuable analytics and reporting features, enabling businesses to make more informed, data-driven decisions. Thus, it can lead to more effective marketing strategies and campaigns.
6. Reduced costs
While there is an upfront cost to implementing a marketing automation system, these tools can save businesses money in the long run by reducing labor costs and increasing efficiency.
7. Enhanced cross-selling and upselling
With better customer tracking and segmentation, businesses can make more relevant cross-sell and upsell offers, increasing customer purchase size and frequency.
8. Shortened sales cycle
By automating follow-ups and nurturing leads more effectively, a marketing automation solution can significantly shorten the sales cycle, resulting in faster sales and higher turnover.
These benefits translate into a substantial ROI for businesses that invest in marketing automation. However, it’s important to remember that successful marketing automation requires a strategic approach, proper setup, ongoing maintenance, and regular analysis of results.
When it comes to marketing automation, streamlining your revenue operations can be one of the most effective ways to boost your profits while providing a seamless solution for you and your customers to manage recurring billing and invoicing.
There are other tools like, accounting software, POS software, ERP software that can help your business grow and generate more ROI when used alongside a marketing automation software.
Conclusion
Thus, Marketing automation platforms bolster efficiency across many marketing activities, improving customer engagement and sales revenue. In addition, they automate repetitive tasks, enabling marketing teams to focus on strategy, which, alongside robust analytics, paves the way for data-driven decision-making.
Despite the initial investment, these platforms offer long-term cost savings and consistent ROI due to their scalability. However, their success ultimately depends on strategic usage, including proper setup, regular maintenance, and ongoing performance review.
In a world where personalized marketing is becoming more of a necessity than a luxury, marketing automation platforms are not just useful; they’re an essential part of any modern marketing strategy.
Dhara Thakkar
Dhara Thakkar is a seasoned marketer at Salesmate. She thrives on trying new organic strategies to improve traffic & conversions, and has in-depth knowledge on how search works. When she's not working, you will find her travelling or binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S
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If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the ever-growing to-do list, then you’re not alone. Juggling email campaigns, social media posts, outreach, and lead nurturing can be daunting. But when you add market
When it comes to marketing automation, there are various opportunities where you can implement it into your business process.
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Key Takeaways
In our rapidly changing digital world, automation is playing a crucial role. It’s no longer considered a luxury but an essential tool that businesses can’t do without. As a result, big and small businesses seek automated marketing platforms to streamline operations and achieve better results.
The best marketing automation software does more than automate repetitive tasks. It aids lead generation, nurturing, conversion, analytics, and reporting. These platforms are evolving to offer sophisticated solutions, catering to small and enterprise businesses alike.
In this article, we aim to help you navigate the best marketing automation platforms of 2024, including identifying the best tools for marketing automation that align with your business size, industry, budget, specific needs, and user-friendly automated platforms.
Whether you require a platform that excels in email and social media marketing or one with robust CRM and e-commerce capabilities, we’ve covered you with a curated list of 20 marketing automation tools and platforms for 2024.
What are automated marketing platforms?
Automated marketing platforms help businesses streamline and automate their marketing tasks to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
These platforms utilize technology to automate repetitive tasks such as email marketing, social media posting, and ad campaigns. They can also provide analytics and data insights, manage customer data, and enable personalization, among other features.
Marketing automation platforms provide businesses with the ability to enhance their marketing efforts, save valuable time, minimize human errors, and ultimately achieve superior outcomes.
Why use marketing automation platforms?
By using marketing automation tools, you can spend more time coming up with original solutions, improve your close rate, and raise the caliber of your leads. This software lets you concentrate on more important daily tasks while helping your business grow.
Let’s dive into why the best marketing automation platforms are becoming a must-have in every marketer’s toolkit:
1. Efficiency
Marketing automation systems are designed to handle repetitive and time-consuming tasks like email campaigns, social media posting, and segmentation.
Businesses can operate more efficiently by automating these activities, saving precious time and resources. In addition, this enables marketing and sales teams to shift their focus toward strategic planning and creative tasks that require human insight and expertise.
2. Scalability
As a business expands, its marketing needs grow as well. Marketing automation platforms can quickly adapt to this growth, capable of managing an increased volume of work.
It eliminates the need to continually increase workforce size or overburden existing team members, allowing a company to grow smoothly and sustainably.
3. Personalization
Automated marketing platforms collect and analyze consumer data, such as browsing behavior, purchase history, and preferences. This information is then used to tailor marketing efforts to individual consumers, leading to more personalized and relevant experiences. It enhances leads or customer satisfaction and fosters stronger relationships.
4. Data analysis
Robust data analysis is a crucial feature of marketing automation platforms. These systems track campaign performance across multiple marketing channels and analyze prospects’ behaviors to provide valuable insights.
This data-driven approach guides the development of future strategies, allowing businesses to make informed decisions and continually improve their marketing efforts.
5. Lead management
B2B marketing automation platforms often include lead management features, such as lead scoring and nurturing programs. These tools effectively move leads through the sales pipeline by automatically sending targeted content based on where they are in the buyer’s journey. Thus, it leads to a more effective sales process and improved conversion rates.
6. Integration
Seamless integration with other business tools is a critical feature of top marketing automation platforms. Whether it’s a CRM, content management system, or customer service software, marketing automation tools can connect with these systems to create a unified, efficient, and effective marketing ecosystem.
7. Affordability
Automation isn’t just for enterprise companies. Many marketing automation tools offer budget-friendly options for small businesses. These cost-effective solutions provide access to automation’s numerous benefits, making it a feasible choice for companies of all sizes.
8. Enterprise-level tools
For businesses with more complex needs, various best enterprise marketing automation tools offer advanced features like predictive analytics, advanced segmentation, and extensive customization options. These sophisticated tools meet the unique demands of enterprise-level operations, making them a worthwhile investment.
9. Customer retention
Features like automated follow-ups and personalized content can significantly improve customer retention. By maintaining regular contact and providing content tailored to individual customer interests and needs, marketing automation solutions help nurture lead relationships and encourage loyalty.
By integrating the best tools for marketing automation into their workflows, businesses, whether small or large, can significantly enhance their marketing strategies and drive growth. In addition, the variety of options available means there’s a perfect solution for every business size and type.
How to choose the best marketing automation tool?
Below are the points you should consider while choosing the best marketing automation software.
Marketing automation tools should be easy to use and integrate seamlessly with your existing tools.
Also, consider the platform’s scalability and customer support. The software should be able to grow with your business, and reliable support is crucial for troubleshooting any issues.
1. Understanding business needs and goals
The first step towards choosing the best marketing automation software is understanding your business’s unique needs and objectives.
Are you looking to automate email marketing, social media posts, or your entire marketing funnel? Do you aim to improve lead generation, enhance customer engagement, or boost conversion rates? Your choice of software should align with these goals.
2 . Evaluating features
Marketing automation platforms come with various features, such as email marketing, CRM integration, analytics, and advanced automation features. Examine these features in detail to determine whether they meet your specific needs.
For example, you’d want a platform with robust email marketing capabilities if you often run email campaigns.
3 . Assessing usability
Automated marketing platforms for your business should be user-friendly and intuitive. Software that is too challenging to use may wind up being more problematic than useful.
Therefore, choose a marketing automation platform that is simple to use and doesn’t necessitate specialised technical knowledge. Ensure the marketing automation software you choose integrates with other third-party tools.
4. Analytics and reporting
Any good marketing automation tool should come with comprehensive analytics and reporting features. It helps you measure the success of your marketing campaigns and learn more about consumer behaviour.
These data-driven insights can then be used to adjust and optimize your strategies. When searching for a marketing automation platform, make sure to find one that offers detailed reports and analytics. You can analyse crucial metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, bounce rates, and consumer engagement with the use of these tools.
5. Free trials
Before committing to marketing automation software, it’s often helpful to test its capabilities and assess whether it suits your business needs. Many of the best marketing automation platforms offer free trials or demo versions.
It enables you in becoming acquainted with its various features, capabilities, and how users interact with it. It also gives you a sense of the software provider’s customer service and support. Free trials can provide valuable insights and help you make an informed decision.
6. Customer support
No matter how intuitive a platform may be, there will likely be times when you need help. Therefore, choose a platform that offers reliable and accessible customer support. It could be in live chat, phone support, an extensive knowledge base, or all of the above.
Best marketing automation tools for growing business
1. Salesmate
Salesmate is an all-inclusive CRM with a marketing automation tool that empowers teams and helps them drive more revenue by automating your entire business process.
Salesmate’s robust marketing automation feature enables you to create multiple processes without the hassle and is considered one of the best marketing automation software. Salesmate provides 15 days free trial.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pros: Salesmate’s intuitive interface and comprehensive suite of tools are great for businesses of all sizes. Their competitive pricing offers a tremendous return on investment, especially for small enterprises, and their superb customer service guarantees that users have access to the assistance they require at all times.
Cons: Some users may need time to adapt to the more advanced features.
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.6 out of 5
2. Circleboom Publish
Circleboom Publish is the most comprehensive social media automation and scheduling platform that supports Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google My Business, and TikTok.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.7 out of 5
3 . HubSpot
When it comes to marketing automation tools, HubSpot is the one leading the market. HubSpot marketing automation platform helps you create powerful automated workflows with a simple visual interface.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.4 out of 5
4. Marketo
Marketo Engage by Adobe is a leading marketing automation tool that offers numerous automation features for every growing business. It’s a powerful marketing automation tool with salient features such as email marketing, lead nurturing and scoring, and analytics.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
Marketo provides a customer pricing plan based on Database size.
G2 ratings – 4.1 out of 5
5. Pardot
Pardot by Salesforce is yet another robust B2B marketing automation tool. Pardot enables the marketing and sales team to collaborate, engage buyers, close more deals, and build lasting relationships.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.3 out of 5
6. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is an ideal marketing automation tool that offers simplified and advanced automation processes with automated follow-ups, powerful integrations, and contact segmentation.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.5 out of 5
7. EngageBay
EngageBay is an all-in-one marketing automation software that helps small businesses generate more revenue and build better online customer interactions. It allows companies to automate tasks like sending emails and SMS or scoring leads based on their actions.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.6 out of 5
8. Flipsnack
Flipsnack is a digital publishing tool that helps businesses create professional online magazines, brochures, catalogs, and more. While not a conventional marketing automation tool, it does offer some automation features like scheduled publishing and auto-sharing on social media platforms.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.5 out of 5
9 . Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a widely used marketing automation platform known for its email marketing services. It offers features like email templates, A/B testing, analytics, contact segmentation, and more. In recent years, Mailchimp provides a broad range of marketing tools, including as landing pages, social media ads, and CRM.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.4 out of 5
10 . BIGContacts
BIGContacts is an all-inclusive business tool offering CRM and marketing automation. This tool provides a user-friendly experience, making it a reliable choice businesses of all sizes and in a variety of industries.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.5 out of 5
11 . SharpSpring
SharpSpring is a simplified and robust marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes. It’s focused on sales and marketing automation that helps companies boost their conversion rate and deliver enhanced customer experience.
Features
Pros and cons
Pricing
Pricing starts at $499/ month
G2 ratings – 4.6 out of 5
12. Omnisend
Omnisend is an e-commerce marketing automation tool that helps you to automate your marketing processes across multiple channels. Omnisend is an e-commerce automation tool with robust automation workflows, pre-built automation for cart abandonment, transaction emails, welcome series, and more.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.5 out of 5
13. Oracle Eloqua
Oracle Eloqua is here to streamline your marketing and sales activities. It’s a versatile marketing automation tool that enables you to manage cross-channel B2B marketing campaigns efficiently and nurture leads at every step.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
Oracle doesn’t publicly list Eloqua’s pricing, and it typically provides custom quotes based on the business’s specific needs.
G2 ratings – 3.9 out of 5
14. User.com
User.com is an advanced marketing automation software for Enterprises, small businesses, agencies, and businesses of any size. It helps you increase your conversion rate by engaging with prospects and clients and streamlining the entire process.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
Pricing of User.com is not available publically.
G2 ratings – 4.3 out of 5
15 . GetResponse
GetResponse is more than just an email marketing platform; it’s a comprehensive marketing automation software designed to help businesses turn leads into customers. It provides the tools to create, customize, and automate marketing campaigns that reach the right people at the right time.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
GetResponse marketing automation pricing is based on the number of contacts you want.
Customer pricing as per the no of contacts you select.
G2 ratings – 4.2 out of 5
16. SendX
SendX is a user-friendly and affordable marketing automation software designed for businesses of all sizes. The platform provides tools for email marketing, lead generation, and email automation.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
Pricing plans are based on the subscribers. Prices increase as the no. of subscribers increases.
G2 ratings – 4.6 out of 5
17. Autopilot
Autopilot is a marketing automation software that focuses on visual customer journeys. You can automate the entire customer journey with Autopilot’s advanced automation and engage better with your customers and prospects.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
Prices are not mentioned on the site.
G2 ratings – 4.5 out of 5
18. Ontraport
Ontraport is a perfect combination of an advanced CRM and marketing automation tool. It provides a seamless user experience and helps you automate your entire marketing process without hassle.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
G2 ratings – 4.5 out of 5
19 . Drip
Drip prides itself on offering advanced automation for e-commerce businesses. It provides a unified channel for managing all your data, executing automated email marketing, and personalizing it as per your company’s requirements.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
Drip offers a 14-day free trial, allowing potential users to test the platform. The pricing plans are structured based on the number of contacts.
G2 ratings – 4.4 out of 5
20. Moosend
Moosend is an email marketing and marketing automation platform that provides businesses with the tools to manage and automate their marketing campaigns. Its robust Drag-and-Drop email editor and extensive template library, with fully customizable templates, ensure that you send the right message at the right time, every time.
Key features
Pros and cons
Pricing
Pricing is based on the number of subscribers and starts at a competitive price.
G2 ratings – 4.7 out of 5
Essential features of an ideal marketing automation tools
When looking for the best marketing automation software for your business, several features should be considered key indicators of an effective platform. Here are the essential features to look for when evaluating your options:
1. Email marketing automation
The best marketing automation tools should offer robust email marketing features. These should enable you to create, automate, and optimize your email marketing campaigns, allowing for tailored messaging based on customer data.
2. Multi-channel marketing
A top marketing automation platform should support multiple marketing channels, including email, social media, and SMS marketing. It helps in providing a unified customer experience across all channels.
3. Customer relationship management (CRM) integration
An ideal marketing automation software should seamlessly integrate with your CRM system, making it easier to manage contact data, track interactions, and streamline sales and marketing efforts.
4. Social media management
Social media marketing is a crucial component of many businesses marketing strategies. Therefore, an ideal email marketing automation tool should have features that allow you to manage, schedule, and track your social media posts effectively.
5. Lead generation and nurturing
Lead generation and nurturing are essential for growing your customer base. Advanced automation features should support creating targeted campaigns that attract, engage, and convert leads.
6. Marketing analytics and reporting
The best marketing automation software should provide in-depth analytics and reporting capabilities. These features help businesses track their marketing campaigns’ effectiveness and make data-driven decisions.
7. Landing pages and forms
Marketing automation tools should offer easy-to-use drag-and-drop tools for creating professional-looking landing pages and forms. These can significantly help in lead generation efforts.
8. Personalized marketing campaigns
Personalization can dramatically increase customer engagement. The marketing automation tools allow you to segment your audience and deliver personalized marketing messages based on their preferences and behavior.
9. Drip campaigns
Drip campaigns are a series of automated emails sent out on a schedule. The marketing automation tools for small businesses should include drip campaign functionality to nurture leads and keep customers engaged.
10. Free trial and pricing
A free trial or plan can help businesses test marketing automation tools before committing financially. In addition, the best enterprise marketing automation platforms usually offer tiered pricing plans that cater to businesses of all sizes.
11. Customer support
Quality customer support is an often overlooked but critical feature of any marketing automation solution. The availability of knowledgeable and responsive customer service can make or break your experience with the tool.
12 . Ease of use
A user-friendly interface is essential, especially for small businesses or those without a dedicated IT team. The best marketing automation software should be intuitive and straightforward, minimizing the learning curve for users.
13 . Workflow automation
Workflow automation allows you to automate repetitive tasks and marketing processes, freeing time for other crucial aspects of your business.
Who uses marketing automation platforms?
A diverse range of businesses and professionals uses marketing automation platforms. They cater to different sectors, business sizes, and job roles. Here’s who typically uses these platforms:
1. Small businesses
Small businesses often use marketing automation platforms to streamline their marketing tasks. For example, the platforms can help them automate email campaigns, manage social media posts, and track customer behavior, freeing up more time for other business operations.
2. Medium to large businesses
Larger businesses use marketing automation platforms to manage and analyze extensive customer data. With the help of these platforms, they can coordinate their marketing efforts across various channels, and provide personalized experiences to their large customer base.
3. Marketing teams
Marketing teams use marketing automation software to manage their multi-channel marketing campaigns. These tools help them coordinate email, social media, and content marketing efforts, making their campaigns more efficient and effective.
4. Sales teams
Sales teams use these platforms to track and nurture leads through the sales funnel. They can also use the system to manage leads contact and track interactions, helping them close deals more efficiently.
5. E-commerce businesses
Businesses leverage marketing automation tools for personalized product recommendations, abandoned cart recovery emails, and other retargeting strategies. These platforms can also help manage customer reviews and ratings.
6. Digital marketing agencies
Agencies use these tools to manage marketing campaigns for multiple clients. They can easily monitor and optimize various campaigns from a single platform, which increases efficiency and productivity.
7. Non-profit organizations
Non-profits use these platforms to manage donor communications, fundraising campaigns, and event marketing. The platforms can also help them track and analyze their campaign performance, helping them to engage their supporters more effectively. Additionally, nonprofit management software has gained popularity recently by providing organizations with a centralized platform for member communications, database management, event coordination, and more.
8. Freelancers and consultants
Freelancers and marketing consultants use these tools to manage and automate marketing tasks for their clients. In addition, the tools can help them provide valuable data insights and campaign performance reports.
9. Customer support teams
While traditionally used by marketing and sales, customer support teams can also use these platforms to automate follow-up communications and satisfaction surveys, improving customer engagement and retention.
What is the expected ROI after using marketing automation software?
The return on investment (ROI) for marketing automation solutions can be significant. However, it often depends on the specific use case, the organization’s size, and how effectively the system is implemented and utilized.
However, several key areas typically demonstrate the most significant ROI:
1. Increased sales revenue
By automating lead nurturing processes, businesses can move prospects through the sales funnel more efficiently, often resulting in higher conversion rates and increased sales revenue.
2. Improved marketing efficiency
Marketing automation allows teams to automate repetitive tasks, freeing time to focus on more strategic work. As a result, it can lead to an overall increase in productivity and, by extension, a more effective marketing team.
3. Better lead generation and qualification
Marketing automation tools often include improved targeting and segmentation capabilities, leading to more and better-quality leads. Additionally, these systems can help identify and prioritize high-quality leads, allowing sales teams to focus their efforts where they’re most likely to yield results.
4. Enhanced customer engagement
By allowing personalized and targeted communications, marketing automation can significantly enhance customer engagement. It guides to improved customer retention and loyalty, and an increased lifetime customer value.
5. Data-driven decision making
Marketing automation solutions provide valuable analytics and reporting features, enabling businesses to make more informed, data-driven decisions. Thus, it can lead to more effective marketing strategies and campaigns.
6. Reduced costs
While there is an upfront cost to implementing a marketing automation system, these tools can save businesses money in the long run by reducing labor costs and increasing efficiency.
7. Enhanced cross-selling and upselling
With better customer tracking and segmentation, businesses can make more relevant cross-sell and upsell offers, increasing customer purchase size and frequency.
8. Shortened sales cycle
By automating follow-ups and nurturing leads more effectively, a marketing automation solution can significantly shorten the sales cycle, resulting in faster sales and higher turnover.
These benefits translate into a substantial ROI for businesses that invest in marketing automation. However, it’s important to remember that successful marketing automation requires a strategic approach, proper setup, ongoing maintenance, and regular analysis of results.
When it comes to marketing automation, streamlining your revenue operations can be one of the most effective ways to boost your profits while providing a seamless solution for you and your customers to manage recurring billing and invoicing.
There are other tools like, accounting software, POS software, ERP software that can help your business grow and generate more ROI when used alongside a marketing automation software.
Conclusion
Thus, Marketing automation platforms bolster efficiency across many marketing activities, improving customer engagement and sales revenue. In addition, they automate repetitive tasks, enabling marketing teams to focus on strategy, which, alongside robust analytics, paves the way for data-driven decision-making.
Despite the initial investment, these platforms offer long-term cost savings and consistent ROI due to their scalability. However, their success ultimately depends on strategic usage, including proper setup, regular maintenance, and ongoing performance review.
In a world where personalized marketing is becoming more of a necessity than a luxury, marketing automation platforms are not just useful; they’re an essential part of any modern marketing strategy.
Dhara Thakkar
Dhara Thakkar is a seasoned marketer at Salesmate. She thrives on trying new organic strategies to improve traffic & conversions, and has in-depth knowledge on how search works. When she's not working, you will find her travelling or binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S