Is Marketing Automation Software the Right Tool for Your Company?

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Is Your Company Ready to Invest in Marketing Automation Software?

Before you shop, stop and assess your team, budget, and bandwidth. We’ll look at three typical companies to help you decide.

GET THE 2021 MARKETING AUTOMATION GUIDE BELOW:
Hubspot vs. SharpSpring vs. Act On vs. Keap vs. Marketo vs. Pardot

When you’re ready to ratchet up your marketing, investing in automation software seems like a logical first step. You want to leverage technology to connect with website visitors, keep leads from slipping away, stay top-of-mind with customers, and get useful data on your marketing efforts.

Email marketing is a powerful way to connect with customers. Marketing automation lets you meet customers where they are, when they’re interested, and in a personal way. Although a marketing automation tool will heft much of the work your team use to do manually, it is not a set-it-and-forget-it project. Without the proper time investment, you’ll be throwing dollars out the window if you are simply not the right fit for automation.

When we refer to a marketing automation platform, we’re talking about a software tool used to build your marketing, sales, and customer support communications. Every platform has its attractive features, yet they all seek to connect your email and digital marketing, automate repetitive tasks, and deliver reporting dashboards.

The biggest mistake we see companies make is purchasing automation software with the misguided notion that the software will do it all. 

Many of us have discovered the misery of a software-buy gone wrong.

We often find ourselves enticed by new and shiny objects – new car – new phone – anything fresh and new. When it comes to running our business with greater efficiency, or potential profitability, the promises of a shiny, new software product can lead to an impulse purchase.

Have you experienced the sinking feeling after an expensive purchase mistake? When buying into the wrong marketing automation platform, the result is frustration for your team wasted money—and time.

How are you shopping for automated marketing solutions?

If you’re in the market for something, whether for personal or business, we usually follow a similar route to start.

Visiting websites.

It’s too easy to get drawn in by the animated demos on the software rockstar’s homepage. Its starts with overwhelmed cartoon people, then the software angel enters center stage, and dollar signs begin drifting in with happy people all around.

No software solution works like that.

Talking with others.

The other way we take on burdensome software is by listening to others. We want to make decisions based purely on facts, but the information we find can be slanted. We consult with our team, loved ones, friends, and colleagues to make our decision. This is important in our information gathering phase, but their well-intended bias, often doesn’t help us get the clear picture we need. What may have worked for their situation could be a catastrophe for us.

Once you’ve input your company credit card number into the automated platform’s subscription form, you could be stuck, committed to a contract, and an expensive, bloated platform.

Checking out reviews online.

When it comes to marketing automation, big names stand out: Hubspot, Eloqua, SharpSpring, Keep, Pardot, and Act-on. Before you start comparing features, plans, and reviews, make sure your company is ready to take on the project for the long-term.

Three company scenarios considering marketing automation platforms

To help you determine whether investing in marketing automation is a good fit for you, read the following situations, and find which best describes your company:

Company A – has a marketing team and uses a CRM.

• • Has a Marketing Director with a marketing team of varying skills
  • Has created a budget for marketing campaigns, both online and in print
  • Is running multiple ad campaigns, paid online & media advertising
  • Is using a variety of tech tools with disconnected reporting dashboards
  • Effectively uses a CRM like Salesforce
  • Is looking to improve ways to connect with customers and nurture leads.
  • Understands that online marketing automation is an investment for the long-term for businesses who want to adapt and thrive

Company B – has a marketing director and uses email marketing.

• • Has a Marketing Director trying to do it all: creative, lead funnel, content, ad buys, etc.
  • Is committed to a consistent marketing budget and talent to make it work
  • Uses a patchwork of marketing technology and paying for unneeded features
  • Has a lead & sales process, but leads still slip through the cracks
  • Would like to improve their CRM tool
  • Has an email campaign with Constant Contact, but is frustrated with its limitations
  • Is haphazardly communicating with customers in a one-size-fits-all format
  • Is looking for a way to simplify tedious tasks like lead follow-up, improve email marketing, measure marketing efforts, and follow leads from point-of-contact to close-of-sale

Company C – has little time or budget to invest in marketing.

• • Marketing is coordinated part-time by our ___[Fill in the blank: _IT person, Office Manager, Business Owner]__
  • Does not want to invest time or cash to create marketing content
  • Lacks a long-term interest and strategy for marketing
  • Looks for free software whenever possible, and is happy with MailChimp’s free plan
  • Tracks leads on an Excel spreadsheet
  • Can’t divert much time or energy to learning new software

Which company fits your readiness for marketing automation?

Company A 

Your company is a good fit for implementing a robust marketing automation platform. You have the team and talent to invest in a platform and run it exclusively in-house. You want to provide your skilled team with powerful marketing tools that they will enjoy, creating a DIY, in-house agency. Your team will be able to explore and develop new ways to connect with prospects and strengthen customer relationships.

You will see a greater ROI on your marketing spend because you will be able to see results through a single automation platform, and your online presence will grow. Choosing the right platform is your primary concern.

Company B

Your company is ready to expand into automated marketing because you’ve invested in marketing, and you understand that excellent online marketing tools are indispensable. You know that this kind of investment requires a dedicated commitment. You also want to give your Marketing Director the support, tools, and data needed to make smart budgeting decisions.

Consider your team. Here’s where you could buy a mistake: don’t buy into an automated marketing platform and expect your marketing director to run with it and make it work while he manages all of his other responsibilities. Because your company is working without a creative team, you will need to lean on technical and creative resources to build custom marketing communications that will advance your brand.

Adding skilled marketers to your team doesn’t mean that you need to increase your payroll. Once you’ve gone through the process of onboarding (6-12 weeks), you may need only a few hours a week to maintain your system, update workflows, add content, clean up lead-lists, and review campaign reports.

With so many marketing automation platforms on the market, the question of choosing the right one for your small, but growing, company is critical. It needs to have the all-in-one features without being bloated and requires a long learning curve. It also needs to be able to grow to scale with streamlined tools and sophisticated customer insights, without “growing” your subscription fee.

Company C

If you found yourself agreeing with Company C, marketing automation may not be a good fit for your company at this time. While many companies are looking for a “lead machine” or lead generation and lead nurturing tool, purchasing a subscription to an automated marketing solution is not a quick fix. There is quite a bit of groundwork on the front end that requires time. It’s also not a “set it and forget it” type of program.

Marketing automation is a commitment; it’s not something you “try” for a few months. Once you’ve counted the cost of an ongoing marketing budget (approximately 4% of annual revenue, depending on your industry), you’ll be able to develop a consistent marketing strategy. When you are ready, finding a user-friendly and affordable marketing automation platform will be critical.

Marketing automation is a significant investment beyond your subscription cost.

Getting results from a marketing automation tool requires having a resource who understands your goals and helps you map out a marketing automation strategy to get there. It goes beyond having someone build an automation workflow on the platform.

You’ll also want to have someone who can monitor incoming leads, filter out leads that aren’t a good match, and track sales follow-up. Successful online marketing also requires a commitment to consistently create content and brand messaging that attracts your ideal customer.

Is it worth the cost for our company?

Marketing automation can be the bridge to something great, like a well-oiled machine, connecting with prospects and your customer base.
By building communication flows between prospects, customers, sales and service, marketing automation can do the following, and more:

• Differentiate you from the competition in your industry
• Make your website a lead-generating content powerhouse
• Automate tedious and easy-to-miss lead follow-up
• Bring together all your marketing systems and processes
• Become your sales and customer connection command center

What are key questions to ask when comparing marketing automation platforms?

When you’re ready to make the investment in an automated marketing platform, and you’ve narrowed it down to a few, talk with several providers and their customers. Here are some questions you’ll want answered:

• What should we expect for onboarding and set-up?
• How involved is migrating contacts?
• How is their customer support?
• What does my subscription include?
• Are there any additional costs?
• What if we use another CRM like Salesforce?
• How many users does it include?
• Can we run this ourselves, or do we need agency support?
• How long is the contract?
• What happens to my content if I want to leave the platform?
• Can I see a demo of the platform?
• How much time should we budget?
• How do we use the content we’ve already created?
• Do sales teams really use the built-in CRM?
• What will be the learning curve for our sales team?
• How long before we see a return on our investment?

We had our own automated marketing shopping experience.

When Identity Creative set out to find the right solution for our marketing needs, we were swimming in a sea of software. Before we settled on the right platform for our needs—and those of our clients—we did months of research.

After reviewing the big names out there, we found that Sharpspring is a powerful alternative for a fraction of the price. Because SharpSpring is leaner and built on an agency-support model, it can offer an impressive list of functions with an even more impressively low monthly subscription, and no long-term contracts. Do we have a bias? Yeah, a bit.

Still, the Identity Creative team isn’t out to sell hundreds of SharpSpring subscriptions to anyone who’ll listen. Our goal is to be a partner and work collaboratively with clients. We want to help you connect with the people you seek to serve. If you think your company might be a good fit for automation, contact us today: we’ll answer your questions and discuss your goals in more detail.

We want you to get the straight scoop and make a sound decision you don’t regret. Buying the right software can be like buying the perfect car. When you purchase it, you want the great feeling you get when you roll the windows down, hit the accelerator, and explore the open road of business success.

GET THE 2021 MARKETING AUTOMATION GUIDE HERE
Hubspot vs. SharpSpring vs. Act On vs. Keap vs. Marketo vs. Pardot

 

Schedule a 15-min call or a 30-min SharpSpring Demo.  We’d love to help you take the next step and simplify the process for you and your team.

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Is Your Company Ready to Invest in Marketing Automation Software?

Before you shop, stop and assess your team, budget, and bandwidth. We’ll look at three typical companies to help you decide.

GET THE 2021 MARKETING AUTOMATION GUIDE BELOW:
Hubspot vs. SharpSpring vs. Act On vs. Keap vs. Marketo vs. Pardot

When you’re ready to ratchet up your marketing, investing in automation software seems like a logical first step. You want to leverage technology to connect with website visitors, keep leads from slipping away, stay top-of-mind with customers, and get useful data on your marketing efforts.

Email marketing is a powerful way to connect with customers. Marketing automation lets you meet customers where they are, when they’re interested, and in a personal way. Although a marketing automation tool will heft much of the work your team use to do manually, it is not a set-it-and-forget-it project. Without the proper time investment, you’ll be throwing dollars out the window if you are simply not the right fit for automation.

When we refer to a marketing automation platform, we’re talking about a software tool used to build your marketing, sales, and customer support communications. Every platform has its attractive features, yet they all seek to connect your email and digital marketing, automate repetitive tasks, and deliver reporting dashboards.

The biggest mistake we see companies make is purchasing automation software with the misguided notion that the software will do it all. 

Many of us have discovered the misery of a software-buy gone wrong.

We often find ourselves enticed by new and shiny objects – new car – new phone – anything fresh and new. When it comes to running our business with greater efficiency, or potential profitability, the promises of a shiny, new software product can lead to an impulse purchase.

Have you experienced the sinking feeling after an expensive purchase mistake? When buying into the wrong marketing automation platform, the result is frustration for your team wasted money—and time.

How are you shopping for automated marketing solutions?

If you’re in the market for something, whether for personal or business, we usually follow a similar route to start.

Visiting websites.

It’s too easy to get drawn in by the animated demos on the software rockstar’s homepage. Its starts with overwhelmed cartoon people, then the software angel enters center stage, and dollar signs begin drifting in with happy people all around.

No software solution works like that.

Talking with others.

The other way we take on burdensome software is by listening to others. We want to make decisions based purely on facts, but the information we find can be slanted. We consult with our team, loved ones, friends, and colleagues to make our decision. This is important in our information gathering phase, but their well-intended bias, often doesn’t help us get the clear picture we need. What may have worked for their situation could be a catastrophe for us.

Once you’ve input your company credit card number into the automated platform’s subscription form, you could be stuck, committed to a contract, and an expensive, bloated platform.

Checking out reviews online.

When it comes to marketing automation, big names stand out: Hubspot, Eloqua, SharpSpring, Keep, Pardot, and Act-on. Before you start comparing features, plans, and reviews, make sure your company is ready to take on the project for the long-term.

Three company scenarios considering marketing automation platforms

To help you determine whether investing in marketing automation is a good fit for you, read the following situations, and find which best describes your company:

Company A – has a marketing team and uses a CRM.

• • Has a Marketing Director with a marketing team of varying skills
  • Has created a budget for marketing campaigns, both online and in print
  • Is running multiple ad campaigns, paid online & media advertising
  • Is using a variety of tech tools with disconnected reporting dashboards
  • Effectively uses a CRM like Salesforce
  • Is looking to improve ways to connect with customers and nurture leads.
  • Understands that online marketing automation is an investment for the long-term for businesses who want to adapt and thrive

Company B – has a marketing director and uses email marketing.

• • Has a Marketing Director trying to do it all: creative, lead funnel, content, ad buys, etc.
  • Is committed to a consistent marketing budget and talent to make it work
  • Uses a patchwork of marketing technology and paying for unneeded features
  • Has a lead & sales process, but leads still slip through the cracks
  • Would like to improve their CRM tool
  • Has an email campaign with Constant Contact, but is frustrated with its limitations
  • Is haphazardly communicating with customers in a one-size-fits-all format
  • Is looking for a way to simplify tedious tasks like lead follow-up, improve email marketing, measure marketing efforts, and follow leads from point-of-contact to close-of-sale

Company C – has little time or budget to invest in marketing.

• • Marketing is coordinated part-time by our ___[Fill in the blank: _IT person, Office Manager, Business Owner]__
  • Does not want to invest time or cash to create marketing content
  • Lacks a long-term interest and strategy for marketing
  • Looks for free software whenever possible, and is happy with MailChimp’s free plan
  • Tracks leads on an Excel spreadsheet
  • Can’t divert much time or energy to learning new software

Which company fits your readiness for marketing automation?

Company A 

Your company is a good fit for implementing a robust marketing automation platform. You have the team and talent to invest in a platform and run it exclusively in-house. You want to provide your skilled team with powerful marketing tools that they will enjoy, creating a DIY, in-house agency. Your team will be able to explore and develop new ways to connect with prospects and strengthen customer relationships.

You will see a greater ROI on your marketing spend because you will be able to see results through a single automation platform, and your online presence will grow. Choosing the right platform is your primary concern.

Company B

Your company is ready to expand into automated marketing because you’ve invested in marketing, and you understand that excellent online marketing tools are indispensable. You know that this kind of investment requires a dedicated commitment. You also want to give your Marketing Director the support, tools, and data needed to make smart budgeting decisions.

Consider your team. Here’s where you could buy a mistake: don’t buy into an automated marketing platform and expect your marketing director to run with it and make it work while he manages all of his other responsibilities. Because your company is working without a creative team, you will need to lean on technical and creative resources to build custom marketing communications that will advance your brand.

Adding skilled marketers to your team doesn’t mean that you need to increase your payroll. Once you’ve gone through the process of onboarding (6-12 weeks), you may need only a few hours a week to maintain your system, update workflows, add content, clean up lead-lists, and review campaign reports.

With so many marketing automation platforms on the market, the question of choosing the right one for your small, but growing, company is critical. It needs to have the all-in-one features without being bloated and requires a long learning curve. It also needs to be able to grow to scale with streamlined tools and sophisticated customer insights, without “growing” your subscription fee.

Company C

If you found yourself agreeing with Company C, marketing automation may not be a good fit for your company at this time. While many companies are looking for a “lead machine” or lead generation and lead nurturing tool, purchasing a subscription to an automated marketing solution is not a quick fix. There is quite a bit of groundwork on the front end that requires time. It’s also not a “set it and forget it” type of program.

Marketing automation is a commitment; it’s not something you “try” for a few months. Once you’ve counted the cost of an ongoing marketing budget (approximately 4% of annual revenue, depending on your industry), you’ll be able to develop a consistent marketing strategy. When you are ready, finding a user-friendly and affordable marketing automation platform will be critical.

Marketing automation is a significant investment beyond your subscription cost.

Getting results from a marketing automation tool requires having a resource who understands your goals and helps you map out a marketing automation strategy to get there. It goes beyond having someone build an automation workflow on the platform.

You’ll also want to have someone who can monitor incoming leads, filter out leads that aren’t a good match, and track sales follow-up. Successful online marketing also requires a commitment to consistently create content and brand messaging that attracts your ideal customer.

Is it worth the cost for our company?

Marketing automation can be the bridge to something great, like a well-oiled machine, connecting with prospects and your customer base.
By building communication flows between prospects, customers, sales and service, marketing automation can do the following, and more:

• Differentiate you from the competition in your industry
• Make your website a lead-generating content powerhouse
• Automate tedious and easy-to-miss lead follow-up
• Bring together all your marketing systems and processes
• Become your sales and customer connection command center

What are key questions to ask when comparing marketing automation platforms?

When you’re ready to make the investment in an automated marketing platform, and you’ve narrowed it down to a few, talk with several providers and their customers. Here are some questions you’ll want answered:

• What should we expect for onboarding and set-up?
• How involved is migrating contacts?
• How is their customer support?
• What does my subscription include?
• Are there additional costs?
• What if we use another CRM like Salesforce?
• How many users does it include?
• Can we run this ourselves, or do we need agency support?
• How long is the contract?
• What happens to my content if I want to leave the platform?
• Can I see a demo of the platform?
• How much time should we budget?
• How do we use the content we’ve already created?
• Do sales teams really use the built-in CRM?
• What will be the learning curve for our sales team?
• How long before we see a return on our investment?

We had our own automated marketing shopping experience.

When Identity Creative set out to find the right solution for our marketing needs, we were swimming in a sea of software. Before we settled on the right platform for our needs—and those of our clients—we did months of research.

After reviewing the big names out there, we found that Sharpspring is a powerful alternative for a fraction of the price. Because SharpSpring is leaner and built on an agency-support model, it can offer an impressive list of functions with an even more impressively low monthly subscription, and no long-term contracts. Do we have a bias? Yeah, a bit.

Still, the Identity Creative team isn’t out to sell hundreds of SharpSpring subscriptions to anyone who’ll listen. Our goal is to be a partner and work collaboratively with clients. We want to help you connect with the people you seek to serve. If you think your company might be a good fit for automation, contact us today: we’ll answer your questions and discuss your goals in more detail.
We want you to get the straight scoop and make a sound decision you don’t regret. Buying the right software can be like buying the perfect car. When you purchase it, you want the great feeling you get when you roll the windows down, hit the accelerator, and explore the open road of business success.

GET THE 2021 MARKETING AUTOMATION GUIDE HERE
Hubspot vs. SharpSpring vs. Act On vs. Keap vs. Marketo vs. Pardot

 

Schedule a 15-min call or a 30-min SharpSpring Demo.  We’d love to help you take the next step and simplify the process for you and your team.

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