Looking for someone to help you find the right buyers, execute campaigns, develop great leads, and deliver a high return on your marketing investment? You might be in need of marketing automation software.
We’re going to break down the top marketing automation providers to determine who is the best for you and your budget. Oh, and if you’re not too sure what marketing automation is, we’ve got you covered there too!
Marketing automation refers to software platforms and technologies designed for marketing departments and organizations to more effectively market on multiple channels online (such as email, social media, websites, etc.) and automates repetitive tasks.1
It’s basically marketing software that is designed to help marketing departments perform repetitive tasks more efficiently and effectively. The goal of automated marketing solutions is to nurture prospects by personalizing their buying experience based on their unique needs and desires.
Marketing automation software will help you move those prospects to customers, therefore, generating your company more revenue and increasing your return on investment. In short, you could become a company growth engine and hero in no time!
Video: Marketing Automation In 60 Seconds
This video does a good job of summing up what how marketing automation platforms work.
When you’re choosing a marketing automation solution, it should include all of these features. If it doesn’t, we suggest looking elsewhere. The companies we review in this article all meet this requirement.
Best Marketing Automation Software
Below are our top three picks for best marketing automation software for small businesses based on price, features, customer service and more. We will provide a brief description of each company and also point out the pros and cons of each so you can determine which best suits your needs.
We also showcase valuable free trial sign-up links and promotion details that you might want to try out before you sign on for a longer-term commitment.
HubSpot is our #1 pick because of its affordable price and the fact that you don’t have to be tech-savvy to use it. HubSpot allows you to integrate with apps, and they have a large customer base of big-name companies to vouch for their service. The specialize in helping companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close those customers. HubSpot offers an integrated platform to help with your inbound marketing needs, including blog, social media, web page creation, SEO, and more. HubSpot excels at content management, making it more of a website management and integration tool.
Key Features
Attract Visitors – create noteworthy content to share on social media and use the analytics to improve your search rankings
Convert Leads – design web landing pages to convert traffic and make forms to optimize conversions
Close Sales – use email and analytics to help you convert more leads to sales
Around the Clock Customer Service – Request help via email, website, phone or seek out the answer in their handy user guides or online forum
Pros
Cons
In-depth content management system
Works with more than 350 related apps
Integrates with Google Analytics and Salesforce
Don’t have to be “techie” to use it
Free Demo (no credit card required)
Lots of performance reports available including email, landing pages, campaigns, web activity, and revenue
Used by more than 10,000 big-name companies in 100 countries
Must sign a contract (cannot go month-to-month)
Lacks advanced tools, but you can usually find inexpensive third-party apps in the marketplace to help with your needs
Marketo beats out the competition because of its simple-to-use interface, which helps users accomplish their goals quickly. Also, the fact that Marketo has grown rapidly suggests that they know what they’re doing and are on the right track for the rapidly changing world of digital marketing. They pride themselves in being built by marketers, for marketers. However, you pay for what you get, and their pricing is on the high end.
Key Features
Behavior Tracking – see which customers are visiting your site, clicking thru your emails, and sharing your stuff on social media
Engagement Marketing – build marketing campaigns that will increase your customers’ engagement and conversations
Event Marketing – send out personalized invites and set reminders to events and webinars
Inbound/Search Marketing – help customers find you
Instant CRM Software Integration – build a stronger connection with your customers
Web Landing Pages and Forms – create professional WYSIWYG web pages and registration forms
Lead Management – helps you convert leads into customers
Multi-Channel Campaign Management – manage and implement marketing programs through email, web, mobile, events, and social media
Scoring – rank your customers by scoring them by their behaviors or possible future behaviors, so you focus on the right ones for the highest ROI
Pros
Cons
Customer support via live chat, phone, and email
Users report it is easy to use
CRM software integration with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics so there’s data coming from marketing and sales input to increase efficiency and ROI
Used by Citrix, Rackspace and Slimband
Named 78th fastest growing business by Inc. magazine in 2012
Claims to be the leading marketing automation provider
Must agree to 1-year contract
Pricey compared to others
Pricing
Pricing is not listed on their website anymore, but in December 2015 this was Marketo’s pricing:
Spark – $1,195/month (5 users, limited content hosting and analytics)
Standard – $1,995/month (10 users, no revenue modeling, reduced role-based permissions and social promotion management)
Select – $3,195/month (20 users and unlimited everything)
Marketing to Consumers – Starts at $2,995/month for less than 100,000 records
Oracle Eloqua was one of the first players in marketing automation. According to their site, they will help you “demonstrate concrete business results.” You can create and track your marketing goals through Oracle Eloqua to help increase revenue. See the numbers right before your eyes with the Marketing Measurement feature to help you see which campaigns are working (and which are not). The fact that the Chicago Bears NFL team uses this product is undoubtedly impressive. However, their starting price is $2,000/month making it a tough pill to swallow. Despite their steep opening price, they have a history of success and are one of the pioneers in marketing automation.
Key Features
Campaign Management – create campaigns to help with your sales and renewals
Content Marketing – publish and deliver appealing text content
Customer Lifecycle Marketing – personalize your campaigns to each customer to create a stronger bond and increase revenue
Eloqua AppCloud – access applications, services, and tools
Lead Management – improve your sales close rates
Marketing Measurement – view your analytics in a dashboard and receive reports
Sales Enablement – keep your marketing and sales plans aligned to increase revenue (and playing nice across functions at your company)
Social Media Relationship Marketing – use social media to increase engagement
Targeting and Segmentation – classify better target customers using specific data like location, industry, and title
Pros
Cons
Integrates with more than 100 apps
Easy to use interface
Adapt to what the user wants by making changes based on customer feedback
Has a helpful user community with lots of hacks, tips and tricks
Used by the Chicago Bears, McAfee, Golden State Warriors and Molex
Operated by Oracle, so the reputation provides a great deal of confidence
Claims to be the largest and most powerful
24/7 Customer Service – via phone or website
No free trial
Requires a long-term contract, so you are going to be paying for a while
Integration is not as easy as it could be
Does not integrate with Google AdWords
Expensive
Pricing
Basic – $2,000/month for 10 users
Standard – $4,000/month for 50 users
Enterprise – Call 866-327-8764 for pricing (unlimited users)
Comparison Table
Below is a simple comparison table of the most basic packages for each marketing automation provider categorized to give you a starting point. But please read on to compare all companies and plans to find out what you get at these opening price points, as features vary widely.
Company
1st Place: Hubspot
2nd Place: Marketo
3rd Place: Oracle Eloqua
Get Response
Infusionsoft
Pardot
Silverpop
Package
Basic
Spark
Basic
Email
Essentials
Standard
Essentials
Price
$200/month with a $600 training fee
$1,195/month with
$2,000/month
$15/month (email only)
$199/month
$1,000/month
$500/month
Users
3
5
10
1
3
Unknown
Unlimited
Other Marketing Automation Reviews
Here are a few other marketing automation services we recommend in addition to our top 3.
Traditionally an email marketing company (and one of our top picks for best email marketing), GetResponse now integrates its world-class email campaigns with additional automation features. Their affordable pricing plus excellent customer service and support make them an excellent pick for any small to mid-size company that is new to marketing automation. They have dozens of features including access to stock photography, real-time reports and more. Their easy to use interface makes it simple for those new to marketing automation too!
Key Features
Email is Easy – inbox preview, email templates, A/B testing, spam checker and more
List Management – advanced segmentation, custom fields, send time optimization, intelligent reports, advanced search
Lead Acquisition – web forms, list building apps, exit pop-ups, squeeze pages, single opt-in list imports and more
Advanced Analytics – web traffic tracking, real-time reports, geo-location and subscription statistics
Design Tools – drag and drop editor, landing page builder, web form creator, image editor, multimedia storage and responsive design
Pros
Cons
Affordable pricing, no contracts
Free 1-month trial available (50% discount for non-profits)
1,000 stock photos and 700 templates
Webinars, video tutorials and great customer service including 24/7 chat
Salesforce integration (for Max and Enterprise plans)
Infusionsoft is one of the least expensive marketing automation solutions available. They focus on B2C (Business to Consumer) marketing automation and there are no contracts and they have a history of good customer service. The downside is that some users report Infusionsoft to be difficult to learn and use.
Key Features
Contact Management – organize all of your contacts’ information
Marketing Automation – keep track of reports, campaigns, email marketing, and more all in one place to streamline the sales process
Sales Automation – close more sales and build relationships with customers
E-Commerce – sell your products and services online with automated tools
Pros
Cons
Live chat, email and phone support
No contracts, so if you are not happy, all you have to do is stop paying
Focuses on direct to consumer (B2C) marketing
Affordable pricing
Integrates with other software like WordPress
Great customer service reputation
20,000 small businesses use Infusionsoft including The Rocket Company, Presidential Pools, and Hear and Play
Some users report a difficult to learn interface with a long learning curve
With Pardot (part of the Salesforce family), users can create, implement, and track campaigns, but they are not keeping up well with the current trends. Pardot has email templates and custom forms to help you connect with customers through various platforms, including paid search and webinars. Learn what areas you can improve on through Pardot’s reports, and stay connected to prospects so you can stay on top of your most effective priorities. Pardot is a smaller provider focused on B2B and they lack in their social media integration. But they are owned by Salesforce so we expect there is more to them than meets the eye.
Key Features
Clear Vision For Your Sales Team – real-time sales alerts, CRM tools integration, analytics, Data.com connector, and more
Probably the most well-known CRM, Salesforce is one of the industry’s leading companies. Salesforce has more than 20 years of experience, making it a reputable company trusted by more than 150,000 customers around the world.
While traditionally a CRM, they have automation features you can add on via Pardot (reviewed above) to help you streamline your sales funnels and convert customers more quickly and easily. They pride themselves on being a strategic partner that invests in infrastructure and they have affordable pricing. If you want CRM and automation under one roof, this is a great way to go, but keep in mind many of the other automation companies also integrate with Salesforce.
This Atlanta-based business is “marketing automation with all the trimmings.” The company’s one size fits all, “no catch” price includes unlimited users, email sends and campaigns all with phone support, pre-built reports and all the other basic features you’d get from other companies. However, there is a one-time fee upfront to get your database up and running (which might be useful depending on how many contacts you have). They also have a London office that caters to international clients.
Key Features
Attract & Capture – website tracking, Google Adwords integration, social media marketing, SEO
Create Campaigns – email marketing tools, landing page and forms, surveys, and more
Streamline Lead Process – CRM integration, track buyers journey, lead sourcing and management
Analyze Results – performance reporting and ROI dashboards, website analytics
Pros
Cons
Integrates with Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Sage, Salesforce.com and SugarCRM
Plenty of support including Marketing Concierge Program, training events, webinars, videos, worksheets, case studies and more!
Simple pricing structure and clean, easy to navigate interface
Less flexibility than other companies
Relatively new company
Pricey up front for onboarding
Pricing
$500/month for unlimited users and emails (plus a one-time onboarding fee of $1,000-2,500 depending on the size and complexity of database).
Silverpop Review
Update October 2017: Silverpop is now part of IBM Watson
Manage and nurture your needs with Silverpop to get the most out of your marketing budget. Users can learn more about prospects’ behavior to finalize sales. Silverpop stands out with their B2B marketing automation feature, but who knows about their pricing (unlisted on their site).
Key Features
Advanced Email Features – features like send time optimization, A/B testing, and dynamic content help make sure your emails are delivered and get noticed
Automated Campaigns – learn your prospects’ and customers’ behaviors and create marketing campaigns that cater to them
B2B Marketing Automation – obtain and rank leads to maximize your efforts with other businesses
Campaign Reporting – collect reports to show ROI and other marketing successes
Integrations – target customers with event management, web analytics, data cleansing, and enhancements to improve communications
Landing Pages and Web Forms – create pages and forms and capture inquiry information
Scoring – rank your customers based on specific criteria like buying behaviors, location, site visits, and more
Web Tracking – find out what actions prospects and customers take on your site
Pros
Cons
Customer support via phone, email, and fax (no times listed)
Simple user interface
Room to store lots of data
Used by Paper Style, Arby’s, Manilla, SmartPak Unique, LifeShield and CarFax
Pricing not listed on site
Contracts are required
Mixed customer service reviews
Users report glitches in the system
Pricing
Pricing for Silverpop is not listed on their site, which is a little frustrating. We feel that companies should be transparent in all aspects of their business.
Are You Happy With Your Email Marketing Service?
The right email marketing service is a key component of an effective marketing automation solution. We review the top email marketing services and bring you pros, cons, user feedback and more.
How could marketing automation help your business?
Sadie has over 15 years of experience in digital marketing, graphic and web design, social media strategy, email marketing and more. She is a 4th generation small business owner and has worked with a wide range of brands from fortune 500 companies to startups and entrepreneurs.
Sadie is a self-proclaimed Apple/Mac guru and keeps up with all the latest tech trends at conferences including South by Southwest. Sadie has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin's Moody School of Communications and a concentration in Business from the Red McCombs School of Business.
Her expertise has appeared in many notable media outlets, including The New York Times, Forbes, People, Reader's Digest, Apartment Therapy, and other regional news organizations.
Disclaimer: This website contains reviews, opinions and information regarding products and services manufactured or provided by third parties. We are not responsible in any way for such products and services, and nothing contained here should be construed as a guarantee of the functionality, utility, safety or reliability of any product or services reviewed or discussed. Please follow the directions provided by the manufacturer or service provider when using any product or service reviewed or discussed on this website.
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6 Comments
Newest
OldestMost voted
Ellie
October 24, 2016 6:19 am
Wow! What a detailed post. Just what I was searching for. I might try GetResponse. Sounds like a good solution for a small business.
Tripletaxed
January 25, 2016 11:48 am
I thought the ‘detailed’ view was not very detailed and was more a list of features. It also missed a key player in Act-On that is getting well received by other analysts.
Where these tools work (or not) is how well all the pieces work together. And each one has a slightly different philosophy on how they do that, with the idea they are all trying to get the same end result. The notion one is better than the other will only come out in how well you will use the tool.
Hubspot requires too much of your business to be hosted on their site. If ever you needed to change over you would have a hard time. Most people I know who have implemented Hubspot have found it costs far more than they originally expected, was not as easy as they thought and is less functional than the key rivals.
Also, as you get better at using automation you will likely want to leverage the more advanced capabilities and nearly all have them spread into higher priced packages – a bit like the way Cable TV companies bundle those one or two desirable channels into a separate, additional price.
Automation can dramatically increase a marketing group’s productivity and provide greater demand generation by being ‘always on’.
Implementing any of these solutions to even a small portion of their capabilities will jump you ahead initially. But the big boost only comes when adding things like triggers, lead scoring, A/B testing, etc, which are often not in the base price.
Phoebe
January 7, 2016 4:11 am
What a very well written-review! I am currently using MyConversionBrain for my site. Although those features are pretty attractive, I’m a small business owner, and don’t want to pay an exorbitant monthly fee – the amount that I’ve actually used in setting up my business! MyConversionBrain helps me to thoroughly know my leads -identifying who are spammers and which are the authentic ones. It helps me extract their IP addresses, business/organization behind each lead, and their geo location. It also helps me find out all the traffic sources behind all the leads and the keywords that were used from each lead which has helped me in finding the winning keywords that delivers the best ROI for my business. Have actually discovered that a competitor regularly visits my site every week! 🙂 This software helps me analyze what my potential customers are actually looking for, which helps me to follow up with them and gives me a chance to develop new designs that I can offer to them. I’m paying a monthly fee of $249, which is just a fraction of those bigger brands that were mentioned in the article.
quick13
July 30, 2015 6:12 pm
Pardot is not a native integration with Salesforce and is not bidirectional. If you really want a full CRM integration make sure you research your marketing automation tool, also ensure that if you need a marketing automation tool that does both b2b and b2c nimbly that your tool can accommodate both.
kkorostoff
September 10, 2014 11:35 am
Just choose wisely and know that the investment will be twice what you expect, esp in terms of staff time.
Vijayalakshmi J Hiremath
July 15, 2014 7:29 am
Hey Kimberly, check out LeadSquared Sales and marketing automation solution, designed and priced for small and mid sized businesses. I am sure you will love to mention it in your next article.
Wow! What a detailed post. Just what I was searching for. I might try GetResponse. Sounds like a good solution for a small business.
I thought the ‘detailed’ view was not very detailed and was more a list of features. It also missed a key player in Act-On that is getting well received by other analysts.
Where these tools work (or not) is how well all the pieces work together. And each one has a slightly different philosophy on how they do that, with the idea they are all trying to get the same end result. The notion one is better than the other will only come out in how well you will use the tool.
Hubspot requires too much of your business to be hosted on their site. If ever you needed to change over you would have a hard time. Most people I know who have implemented Hubspot have found it costs far more than they originally expected, was not as easy as they thought and is less functional than the key rivals.
Also, as you get better at using automation you will likely want to leverage the more advanced capabilities and nearly all have them spread into higher priced packages – a bit like the way Cable TV companies bundle those one or two desirable channels into a separate, additional price.
Automation can dramatically increase a marketing group’s productivity and provide greater demand generation by being ‘always on’.
Implementing any of these solutions to even a small portion of their capabilities will jump you ahead initially. But the big boost only comes when adding things like triggers, lead scoring, A/B testing, etc, which are often not in the base price.
What a very well written-review! I am currently using MyConversionBrain for my site. Although those features are pretty attractive, I’m a small business owner, and don’t want to pay an exorbitant monthly fee – the amount that I’ve actually used in setting up my business! MyConversionBrain helps me to thoroughly know my leads -identifying who are spammers and which are the authentic ones. It helps me extract their IP addresses, business/organization behind each lead, and their geo location. It also helps me find out all the traffic sources behind all the leads and the keywords that were used from each lead which has helped me in finding the winning keywords that delivers the best ROI for my business. Have actually discovered that a competitor regularly visits my site every week! 🙂 This software helps me analyze what my potential customers are actually looking for, which helps me to follow up with them and gives me a chance to develop new designs that I can offer to them. I’m paying a monthly fee of $249, which is just a fraction of those bigger brands that were mentioned in the article.
Pardot is not a native integration with Salesforce and is not bidirectional. If you really want a full CRM integration make sure you research your marketing automation tool, also ensure that if you need a marketing automation tool that does both b2b and b2c nimbly that your tool can accommodate both.
Just choose wisely and know that the investment will be twice what you expect, esp in terms of staff time.
Hey Kimberly, check out LeadSquared Sales and marketing automation solution, designed and priced for small and mid sized businesses. I am sure you will love to mention it in your next article.