Anyone looking for suitable marketing automation software or inbound marketing software is now spoilt for choice. The market is huge. We will show you how to find the right solution for your company.

Inbound marketing is only possible with the use of an appropriate software solution. The market standard in this area is now the rental of a web browser-based software suite for a monthly fee as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

What is marketing automation software?

In the high-end sector for corporate groups, server-based and customised installations are of course still the order of the day. IT projects for marketing automation in corporate groups can quickly become very extensive and complex. Even in large companies, it may be advisable to start small and initially use SaaS solutions that can be utilised quickly in order to gather learnings for the next steps - with relatively low costs and dependencies.

And this brings us directly to the answer to the title question above: of course there is no one optimal software solution or brand for everyone. The functional scope of many solutions is actually comparable. But as is so often the case, the devil is in the detail.

How do you evaluate marketing automation software?

The numerous comparative studies by large technology consultancies (e.g. Forrester, Gartner) and evaluation portals of specialist communities (e.g. G2Crowd, trustradius) offer initial help with orientation on the market. The studies use different evaluation criteria. It therefore makes a difference whether a software is assessed by experts or users. When selecting marketing automation software, you should look at the ratings from different portals.

Inbound marketing software at a glance

Here you can see an example of an evaluation matrix from the G2Crowd user community. G2 is strongly orientated towards the criteria of buyers and users in marketing departments and compares marketing automation software according to its market presence (market penetration) and user satisfaction.

Costs and ROI of marketing automation software

Keeping track of marketing & sales technology is not easy, but the market is becoming increasingly organised. In fact, the software brands in the leader quadrant at the top right are slowly establishing themselves as the market standard for small to (medium) sized companies. These players are successfully establishing active user communities and software ecosystems, have training programmes and consistently do a good job with a high level of functionality.

However, the acquisition and operating costs are quite different. It is always worth comparing the functional scope of different products with the functions you are likely to need.

• The monthly fixed costs for comparable marketing software can be between € 800 and € 3,000.
• Variable costs are often linked to the number of contacts recorded or the number of software users. The more prospects you manage or the more employees you involve, the more expensive monthly operation becomes. However, this does not apply to all providers to the same extent. If in doubt, seek advice from a specialised consulting and agency partner such as Thought Leader Systems.
• Costs may also be incurred for the use of additional modules that significantly enhance the use of your inbound solution. This applies, for example, to the use of your own content management systems for the complete personalisation of your website or for sales tools, for reporting modules or quite simply for extended functionalities (e.g. A/B testing of emails).
• Please also note the onboarding costs for mandatory user training, which are often charged on top. If you do not purchase the software directly from the manufacturer, but from an agency or consulting sales partner, you may be able to reduce costs here and at the same time receive an onboarding and training programme that is completely tailored to your company.

Inbound marketing - components of marketing automation software

What marketing automation software makes possible

• Real-Time Marketing
  Customer development and lead generation in real time and centrally controllable, can also be used internationally and in multiple languages.
• All-In-One Marketing
  Integrated control of marketing functions that have often worked separately from each other up to now (e.g. SEO, blog, social media, content management, landing pages, calls-to-action, email marketing, website/CMS, CRM).
• Quick successes
  Marketing campaigns, keyword optimisation and social media marketing campaigns are immediately visible, consistent focus on lead generation and customer enthusiasm.
• Simple to use
  Easy familiarisation and high user satisfaction. Ideal for small and medium-sized marketing teams. Well suited for collaboration between companies and agencies.
• Seamless integration
  Perfectly harmonised with existing CRM systems, social media software and email marketing solutions.
• Quickly ready for use
  Easy to use on the PC via browser, little on-site implementation by technicians required (especially with SaaS solution).

Marketing-Automatisierung: von der Software zum System

The introduction of marketing automation software is just the beginning of a transformation of the team towards an agile and future-proof marketing organisation and an entire ecosystem of software. Just think of tools for social media, email marketing, SEO and more.

When introducing inbound marketing, you should therefore review your entire software landscape and optimise your marketing software components within the company to create an integrated marketing technology system.

With a topic as complex as marketing automation, it may be advisable to seek professional help to create the perfect conditions and technical implementation. Companies such as Thought Leader Systems specialise in supporting you with both the implementation and the conception of such a project in your company and are on hand to answer any questions you may have. Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.