If you’re looking to take your marketing efforts to the next level, then read on. We’ve curated an overview of the best marketing automation tools, covering both B2C and B2B marketing processes.

Marketing Automation

The term ‘Marketing Automation’ can be a little overwhelming. It’s often described as ‘automating marketing strategies using data’, ‘making marketing more efficient’, and ‘taking the drudgery out of marketing’. While it’s true that marketing automation can improve your marketing processes, it doesn’t replace the need for humans. The software should enhance – not take over – your marketing decisions. Which is why we only include tools that are used in conjunction with a marketing team. Using a tool like HubSpot, you can create engaging content (e.g. blogs, webinars, and email campaigns), automate the delivery of that content, and analyze the results to determine the effectiveness of your campaigns. All of this while staying organized and on top of things — as well as enjoying the benefits of increased productivity.

Marketing Planning & Strategy

An important aspect of any marketing plan is strategy. Without a clear roadmap, you’ll lose track of your efforts and won’t be able to determine whether you’re making progress or going in the right direction. The ideal marketing automation tool should consist of an editorial calendar, a task management tool, and a campaign recorder. Editorial calendars determine what content you’ll produce and when you’ll produce it. Task management tools help you organize your work, and the campaign recorder keeps track of your progress and results as you implement your editorial plan. With these three tools working in tandem, you’ll be able to craft some pretty fantastic marketing strategies that are guaranteed to generate more leads and sales.

Sales Automation

Making the transition from marketing to sales is one of the biggest changes that you’ll encounter as you move from traditional marketing to digital marketing. In order to sell effectively, you need to understand the buying cycle and know how to automate many of the tasks that are involved. A good sales automation tool will have the functionality to create proposals, manage orders, and track follow-ups — all without too much human interaction. This reduces the chances of errors and improves the overall productivity of the team.

Lead Management

Lead management is another vital part of any marketing operations. You won’t be able to grow your business without good quality leads — and you won’t be able to generate high-quality leads without a good lead management tool. The ideal lead management tool should integrate with your CRM system (e.g. Salesforce, Pipedrive, or HubSpot) so that you can track the progress of your leads, identify their needs, and stay organized — all from one place.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’re looking to take your marketing efforts to the next level, these tools can help you automate the process. And the best part is that you can find a compatible solution that works for both your B2B and B2C needs. What are you waiting for? Begin automating your marketing processes now!