Pulse Check: 2023's Best Marketing Automation Tools

Go Deeper: Marketing Automation Tools

If you want to keep up with the ever-changing technology on the marketing scene, it’s time to learn more about marketing automation and the tools you can implement into your strategies.

What’s so great about this technology anyway? Well, marketing automation software makes designing, employing, and monitoring your marketing efforts easier than ever. Whether you’re looking to streamline your daily tasks, send automated messages, or improve your sales funnel, marketing automation software is the key to success.

The Benefits of Marketing Automation

Now, what are the benefits of using marketing automation? For starters, marketing automation can help save you time and money. In short, marketing automation tools take over mundane duties, freeing up time and space for your employees to work on more exciting tasks requiring more problem-solving or creative strategies.

Automation tools are also geared toward helping you streamline your work, increasing productivity and efficiency. You can program them to set automatic reminders, monitor your leads, send marketing messages on cue, and personalize your marketing content to resonate with your customers.

And, of course, when your business is performing better thanks to these tools, it can lead to more leads, happier customers, a better customer service experience, and a higher ROI.

How do I choose the right marketing automation tool for my business?

As you can imagine, there are all kinds of automation software out there, so you’re probably wondering, how do I choose the right marketing automation tool for my business?

We've highlighted some of the top marketing automation tools below to help you choose the right automation tool for your business. From ones that focus on sales initiatives to others that are geared toward CRM systems, these are the best of 2023:

HubSpot

If you're running a small business, overseeing every aspect of your marketing campaigns can feel challenging. So, what are the best marketing automation tools for small businesses? HubSpot is easily one of the best automation tools for small businesses because it streamlines your marketing tasks.

HubSpot is easily one of the best automation tools for small businesses because it streamlines your marketing tasks.

For example, HubSpot features bot builders and workflows that will design automated marketing campaigns for you. This marketing automation platform also lets you automate your daily tasks, as you can set up triggers and conditions for the software to send out emails, notifications, and reminders.

With HubSpot overseeing your tasks, you can rest easy knowing nothing will slip under the radar.

Mailchimp

Interested in email marketing? Then you’re probably wondering, what are the best marketing automation tools for email marketing? One of the best marketing automation tools for email marketing is Mailchimp. This software lets you automate email workflows that send out emails when your customers meet certain criteria.

For instance, if your customers sign up for your loyalty program, Mailchimp will send an automatic welcome email. Or, if a customer’s birthday is rolling around, you can program the software to send them birthday wishes.

Because you don't have to send out every email individually, this email marketing automation software helps free up your time for other tasks.

ActiveCampaign

Now, what about lead generation? Lead generation is crucial to your business because it helps you capture new customers. What are the best marketing automation tools for lead generation? ActiveCampaign is one of our favorite marketing automation tools when for generating leads because it makes it easy for you to design lead forms. When your customers fill out these forms, the software then uses that information to automate interactions with them.

Let’s say your customers provide you with their email addresses in exchange for a 10% promo code. You can use ActiveCampaign to automatically send the special promo code straight to their inbox without you having to manually oversee that action.

Moreover, this software even provides lead-scoring features, which help you focus on nurturing your most viable prospects.

ConvertKit

Next, let's move on to sales automation. What are the best marketing automation tools for sales automation? ConvertKit is a handy tool offering sales automation, making it easier than ever to design a simple sales funnel to attract customers.

For instance, the automation software starts with a lead magnet, such as a free product or special promo that hooks your customers, and then follows with automated content that sends the customer further down the sales funnel until they’re ready to make a purchase.

This software helps build customer relationships, encouraging them to do business with your brand through automated interactions based on their behaviors.

Zoho CRM

And finally, let’s address customer management. What are the best marketing automation tools for customer relationship management (CRM)? Zoho CRM is easily one of the best automation tools for customer relationship management as it invites you to make workflows to perform specific tasks at certain times, such as automatically sending a follow-up or updating a field.

Another convenient aspect is that it lets you automatically assign certain leads to specific team members. For example, your web form leads might go to one employee, while your cold call leads go to another. It even provides macros, making it easy to run a series of commands to automate tasks you perform regularly.

With Zoho CRM in your corner, you can manage customer relationships more streamlined and productively.

How to Choose the Right Marketing Automation Tool for Your Business

While these are some of the top marketing automation tools of 2023, countless others are available. So, how do you choose the right marketing automation tools for your business? We recommend looking at your business's budget, needs, and goals.

Budget

Knowing your budget is a biggie when deciding on the best marketing tools for your business. If you're on a shoestring budget, you might not be able to get all the bells and whistles you're eying, and instead, you might have to stick with the basics until you can beef up your bank account. But you can splurge on the extras if you're working with an excellent financial cushion.

Crunch your numbers before beginning your search so you realistically know what software falls within your price range.

Needs

While many programs have fancy marketing tools, you may only need some features. Do an inventory of what you have and what you need to help you narrow down what exactly it is that will benefit your business. After all, you don't want to pay for more aspects than you plan to use.

Goals

Now, think about what you’d like to achieve. Are you looking to streamline your lead generation? Or are you more focused on enhancing your drip campaigns? When you have a solid idea of your business goals, you’ll have an easier time homing in on the ideal solutions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Marketing Automation

What are some common mistakes to avoid when using marketing automation? Some common mistakes to avoid when using marketing automation include failing to do the following: have a clear goal, target the right audience, personalize your messages, and measure your results.

Not Having a Clear Goal

Automation tools are meant to make your business run smoother, but there's only a point in using them if you have a clear idea of how you want them to improve your business operations. Knowing what you want and how you want to get there will help you find the right tools and also help when it comes time to track your performance. When you have a set goal, measuring your success is much easier.

Not Targeting the Right Audience

You can all have the right tools in your arsenal, but it will only help if you capture the people interested in your brand. Be sure to identify your ideal customer, segment your audience, and employ different marketing strategies to attract these potential customers.

Not Personalizing Your Messages

A customized message goes a lot further than a generic one. Whether you include your customers’ names or information about their recent purchases, this personalization helps make your messages more engaging. With this in mind, program your automation tools to tailor your messages to each customer to help build a relationship with them.

Not Measuring Your Results

Not tracking your performance is another common mistake when using these tools. After all, what's the point in using (and paying for!) automation software if you don't know whether it's delivering the expected results? Use the analytics and reporting features to monitor your campaigns and make adjustments to get the most out of your programs.

The Future of Marketing Automation

This is just the beginning of what we can expect in 2023 marketing automation and beyond. As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning further advance, marketing automation will only follow suit. Using AI-driven insights, marketing automation tools will continue to deliver a more personalized, efficient, and seamless customer experience.

SMS platforms are another area of marketing that’s taking advantage of automated features. Want to find out more? Contact EZ Texting today to learn how you can get started with our free 14-day trial!