Marketing automation software is used to manage databases, develop, execute and track marketing campaigns. Lead generation and management functionality helps ensure a business’s sales department is making and maintaining successful relationships with leads and contacts. With the use of these functions marketing and sales teams within a business can collaborate together to create more revenue and profitability which is vital for smaller businesses.

Software Advice recently analyzed nearly 365 interactions with marketing automation software buyers to discover the top reasons for evaluating, the most requested features and most active buyer sizes and segments.

Nearly all of the prospective buyers in software advice’s sample are seeking a dedicated marketing automation system for the first time. A good chunk of these buyers currently use some type of software-either industry specific (17%) Or customer relationship management (CRM) which was 15%. In addition to this nearly half of the buyers at 47% still rely on manual marketing methods; these include pen and paper, spreadsheets and one off email. Meanwhile a small percentage of 9% use nothing at all.

Most requested marketing automation features

The main feature that we’re requested among buyers was contact management (74%) and email marketing (55%). Only 4 percent of buyers requested social media marketing functionality which may show they prefer to do this manually or they have a successful social media marketing strategy already in place. Lead tracking was the next in line for the percentage of most requested features with 43% which isn’t a surprise as leads are vital to a business survival as they turn into sales; so tracking them efficiently is essential for survival!

Implications for Marketing Automation Software Buyers

With 98 percent of buyers looking to buy marketing automation software for the first time, it’s clear that interest in marketing automation software is growing. The marketing automation software space has historically seen slow adoption but may now be picking up steam. Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of inbound marketing agency PR 20/20 says that “There’s so much more movement in the marketing technology space, as a whole, and so many more marketers are starting to pay attention and are understanding that there are lots more software choices than in the past.”

Conclusion of the data used

The data used shows that almost all companies are evaluating marketing automation software for the first time. Many also still rely on manual marketing methods, such as pen and paper, spreadsheets and one-off emails to manage their marketing activities. As such, many are overwhelmed by managing contacts and leads and seek out marketing automation software to ease the burden. Given this, vendors would be wise to continue expanding contact and lead management capabilities and also offer solutions that better meet the needs of specific industries.

https://www.softwareadvice.com/uk/crm/marketing-automation-comparison/

Software Advice, a website that educates buyers on marketing technology products, recently analysed nearly 365 interactions with marketing automation software buyers to discover the top reasons for evaluating, the most requested features and most active buyer sizes and segments.