CRM tools have become an indispensable resource for businesses across industries.
But what does CRM have to do with marketing?
Any marketing team requires a consolidated database of customers, including their contact details, pain points, and preferences, to be able to deliver personalized recommendations. Using manual spreadsheets for storing such customer data can be a nightmare.
The easy way out?
CRM!
If you, too, are considering switching to a CRM application to manage your marketing campaigns better, this comparative guide just might be the right thing for you. Explore the 12 best possible CRM for marketing tools available on the market today and compare them against your requirements to find the most optimal software solution.
Let’s get started without further ado!
Table of Contents
In a Nutshell:
- CRM can be leveraged by marketing teams to drive personalized interactions and build long-lasting relationships.
- Marketing teams can benefit from a dynamic CRM application that offers email marketing, process automation, customer segmentation, and analytics capabilities.
- CRM marketing automation tools can improve lead conversion rates and contribute to more personalized customer journeys, helping boost business revenue.
- The most effective marketing CRM application for your business should offer features such as contact management, automated workflows, advanced targeting, reporting & analytics, shared inboxes, etc.
- To select the most appropriate solution out of the 12 best marketing CRM tools, refer to the detailed guide below.
To select the most appropriate solution out of these top-rated tools, refer to the detailed guide below.
What is a Marketing CRM Tool?
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools help businesses manage interactions and strengthen relationships with their customers. They store all relevant client data, previous interactions, notes, transactions, social media accounts, and other information in one place, making them easily accessible.
Marketing CRM tools can be utilized to gain valuable insights into what customers actually want and leverage personalized marketing initiatives for an increased bottom line.
The best CRM for marketing can accomplish a lot for a business, including:
- More personalized interactions using dynamic content
- Improvement in customer satisfaction levels
- Automation of redundant activities
- Simplified workflows
- Better collaboration within the organization
- Ease of access from any remote location
- Enhanced visibility into engagement metrics
- Targeting prospects with a high probability of conversion
Read More: What is CRM? A Complete Guide To CRM Software
Which CRM Features Are Essential for Marketing?
What does it take to convert one-time customers into long-term brand advocates?
This question is forever on the mind of marketers.
The effectiveness of your business communication can be the difference between a good customer experience that keeps clients coming back or a loss of opportunity. The most effective tool to drive such powerful engagement is CRM.
However, in order to find the most appropriate CRM for marketing, you must pay attention to the following features:
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Contact Management
A fundamental aspect of any CRM solution is powerful contact management. This can enable marketing teams to personalize outreach based on contact information and ensure that clients receive appropriate marketing messages at the right time during the customer journey.
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Automation
The tool should automate actions such as data entry and follow-ups to improve the effectiveness of your marketing operations. CRM marketing automation can help you capture more leads, craft drip email sequences, and keep the information updated across all channels, so you can work seamlessly.
Read More: What is Marketing Automation? Definition, Objectives, Strategies That Work
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Segmentation
The tool should enable marketers to create segmented contact lists in order to deliver the most appropriate message to the audience. Such targeting can improve the overall customer experience, consequently improving your CSAT score and reducing churn.
Read More: Market Segmentation: Types and Benefits
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Reporting & Analytics
“Time and money are your scarcest resources. You want to make sure you’re allocating them in the highest-impact areas. Data reveals impact, and with data, you can bring more science to your decisions.” – Matt Trifiro, CMO at Heroku.
An effective CRM for marketing solution should provide you with relevant insights into business performance with powerful reporting & analytics. It should enable you to generate custom reports and make it easier to track essential marketing metrics such as conversion rate, acquisition cost, ROI, etc.
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Webform Connection
Another important feature of CRM systems for marketing is webform connection. This can enable marketers to collect relevant customer information quickly and store it in the CRM system to personalize upcoming interactions better.
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Collaborative Inboxes
The application should bring all conversations to one place, making it easier for team members to stay updated with previous interactions. CRM marketing automation tools offering a shared inbox can aid internal collaboration and create seamless customer experiences.
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Mobile Access
A CRM application with mobile access can help you keep track of your marketing campaigns remotely. It can empower you to log data, make adjustments, and access relevant information anywhere, anytime.
Overview of the Best Marketing CRM
| Software | Key features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| BIGContacts | Marketing automation Contact management Reporting & analytics | Starts from $5/user/month |
| Nutshell | Contact management Advanced filters Email templates | Starts from $16/user/month |
| Zoho CRM | Customer segmentation Email templates Marketing analytics | Starts from $14/user/month |
| HubSpot CRM | Email templates A/B testing Ad management | Starts from $45/month |
| SugarCRM | Drag & drop editor Predictive analytics Email templates | Starts from $49/user/month |
| Agile CRM | Email templates A/B testing Engagement tracking | Starts from $8.99/user/month |
| Salesforce | AI-powered analytics Customer segmentation Ad management | Starts from $25/user/month |
| monday.com | Custom dashboards Email templates Automated reminders | Starts from $10/user/month |
| Creatio | Segmented lists Lead qualification A/B testing | Available on request |
| Insightly | Lead routing Reporting & analytics Email templates | Starts from $29/user/month |
| ActiveCampaign | Email autoresponders Reporting & analytics A/B testing | Starts from $29/month |
| Mailchimp | Email templates A/B testing Engagement tracking | Starts from $8.99/user/month |
Top 12 Marketing CRM Tools
Let’s explore the 12 best choices for CRM marketing tools that can positively impact the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and accelerate your revenue growth.
1.BIGContacts
If you need an intuitive CRM that simplifies and automates marketing endeavors, BIGContacts should definitely be on your consideration list.
This easy-to-use and customizable CRM application can come in handy for creating drip email sequences, helping delight customers with personalized solutions. It offers powerful contact management, reporting, and task management to improve your marketing efforts further.
Key features:
- Craft personalized drip email campaigns with custom triggers.
- Find all previous emails, associated contact details, tasks, notes, and transactions in one place.
- Track essential metrics for your marketing campaigns with in-depth reports.
- Use dynamic and static lists for effective contact segmentation.
- Automate workflows, follow-ups, tasks, and reminders to increase organizational productivity.
Pros:
- Integrate BIGContacts with several email marketing tools such as Emma, Campaign Monitor, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, etc.
- Track and manage your marketing campaigns remotely using any device.
Cons:
- The tool lacks lead routing capabilities.
- Speed lags occur at times.
Pricing:
- Big- $5/user/month
- Bigger- $15/user/month
- Biggest- $25/user/month
- Enterprise- Custom pricing
2. Nutshell
Nutshell is well-recommended for marketing teams to drive more impactful campaigns that result in revenue growth.
The tool lets you deliver well-crafted email campaigns to grow your customer base. It also lets you get more leads with custom forms for your website. Nutshell aids team collaboration, automates repetitive processes, and lets you track marketing performance easily.
Key features:
- Find all the relevant information, including previous interactions, important notes, and contact details, in one place.
- Use customizable reports to gain insights into your marketing campaigns.
- Create targeted lists with advanced filtering options.
- Craft multi-step drip email sequences with automated triggers.
- Manage your leads using a comprehensive pipeline view.
Pros:
- Improve team communication with shared inboxes and instant notifications.
- Access a range of email templates to connect with clients quickly.
Cons:
- It lacks the functionality to add multiple attachments to emails.
- Advanced search sometimes produces inaccurate results.
Pricing:
Starts from $16/user/month
3. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM helps businesses craft and deploy effective marketing campaigns that improve overall profitability.
The CRM application can be used to create well-targeted email campaigns and track essential metrics such as email opens, replies, click-throughs, etc. It can help measure the ROI of your marketing campaigns, so you can allocate and utilize future resources more efficiently.
Key features:
- Create segmented leads based on several attributes, including source, website activity, buying preferences, etc.
- Set up reminders and automate follow-ups to engage with prospects at the right time.
- Plan and optimize upcoming marketing campaigns with powerful email analytics.
- Nurture leads by setting up automated marketing campaigns with multiple touchpoints.
- Save your well-performing emails as templates for future use.
Pros:
- Gather more leads and their associated information using webforms.
- Track the performance of your Google Ad campaigns directly from the CRM system.
Cons:
- Customer support is not easily accessible and responsive.
- The interface is hard to navigate.
Pricing:
Free plan available
Paid plans start from $14/user/month
4. Hubspot CRM
HubSpot offers powerful marketing features that let you deliver personalized marketing campaigns using the data stored in your CRM.
This tool can gather more leads for your business with custom forms, landing pages, live chat, and ads. It lets you follow up with leads using automated emails. HubSpot offers email templates, built-in analytics, instant alerts, and ad management to help boost your bottom line.
Key features:
- Automatically enrich contact records to improve your targeting efforts.
- Use built-in analytics to track the performance of marketing campaigns.
- Access a range of pre-built email templates and get started instantly.
- Optimize your marketing campaigns using A/B split tests.
- Grow your lead lists with powerful ad management tools.
Pros:
- Craft bulk email campaigns to nurture more leads into sales.
- Integrate the CRM with your Gmail and Outlook accounts.
Cons:
- Reporting functionality is below par with other options.
- The pricing model is steep.
Pricing:
Free version available
Paid plans start from $45/month
5. SugarCRM
SugarCRM lets you drive one-to-one personalized engagement with clients to improve your bottom line.
You can use the application to understand customer needs and expectations to deliver the most effective marketing campaigns across multiple channels, including email and social media. The tool also offers powerful lead scoring, so your marketing team can focus on the most important prospects.
Key features:
- Create multi-step personalized marketing campaigns and automate their delivery.
- Make use of AI-drive predictive analytics to make better business decisions.
- Score, qualify, and prioritize leads effectively to deliver the most appropriate marketing material.
- Create your marketing emails using a drag and drop editor.
- Get a comprehensive view of all relevant metrics to analyze your marketing performance.
Pros:
- Access pre-built templates for marketing campaigns.
- Integrate the tool with a number of business applications, including Salesforce, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics, Bullhorn, etc.
Cons:
- The user interface is clunky.
- The tool is slow to load.
Pricing:
Starts from $49/user/month
6. Agile CRM
Agile CRM lets you create automated marketing campaigns using a simple drag and drop builder.
You can deliver personalized messages effortlessly by merging contact attributes with your marketing campaigns. The tool enables you to monitor the performance of your marketing efforts and make necessary adjustments easily. You can also score leads and create targeted lists using Agile CRM.
Key features:
- Create custom landing pages, emails, webforms, surveys, etc.
- Automate marketing campaigns to drive more conversions.
- Track metrics such as email opens and engagement levels for your marketing campaigns.
- Use pre-designed email templates or create your own custom templates.
- Integrate social media into your marketing campaigns to gain more leads and analyze customer behavior.
Pros:
- Perform A/B tests to improve your marketing campaigns.
- Deliver personalized texts and push notifications to clients.
Cons:
- The email builder lacks flexibility.
- Customer support and documentation are inadequate.
Pricing:
Free plan available
Paid plans start from $8.99/user/month
7. Salesforce
Salesforce is a premier provider of CRM solutions with reliable marketing features to build long-lasting relationships with customers.
The tool enables you to bring all relevant data to one place and access it in real-time, so you can drive more personalized interactions and engage more efficiently. It also lets you utilize marketing analytics data to optimize future campaigns.
Key features:
- Automate marketing campaigns across multiple platforms, including email and social media.
- Segment your contact list based on preferences and activity.
- Leverage AI-powered analytics to make better decisions.
- Use dynamic content to deliver personalized experiences to prospects and customers.
- Manage your online ads across platforms like Google and Facebook directly from the CRM system.
Pros:
- Target marketing campaigns based on the browsing history or purchasing behavior of the customers.
- Use personalized loyalty programs to strengthen your customer base.
Cons:
- The tool has a steep learning curve.
- Configuration is complex and time intensive.
Pricing:
Starts from $25/user/month
8. monday.com
monday.com is an effective choice for teams looking for comprehensive marketing CRM systems.
It provides features such as lead capturing, deal forecasting, and activity tracking. Sync monday.com with your Gmail or Outlook account to manage all emails from one place. You can also set up alerts to get notified every time clients engage with your marketing campaigns.
Key features:
- Automate tasks, reminders, and notifications to achieve better productivity levels.
- Create custom dashboards to gain visibility into business data.
- Manage opportunities using a customizable and visual sales pipeline.
- Use customizable email templates to save time and reach your contacts instantly.
- Log all activities and interactions with clients automatically.
Pros:
- Integrate the CRM application with Outlook, Gmail, Dropbox, Slack, etc.
- Avoid creating duplicate contacts with instant alerts during data entry.
Cons:
- Setting up custom automation is challenging.
- The mobile application is clunky.
Pricing:
Free plan available
Paid plans start from $10/user/month
9. Creatio
Creatio is one of the best CRM marketing software that lets you create and deliver personalized marketing campaigns across multiple channels to garner more attention.
The platform is best known for its powerful automation capabilities, low-code functionality, and effective lead management. With Creatio, you can create highly segmented lists and deliver targeted interactions at the right time via the right channels.
Key features:
- Get a 360° view of client information to optimize marketing campaigns.
- Craft and manage marketing campaigns across multiple channels.
- Build segmented contact lists to drive more targeted interactions.
- Use lead qualification and analysis to focus on the right prospects.
- Get more insights into customer needs and preferences by tracking their website activity.
Pros:
- Create customer journeys and deliver the most appropriate marketing material accordingly.
- Fine-tune your marketing emails with A/B testing.
Cons:
- Integrations with other tools can be a challenge.
- It lacks advanced search and filtering.
Pricing:
Available on request
10. Insightly
Insightly offers a range of marketing tools to help you gain a stronghold in the marketplace and grow your business.
It lets you automate workflows, including processes such as lead assignment, to save time for your team members. You can also customize the views as per your needs. Insightly makes it easy to create and deliver professional-looking emails at the right time.
Key features:
- Build visual comprehensive customer journeys to optimize your marketing activities.
- Use the drag and drop editor for customizing your emails.
- Gather insights into campaign performance with advanced reporting and analytics.
- Route leads to the right executives automatically.
- Set up email alerts for your team members and get things done at the right time.
Pros:
- Choose from a range of templates and get started quickly.
- Use embedded forms to gain more leads and capture feedback from customers.
Cons:
- Training resources are limited.
- It lacks advanced search and tagging capabilities.
Pricing:
Free plan available
Paid plans start from $29/user/month
11. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one marketing solution that lets you identify who your most engaged contacts are and deliver the most appropriate marketing material to convert them.
The tool lets you create automated sequences simply using a drag and drop builder. You can use the marketing CRM software to create drip email campaigns that boost customer engagement for your business.
Key features:
- Automate email follow-ups and use dynamic content to improve personalization.
- Monitor the effectiveness of marketing campaigns using reporting and analytics.
- Score your leads and get access to win probability for deals.
- Set up autoresponders and define custom triggers for your email campaigns.
- A/B test email campaigns to identify winning attributes.
Pros:
- Craft visual automation workflows to simplify your processes.
- Identify the most engaged prospects and optimize outreach accordingly.
Cons:
- The tool’s loading speed can drop at times.
- The interface is difficult to navigate.
Pricing:
Starts from $29/month
12. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is yet another reliable solution for businesses needing a marketing automation solution with CRM capabilities.
The tool offers contact management capabilities, allowing you to personalize outreach. It also lets you set up automated actions based on custom triggers. With Mailchimp, you can bring all marketing data and processes to a single dashboard, making their management easier.
Key features:
- Craft automated drip email sequences with conditional logic.
- Choose from a library of customizable email templates to save time.
- Improve personalization for your emails with content blocks.
- Segment and tag your audience to improve targeting.
- Use advanced analytics to measure the engagement levels of your marketing campaigns.
Pros:
- Carry out A/B tests to track the most optimal campaign attributes for your target audience.
- Use a drag and drop editor to customize your emails.
Cons:
- Limited template options are available.
- Customer support is substandard.
Pricing:
Free plan available
Paid plans start from $10/month
Which Marketing CRM Will You Choose?
Having listed the top-rated CRM for marketing solutions, we now come to the critical question:
Which one of these would be the ideal choice for your business?
Is it the tool that offers advanced automation or one that provides extensive customization options?
The answer is pretty simple:
The perfect marketing CRM solution just doesn’t exist.
It all comes down to the business’s unique requirements. The best tool is one that aligns with your business growth strategy. Make sure to go for an adaptable solution like BIGContacts that not only enables you to customize modules as per your needs but also provides you complete visibility into your business endeavors. You can also go for a free trial of the marketing CRM application to get a first-hand experience of its usability and ensure that your time and resources are not wasted.
