By using
MA (marketing automation)
tools, you can not only improve sales efficiency but also increase recurring customer sales (LTV). However, there are so many types of MA that many people do not know which tool to choose.
Therefore, in this article, we will provide an overview of MA tools and introduce 10 recommended MA tools. We will also explain how to choose an MA tool, so please refer to it if you are considering implementing an MA tool.
What is MA (Marketing Automation) tool?
First, let’s start with an overview of MA (marketing automation) tools. MA tools are tools that can efficiently accomplish everything from customer discovery to business negotiations, and are recommended for companies that want to approach their sales list on a regular basis and companies that want to organize their entire marketing flow.
MA tools are equipped with functions that can comprehensively cover commonly-known marketing areas. For example:
- Lead generation: creating customers
- Lead nurturing: step mail, etc.
- Lead scoring: segmenting your customers
- Lead management: customer information management
The role of MA tools is to follow up on leads and turn them into business negotiations. By discovering customers using MA tools and passing the list developed through lead nurturing to sales personnel, you can expect to increase your order rate.
In recent years, customer acquisition methods have diversified beyond just so-called walk-in sales and tele-appointment listings. Therefore, it is not realistic to make everything more efficient through manual work. By using MA tools at such times, you will not only be able to find new customers, but you will also be able to streamline the entire business flow and focus on the most essential tasks.
How to choose an MA (marketing automation) tool
Even though they are called MA tools, there are a wide variety of them. In fact, many people may not know how to choose. Here we will introduce four ways to choose an MA tool.
- Is the functionality appropriate for your resources?
- cost effectiveness
- Is it for BtoB or BtoC?
- Support system
I will explain each in turn.
Is the functionality appropriate for your resources?
The number of personnel required for operation varies depending on the MA tool. For example, there are MA tools that can be operated by one person, while others cannot be operated without multiple people. As a result, you will not be able to operate an MA tool unless you select an MA tool that is appropriate for your company’s human resources, so it is a good idea to first check how many people in your company will be working on the MA tool.
Additionally, some MA tools use a lot of technical terminology, and there are many cases where the person in charge cannot operate the tool without knowledge. Choose an MA tool that is equipped with functions that match the literacy of the person in charge as well as the human resources in your company.
cost effectiveness
The most common purpose for implementing MA tools is to improve overall enterprise cost efficiency. Therefore, unless the MA tool is highly cost-effective, the cost of the MA tool will increase. Therefore, if you have an MA tool that allows you to simulate the implementation in advance, you can verify how effective it will be depending on your company’s situation.
Also, even if the monthly running cost is high, you should use the MA tool if it is the most cost-effective. Instead of focusing only on immediate costs, choose the MA tool that will increase your sales the most.
Is it for BtoB or BtoC?
MA tools can be broadly divided into two categories: BtoB and BtoC. There are also MA tools that support each. Choose the MA tool you want to implement depending on the type of business your company is developing.
Also, in the case of BtoB, it is important to check whether the product has features that match the number of lists your company has. BtoB has a longer lead time than BtoC, and you need to nurture the list you have. So make sure it has features that make it easy to continually nurture your prospects.
Support system
Finally, it is important to check your support system. Especially for companies that are introducing MA tools for the first time, most of them do not know how to use them. In such cases, by choosing an MA tool that has a complete support system, you will be able to quickly master the MA tool and shorten the time it takes to achieve cost-effectiveness.
Please choose according to your company’s situation, such as whether the support system is email-only or whether you have a dedicated person in charge.
10 MA (Marketing Automation Tools)
So far, we have explained how to choose an MA (marketing automation tool). From here, we will introduce 10 MA tools.
- Pardot
- i sales
- Marketo Engage
- b→dash
- List Finder
- Oracle Marketing Cloud
- Kairos3
- Liny
- MOTENASU
- Adobe Marketing Cloud
I will explain each in turn.
Pardot
Pardot
is an MA tool provided by Salesforce, a company famous in the CRM field. It is an MA tool for BtoB or BtoC that sells high-priced products, and the cheapest Growth plan can be used from 165,000 yen per month, so it can be said to be relatively inexpensive.
In addition, it is equipped with functions such as creating LP (landing pages), centrally managing prospective customers, and distributing email newsletters, so you can comprehensively perform everything from customer creation to management.
Companies that have already implemented Salesforce will be able to smoothly integrate the tools. If you have already implemented Salesforce but are not sure which MA tool to use, this is for you.
i sales
iSales
is an MA tool with 5 plans. Previously, it was called “Market Robo”, so many people may be familiar with it.
The plan is different for each company, so it is good that you can choose the plan that is best for your company. Market Robo is an MA tool for small and medium-sized BtoB businesses that emphasizes sales, and depending on the plan, you can also request operation agency.
If your company does not have enough resources, consider outsourcing the operation to iSales.
Marketo Engage
Marketo Engage
is an MA tool provided by Adobe. It is an MA tool that supports multiple channels such as digital advertising, SNS, and other media, so it is recommended for companies that are implementing various methods of attracting customers.
Although it is an MA tool developed in the United States, there is also a Japanese-language helpline, so you can use it with confidence.
b→dash
b→dash
is an MA tool that can perform data processing without code. Companies that do not have a fully established internal system or companies that have newly started sales activities using multiple channels often find that their internal data is scattered all over the place.
Therefore, by using b→dash, it is possible to scoop up internal data into a tool. It is also equipped with functions such as CRM and LINE integration, and can be used for both BtoB and BtoC.
List Finder
List Finder
is a BtoB MA tool that is also used by listed companies. The UI is very good, and even those who have never touched an MA tool management screen can operate it intuitively. Another feature is that it can centrally manage everything from customer creation to management. The cheapest plan is available from 39,800 yen per month, making it suitable for companies that want to keep running costs as low as possible.
Oracle Marketing Cloud
Oracle Marketing Cloud
is a comprehensive MA platform. We have developed a variety of applications in-house that can support both BtoB and BtoC, and we select and use solutions that are optimized for each customer attraction strategy. It is recommended for companies with large customer lists, as it assumes that you are working on cross-channel marketing.
Kairos3
Kairos3
is an MA tool that can be installed in as little as one business day after application. Since the manual is integrated, there is no problem even if the person in charge does not have specialized knowledge of MA tools. Kairos is equipped with a function that notifies salespeople when they should take action based on various data. Therefore, it is recommended for companies that want to efficiently increase the number of business negotiations.
Liny
Liny
is an MA tool used by 3,500 Japanese companies. It is especially recommended for companies that attract customers and conduct business based on their official LINE account, and the cheapest plan is 5,000 yen per month. If you are looking for an MA tool for BtoC, why not consider introducing Liny?
MOTENASU
MOTENASU
is an MA tool for BtoC. MOTENASU’s feature is that it can be used for offline DM as well as digital marketing. Also, since it is an MA tool for BtoC, it can be linked with EC sites and basically covers all the functions required for an MA tool. Please note that the monthly fee varies depending on the number of lead registrations.
Adobe Marketing Cloud
Adobe Marketing Cloud
is an MA tool that is comprehensively equipped with all the necessary functions. The content can be used by both BtoB and BtoC, and it is also used by companies with over 100,000 lists. We also offer a free preliminary consultation before implementation, so it’s a good idea to check out what kind of solution it can provide for your company.
summary
In this article, we have explained about MA (Marketing Automation) tools. If you are not sure what kind of MA tool to introduce, it is important to check the cost-effectiveness, required functions, support system, etc.
First of all, in order to introduce the most suitable MA tool for your company, why not apply for a preliminary consultation of each MA tool or take advantage of the free trial and choose one?