Summary: Marketing automation software empowers businesses to more efficiently and cost-effectively plan, deploy, and analyze their important marketing initiatives. With marketing automation software, companies have the tools they need identify and leverage new revenue opportunities.

Marketing Software Features Continue to Expand

Marketing teams today are plagued by time-consuming, manual processes and redundant and overlapping activities that can waste both time and money.

Marketing automation software solutions can help these organizations to streamline campaign planning and execution, boost return on marketing investment, deliver a higher volume of qualified leads to sales teams, and demonstrate greater impact on the bottom line. Also known as marketing information systems or enterprise marketing management systems, marketing automation software gives professionals the tools and information they need to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively, while increasing results and revenues.

Many of today's popular marketing automation software packages provide a broad range of features and functionality designed to enhance the end-to-end process of organizing, deploying, and analyzing promotional initiatives, including:

Support for Cross-channel Communications

Marketing automation software systems enable companies to develop and implement an integrated, cohesive marketing plan that spans multiple activities and programs. By tying together direct mail, email, trade shows and events, advertising, search engine optimization, and other initiatives, businesses can reach a greater percentage of their target audience and increase market share.

Database and List Management

With marketing automation software, staff can easily manage prospect lists, contacts, leads, and more. New lists, such as those acquired from a third-party source, can be quickly incorporated into the system, and multiple lists can be seamlessly merged together. Additionally, in-depth segmentation enables accurate and targeted profiling and campaign personalization.

Automated Campaign Creation and Management

For many companies, creating various program elements and launching a campaign can be tedious and resource-intensive. Marketing automation software automates critical campaign-related tasks, so marketing personnel can more efficiently develop promotional materials, select target records for the campaign, and execute according to plan.

Lead Tracking

Many studies show that a high number of marketing-generated leads are never followed up on, resulting in missed opportunities and lost revenues. Marketing automation software provides comprehensive lead tracking throughout the pre-sales cycle, so marketing staff can achieve true visibility into prospect and customer communications across all touch points, and ensure that leads are being responded to in the most prompt manner possible.

Many marketing automation software packages also offer dynamic lead routing and workflow management, so leads can be automatically sent to appropriate people for immediate follow up.

Reporting and Analytics

Marketing automation software systems - and their powerful business intelligence capabilities - provide a wealth of insight that enables more effective and informed strategic planning. Marketing staff can conduct in-depth analysis of campaign results, customer and prospect behaviors, costs, and more. As a result, they understand what works, what doesn't, and why, so they can make better, more informed decisions regarding future initiatives.

Vendor Relationship Management.

Many marketing teams work closely with multiple third-parties, such as list brokers, printers, and freelance copywriters. Marketing automation software solutions provide the ability to better manage outside relationships, so marketing teams can make smarter outsourcing choices, and better understand all activities and costs associated with the programs they run.