Best CRM for marketing automation

Why you need a CRM

A CRM system is essential for any one looking to streamline their sales and marketing processes. It helps in managing customer relationships more effectively, leading to improved business performance.

Challenges without a CRM

Without a CRM you're likely to face challenges that can impact your efficiency and business growth. Chances are, you might be experiencing the following.

• Disorganization: Lack of a centralized system leads to scattered information and inefficiencies.
• Missed opportunities: Without proper tracking, potential leads and sales can slip through the cracks.
• Inefficient Processes: Manual processes consume time and resources, reducing productivity.
• Lack of insight: Inadequate data analytics hampers informed decision-making.
• Inconsistent communication: Disjointed communication affects customer relationships and satisfaction.

Benefits of a CRM

Fortunately, a CRM with the right marketing automation you need can address these challenges and provide extra benefits including the following.

• Centralized information: All customer data is stored in one place, making it easily accessible and manageable.
• Enhanced efficiency: Automation of routine tasks saves time and boosts productivity.
• Improved customer relationships: Better tracking and management lead to stronger customer connections.
• Better decision-making: Data-driven insights enable more strategic business decisions.
• Increased sales: Streamlined processes and better lead management result in higher conversion rates.
• Consistent communication: Automated communication ensures timely and relevant interactions with customers.
  
  

How to evaluate and choose a CRM with the right marketing automation

With a lot of CRMs out there, it can be hard to distinguish which one fits your requirements. To help you with your decision making process, we've put together some tips. We suggest using them as a foundation and changing them according to your needs.

1. Define your requirements

Before you dive into shortlisting, start by identifying the key features your business needs. Look for functionalities such as email marketing automation, lead scoring, customer segmentation, and multi-channel campaign management. Understand your marketing goals and ensure the CRM can integrate seamlessly with your existing tools and platforms. We suggest looking out for these key features.

Key features of a CRM for marketing automation

• Automated processes: Streamlines tasks by automating repetitive workflows.
• Contact enrichment: Automatically finds Leads, Customers email addresses and contact information, enhancing efficiency.
• Structured pipeline: Tracks Leads, Customers through defined stages, ensuring process clarity and effectiveness.
• Mail merge and email sequences: Increases communication efficiency with follow-up templates and automated sequences.
• LinkedIn connection: Seamlessly imports Leads, Customers from LinkedIn and tracks conversations within the CRM.
• Analytics: Provides essential data analysis and predictive insights for better planning.

2. Budget considerations

It's important to remember to balance the cost and return on investment (ROI) when choosing a CRM. Consider the pricing models of various CRMs and evaluate if the features provided justify the expense. Opt for a solution that offers scalable pricing plans to accommodate your business growth without compromising on essential marketing automation features.

3. Selection process

Research thoroughly to choose the right CRM for you. Start by reading reviews and testimonials from other startups and SMEs. Request demos or trials to get a firsthand experience of the CRM's capabilities. Ensure the vendor provides robust customer support and has a proven track record in marketing automation.

4. Get a demo

Before committing to a CRM solution, it's crucial to understand its features and how it can cater to your specific marketing automation needs. A demo allows you to explore the CRM's interface, functionalities, and integration capabilities. features. Look for user-friendly interfaces, customizable workflows, and comprehensive analytics. Evaluate how well each CRM integrates with your existing tech stack. Get started with a personalized demo from folk and see how their CRM can enhance your marketing automation strategy.

3 tips for implementing a CRM

1. Import your data into your new CRM

Transitioning to a new CRM involves migrating your existing data to ensure a seamless continuation of your marketing efforts. Start by exporting your data as a CSV file from your current CRM. This way, you won't have to add contacts manually.

2. Create your first pipeline

Once your data is imported, the next step is to set up your first pipeline. This pipeline should reflect the stages of your marketing automation process, such as lead generation, lead nurturing, and conversion. By defining these stages clearly, you can track and manage your marketing efforts more effectively, ensuring that no lead falls through the cracks.

3. Onboard your team

A successful CRM implementation hinges on your team's ability to use the tool efficiently. Conduct comprehensive training sessions to familiarize your team with the CRM's features and best practices. Encourage them to explore the automation tools available and integrate them into their daily workflows. This will not only boost productivity but also ensure that your marketing automation strategy is executed flawlessly.

The 4 best CRMs for marketing automation

1. folk

folk is a modern CRM platform for managing contacts, workflows, and relationships, offering customizable pipelines, AI-driven tools, and integrations to enhance deal management and prospecting.

Key features

• Contact enrichment: Automatically enriches contact details by finding emails and LinkedIn URLs, enabling efficient outreach without manual data entry or additional costs for email services.
• Social media integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Instagram, X and more to track contacts within folk, and use templates for quicker, streamlined communication.
• LinkedIn listening tool: Turn your social selling efforts into warm leads, or use the extension to keep track of important leads activities so you know when they publish something new.
• Mail merge and email seqences: Full email sync compatible with Gmail and Outlook with templates, and tracking features, enabling users to manage all communications directly from the CRM.
• AI-powered features: AI tools assist in managing contacts and relationships, automating routine tasks, and suggesting actions to improve productivity.
• Integrations: folk integrates seamlessly with over 6,000 apps, including Gmail, Zapier, and Make, allowing users to centralize their workflow and reduce manual data entry.

Pros

• Ease of use: Folk is praised for its intuitive interface, making it accessible even to non-technical users with quick onboarding and a minimal learning curve.
• All-in-one: Folk streamlines your workflow by allowing you to import contacts from LinkedIn, automatically find their emails, reach out through customizable email sequences, and track interactions in a pipeline, eliminating the need for multiple tools and saving time and money.
• LinkedIn integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn, track conversations within Folk, and use templates for quicker, streamlined communication.
• Customizability: Custom fields, pipelines, and workflows.
• Integrations: Folk integrates seamlessly with over 6,000 apps, including Gmail, Zapier, and Make, allowing users to centralize their workflow and reduce manual data entry.

Cons

• Reporting: Currently lacks reporting features, but there are plans for future implementation.
  

Price and plans

You can try folk for free with a 14-day free trial. After that, a monthly or annual subscription plan is as follows.

• Standard: $20 per user, per month.
• Premium: $40 per user, per month.
• Custom: Starts from $60 per user, per month.

2. HubSpot

HubSpot CRM is a user-friendly, scalable platform offering integrated tools for managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations efficiently.

Key features

• Marketing hub: Includes email marketing, ad tracking, landing pages, and lead generation tools, essential for capturing and nurturing leads.
• Sales hub: Provides deal tracking, pipeline management, sales automation, and reporting, crucial for converting leads into customers.
• Lead scoring: Prioritize leads with predictive scoring to improve sales efficiency and focus on high-potential prospects.
• Automation capabilities: Automate repetitive marketing tasks like email campaigns and social media posts to enhance productivity and consistency.
• Customizable dashboard and reports: Create tailored dashboards and reports to monitor key metrics and optimize marketing strategies.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: HubSpot is known for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it accessible for users of all skill levels.
• Seamless integration with Marketing Tools: HubSpot integrates smoothly with its marketing, sales, and service hubs, creating a unified platform for inbound marketing and customer management.
• Automation capabilities: Provides powerful automation tools for tasks like email marketing, lead nurturing, and sales workflows, helping businesses save time and improve efficiency.
• Extensive learning resources: HubSpot Academy offers a wealth of free courses, certifications, and resources to help users get the most out of the platform.
• Customizable dashboard and reports: Allows users to create customized dashboards and reports to track metrics and gain insights into business performance.

Cons

• High cost at higher tiers: HubSpot’s pricing can become expensive as you move to higher tiers, which may be prohibitive for small businesses as they scale.
• Limited customization in free plan: The free plan and lower tiers have limited customization options, which can restrict flexibility for growing businesses.
• Complexity in advanced features: Some advanced features, such as custom reporting and workflows, have a steep learning curve and may require additional training.
• Email marketing limits: Email marketing functionality in the free plan is restricted by limits on the number of emails you can send, which can be a drawback for businesses with larger lists.
• Limited reporting capabilities in lower tiers: Detailed reporting and analytics features are often locked behind higher-priced plans, limiting insights for businesses on lower tiers.
  

Price and plans

Prices and plans for HubSpot's marketing hub on an annual subscription are as follows.

• Starter plan: Starts from $15 per user, per month.
• Professional: Starts from $800 per user, per month
• Enterprise: Starts from $3,600 per user, per month.

3. Capsule CRM

Capsule CRM is a user-friendly customer relationship management platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a clean, intuitive interface that helps users manage customer relationships, track sales pipelines, and organize tasks and communications efficiently.

Key features

• 30,000 contacts: Manage a large database of leads and customers efficiently.
• Workflow automation: Automate repetitive tasks to streamline your marketing processes.
• Activity reporting: Track and analyze interactions with leads and customers.
• Key integrations: Seamlessly integrate with essential marketing tools like Mailchimp and Google Analytics.
• Custom activity types: Tailor activity tracking to your specific marketing needs.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: Capsule CRM offers a clean and intuitive design, making it easy for users to navigate and quickly access marketing automation features.
• Contact and sales management: The platform provides robust tools for managing leads and customers, organizing information, and tracking sales opportunities.
• Customization options: Capsule CRM allows users to customize fields, tags, and workflows to fit their specific marketing needs.
• Integration capabilities: Capsule integrates with various popular third-party applications, including Mailchimp and Google Analytics, creating a seamless marketing workflow.
• Affordability: Capsule CRM offers competitive pricing with affordable premium options, making it accessible for startups and small businesses.

Cons

• Limited advanced features: Capsule CRM lacks more advanced analytics and comprehensive automation, which may be a limitation for larger businesses with complex marketing needs.
• Basic email marketing capabilities: While Capsule integrates with email marketing tools like Mailchimp, its built-in email marketing features are relatively basic.
• Limited customer support: Capsule CRM primarily offers support through email and an online help center, which might be a downside for users who prefer immediate assistance.
• No built-in phone or SMS integration: Capsule does not have built-in phone or SMS functionality, which could be a disadvantage for businesses that rely on these channels for direct communication with clients.
• Scalability concerns: Capsule CRM is great for small to medium-sized businesses, but companies that are rapidly growing might find the platform less scalable.

Prices and plans

Capsule's annual subscription plan is as follows.

• Starter plan: Starts from $21 per user, per month.
• Growth plan: Starts from $38 per user, per month.
• Advanced plan: Starts from $60 per user, per month.
• Ultimate plan: Starts from $75 per user, per month.
  

4. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a web-based CRM for small businesses, offering lead management, automation, email integration, and customizable pipelines to optimize sales.

Key features

• Lead and deal management: Centralized tools to manage leads and customer data, interactions, and marketing pipelines, helping teams act quickly on opportunities.
• Sales automation: Workflow automation to handle repetitive tasks, such as lead routing, follow-ups, and email sequences, allowing marketing teams to focus on strategy and engagement.
• Email integration: Full email sync, templates, and tracking features, enabling users to manage all communications directly from the CRM.
• Advanced reporting and analytics: Real-time data analytics and custom reporting tools to track marketing performance, forecast outcomes, and gain actionable insights.
• Customization and security: Options to customize pipelines, fields, and user permissions, with robust security measures to protect data.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: The intuitive and visually appealing interface makes it easy for users to navigate and manage their marketing pipelines.
• Sales pipeline focus: Specifically designed for managing sales and marketing pipelines, offering a visual approach that helps teams track leads and activities effectively.
• Customization: Allows for a high degree of customization, enabling users to tailor the platform to their specific marketing processes with custom fields and workflows.
• Automation features: Includes automation tools that help streamline repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up emails and moving leads through the pipeline, saving time and boosting productivity.
• Reporting and analytics: Offers robust reporting and analytics tools that provide valuable insights into marketing performance and help identify areas for improvement.

Cons

• Limited advanced features: Lacks some of the more advanced CRM features, such as extensive marketing automation and AI capabilities, which are available in other platforms.
• Basic reporting in lower tiers: The reporting and analytics features in the basic plans are somewhat limited, requiring upgrades to access more in-depth insights.
• No built-in email marketing: Does not include built-in email marketing features, requiring users to integrate with third-party email tools for such functionality.
• Price increases with add-ons: The cost can increase quickly when additional features or integrations are added, making it less cost-effective for businesses with growing needs.
• Limited customer support hours: Customer support is not available 24/7, which can be inconvenient for businesses operating in different time zones or needing immediate assistance.
  
  

Price and plans

An annual subscription plan basis is as follows.

• Essential plan: Starts from $24 per user, per month.
• Advanced plan: Starts from $44 per user, per month.
• Power plan: Starts from $79 per user, per month.
• Enterprise plan: Starts from $129 per user, per month.

Conclusion

Choosing the best CRM for marketing automation is a critical decision for founders looking to streamline their sales and marketing efforts. The right CRM can offer automated processes, enriched contact information, structured pipelines, and comprehensive reporting, all of which are essential for scaling operations and enhancing customer engagement. Platforms like Folk, HubSpot, Capsule CRM, and Pipedrive each offer unique features tailored to different business needs and budgets. By carefully evaluating your requirements, budget, and the specific features offered by each CRM, you can find a solution that not only meets your marketing automation needs but also drives overall efficiency and growth for your organization. Try folk for free here.

Need a helping hand? Use our free tool to find your perfect CRM match.

Frequently Asked Questions

What CRM should you use if you're after marketing automation features?

For founders seeking to streamline sales and marketing processes, folk, Hubspot, Capsule CRM, and Pipedrive are excellent choices. folk offers customizable pipelines and AI-driven tools, Hubspot integrates seamlessly with marketing tools, Capsule CRM is user-friendly and affordable, and Pipedrive excels in sales pipeline management. Each CRM has unique features to cater to specific business needs.

Do I need a CRM?

Yes, depending on the complexity of your process. A CRM helps manage customer relationships, streamline workflows, and enhance marketing automation, making it essential for businesses looking to improve efficiency and customer engagement.

How much does a CRM cost?

The cost of a CRM varies widely. For example, Folk’s Standard plan starts at $20 per user per month, Hubspot’s Starter plan is $15 per user per month, Capsule CRM’s Starter plan is $21 per user per month, and Pipedrive’s Essential plan starts at $24 per user per month. Pricing can increase based on features and user requirements.

Does folk's CRM respond to marketing automation needs?

Yes, folk’s CRM responds well to marketing automation needs. It offers features like contact enrichment, LinkedIn integration, email integration, and AI-powered tools, which streamline workflows and enhance productivity. The platform’s ease of use and customizable pipelines make it suitable for automating various marketing tasks efficiently.If you're managing campaigns, tracking leads, and nurturing customer relationships this can quickly become overwhelming without the right tools. A CRM system with built-in marketing automation features can help you streamline your efforts by automating repetitive tasks, tracking customer interactions, and delivering personalized campaigns—all from one platform. With the right CRM, you can save time, improve your targeting, and boost overall marketing efficiency.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the best CRM options for marketing automation, highlighting tools that will help you optimize your campaigns and drive growth more effectively.