The differences between CRM and Marketing Automation Software

Many people get confused between Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and Marketing Automation Software, and the majority of people think they are the same thing. However they are completely different, they both have very specific uses, but work well together.

The primary purpose of a CRM system is to manage account and contact information, and track opportunities and manage the sales pipeline. Many CRM systems claim to have a marketing module, however the functionality is often very basic, usually consisting of a bulk e-mailing tool and in the case of Salesforce.com a social media tool.

When it comes to Marketing Automation systems, there is a range of solutions available on the market. Most address the lead nurturing function; then there are some that do marketing operations management and others that do marketing resource management; and then MPULL merges all of these functions into one integrated system. Some of the main uses of marketing software are to automate marketing campaigns, manage resources and processes and measure return on investment (ROI).

In order to effectively communicate to your contacts, whether they are customers or prospects, integrating your marketing automation system into the account and contact information function of your CRM system works very well.

To pass leads that have been nurtured and are now qualified to a sales team, is also done effectively by sending that information from your marketing automation system to your CRM system.

And when it comes to return on investment, when you want to calculate the exact cost to acquire or retain a customer, integration between your CRM systems and marketing automation system is integral.

Here is an easy reference comparison table between CRM and MPULL’s Marketing Automation Software.

CRM Features

Feature	CRM	MPULL Marketing Software
Account Management List of all accounts, their status, categorization and who is responsible for them.	Yes	No
Contacts Management Management of contact people within accounts and their contact details.	Yes	Yes
Opportunity Management Function to manage potential sales opportunities including product interest and potential revenue, and proposed sales closure date.	Yes	No
Sales Forecasting Integrated into Opportunity Management, whereby based on previous time periods, sales patterns for the future are forecasted and targets are assigned and managed to individuals and teams.	Yes	No
Sales Process Managing the steps to be taken when selling, in order to give a standard and high quality experience to every potential customer.	Yes	No
Call Logging A function to record the details, minutes and outcomes of any incoming or outgoing calls between account contacts and the employees of the company.	Yes	No
Quotes From an opportunity, several formal quotes can be created which involves adding specific product combinations, terms and pricing.	Yes	No
Contracts Once a quote is accepted, resulting in an opportunity being won, the quote is progressed into a Contract.	Yes	No
Collateral and Digital Asset Management All brand collateral is stored and categorized for easy reference; items such as brochures, logos, template, case studies and image libraries are included. Within the CRM environment, where billing is based on number of users, the sales team can access this, however in Marketing Automation the entire organization has access to this.	Sometimes	Yes
Channel Management Ability to manage the opportunities, quotes and contracts for different teams, regions and resellers with their respective targets and margins tracked.	Yes	No
Ticketing and Customer Services Management A function to manage any problems experienced by the customer.	Sometimes	No
Collaboration Within the CRM environment this feature would allow sales teams and their supporting structure to share and give feedback on opportunities, quotes and contracts. With the Marketing Software environment, this function allows for users to collaborate on campaigns, giving status updates, feedback and suggestions.	Sometimes	Yes

Marketing Resource Management Features

Feature	CRM	MPULL Marketing Software
Marketing Process and Workflow Management Map processes and workflows to be followed when activating campaigns for each marketing discipline and allow for tasks to be assigned, and escalated.	No	Yes
Marketing Calendar View all marketing campaigns and activations, across disciplines, regions and business units in a calendar format, and easily identify opportunities for collaboration or areas of duplication or conflict.	No	Yes
Performance Appraisals Manage team performance, providing on the job feedback at campaign level that can be consolidated into an objective end of period appraisal.	No	Yes

Lead Nurturing Features

Feature	CRM	MPULL Marketing Software
Custom Lead Scoring Provide a score indicating how qualified the lead is to make a purchase based on their actions.	Sometimes	Yes
Path to Purchase Wizard Tool to assist in mapping your consumers purchase journey to a triggered strategic communications program based on their actions.	No	Yes
Lead Nurturing and Triggered Email and Text Messaging Sending personalized and relevant e-mail and text messages to a consumer based on the path to purchase created for a particular segment or product.	No	Yes
Web Visitor Tracking Tracking the pages visited and actions taken by a consumer on your website, integrated with the lead scoring and lead nurturing functions to evaluate qualified leads.	No	Yes
Social Contacts Engagement Nurture leads using their social accounts instead of e-mail and text messaging.	No	Yes

Marketing Operations Management Features

Feature	CRM	MPULL Marketing Software
Landing Pages Using a simple page builder, create landing pages that can be used as destinations and calls to action in your campaigns, whether they are traditional or online. And create engagement pages such as post event photo galleries.	No	Yes
Dynamic Forms and Surveys Create forms and surveys using a drag and drop interface and build up data rich consumer profiles, and valuable research insights.	No	Yes
Dynamic Content Newsletters Using a WYSIWYG editor, create personalized and segmented e-mail updates and newsletters with the ability to track readership and engagement.	Sometimes	Yes
Text Messaging Composer Send personalized text messages updates to your contacts based on their preferences and segmentation.	No	Yes
Competitive Intelligence Crowd source competitive intelligence on markets, products and regions using this function. Everyone within your organization can contribute and access this knowledge to assist in making informed decisions.	No	Yes
Branded Merchandise and Swag Store An online store that allows users to order branded merchandise, and specify exactly who is receiving it, in order to track return on investment and better control stock.	No	Yes
Personalized URL’s Engage on a 1-to-1 level with your markets with a URL that is created specifically for them, and a landing page or form that displays dynamic content based on their preferences.	Sometimes	Yes
RSVP Management Allow users to register to attend open events, or manage acceptance of invitations to closed group events using a professional online interface. And keep the delegates updated with integrated bulk e-mail and text message updates.	No	Yes

Author: Daryn Smith