Workflow orientated based on behavioral data
Database orientated based on transactions
CRM and marketing automation tools can seem very similar, and they can certainly be integrated so that they feed each other valuable information.
However, they are two completely separate things that serve different purposes and audiences.
CRM systems hold valuable information (particularly for Sales) about their prospects, opportunities, and existing customers. However, CRM systems do not carry out email marketing, prospect behaviour tracking, or program management like MAPs do.
A lot of people mistakenly think MAPs are mostly about email marketing, but marketing automation is much more advanced than that. More on that later in the Ebook (link)
Email marketing is simply not enough for marketers who want to deliver their messages in multiple formats to multiple devices in a relevant and timely way. Much of today's email marketing is un-targeted, ill-timed and poorly formatted, resulting in decreasing engagement rates.
What’s more, email marketing is often pushed into its own silo as many other types of marketing tools (e.g., CRM systems, landing pages, social media) traditionally don't work well with email marketing solutions.
For email marketing to do well, that silo needs to be broken. This means coordinating with other tools and channels, delivering conversations that build better relationships, and interacting with prospects when it suits them.
That’s where marketing automation comes in.
Blasting emails without knowing who you're talking to and where they are in the buyer’s journey isn't going to cut it in today’s world. Up the game by creating multi-step drip campaigns, which helps nurture leads towards purchase.
Email marketing platforms can tell you about open and click-through rates. However, they can’t tell you about the impact of your emails on company revenue. MAPs help you calculate ROI and therefore improve your marketing efforts, ultimately generating more revenue.
If your salespeople are struggling to identify which leads are worth following up, then this often means that sales and marketing aren’t aligned enough. A MAP can help improve the way you qualify leads, ensuring that sales only gets the ones that are ready to engage.
When your email marketing exists in a silo it decreases your visibility on how your audience is interacting with your company. This makes you prone to lost opportunities and underserved audiences. Viewing email marketing as a stand-alone tool is like starting a conversation with someone without referencing previous conversations you may have already had with them.
One of the consequences of siloed email marketing is that you miss key information that would otherwise improve the way you target and communicate with your audience. Marketing automation listens and monitors online behaviour such as website visits, keyword clicks, and social media activity to help you better identify and engage with your audiences.
Triggers (e.g., website visits, form fill-outs, lead score changes, etc.) within MAPs are what enable companies to better listen and respond to their buyers based on their online behaviour. Being able to respond with personalized messages in real-time and at scale can boost pipeline and customer satisfaction in ways that email marketing and CRM systems cannot.
