Marketing is no doubt one of the most essential sectors in businesses. While most brands understand and strive to achieve through various marketing methods, the lack of a system for the teams often leads to leaks in most funnels, leading to loss of prospect leads or lack of repeat sales. While marketing entails different software for different purposes, the most common ones include marketing automation and CRM software. In this article, we will look at the difference between marketing automation and CRM.

What is Marketing Automation?

This is a software used to enhance and measure the conversion rates in the marketing process as well as perform repetitive tasks. As such, it executes tasks such as scheduling and sending email marketing, social media updates and campaign reporting hence making these tasks easy to execute and manage. 

Marketing automation has become popular in the recent past due to its ability to generate qualified leads, highly optimize campaigns, effectively measure the ROI and improve the sales and marketing workflows. 

Although brands can benefit from this as it personalizes tasks, it is best used for email autoresponders, lead nurturing and taking leads through a predefined customer journey. 

What is CRM?

Short of Customer Relationship Management, this is a software used for sales management, contact management, interaction with potential and existing clients as well as customer relationships. 

A CRM system aims at improving customer pricing, pricing strategies, the creation and maintenance of customer-centred services and products, connecting consumers through all channels on one platform and improving customer targets, just to mention a few. 

To provide personalized customer profiles, the system records contact information including websites, email addresses, social media profiles and even phone numbers. These also allow brands to view a consumer’s journey through the sales process. 

Similarities between Marketing Automation and CRM

• Both help prevent leaks in the sales funnel

Differences between Marketing Automation and CRM

Definition

Marketing automation refers to software used to enhance and measure the conversion rates in a marketing process as well as perform repetitive tasks. On the other hand, CRM refers to software used for sales management, contact management, interaction with potential and existing clients as well as customer relationships. 

Business goal

While marketing automation executes tasks such as scheduling and sending email marketing, social media updates and campaign reporting hence making these tasks easy to execute and manage, CRM aims at improving customer pricing, pricing strategies, the creation and maintenance of customer-centred services and products, connecting consumers through all channels on one platform and improving customer targets. 

Users

While marketing automation is used by marketers, CRM is used by salespersons.

Marketing Automation vs. CRM: Comparison Table

Summary of Marketing Automation vs. CRM

While marketing automation refers to software used to enhance and measure the conversion rates in a marketing process as well as perform repetitive tasks, CRM refers to software used for sales management, contact management, interaction with potential and existing clients as well as customer relationships. Although both are effective marketing tools and help prevent leaks in the sales funnel, brands looking to maximize conversions and optimize the sales funnel process should employ both.

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