The Aproove Guide to Choosing the Best Marketing Automation Software for Small Businesses

Understanding Marketing Automation

Before selecting the best marketing automation software for you, you need to know what marketing automation is and how it can help your small business.

Marketing automation is the automation of marketing tasks such as workflows, general tasks, approvals and compliances. Companies can save time, become more efficient, and create more personalised customer experiences through automation. There are also some specialised software platforms in marketing that can automate repetitive marketing tasks such as email marketing, social media posting, lead generation and customer segmentation.

Marketing automation software can be a lifesaver for a start-up business, enabling them to compete on a more even playing field with larger firms by helping them reach their target audience, and helping them nurture their leads along the sales funnel.

Assessing Your Needs

The first thing you should do is figure out how to narrow down your needs. These are some of the questions to ask yourself before choosing the best marketing automation software for small businesses:

•    What are your marketing goals?

•    What tasks do you want to automate?

•    What is your budget for marketing automation?

•    How tech-savvy is your team?


Answering those questions upfront will help you determine what features and functions you need from the best marketing automation software.

Key Features to Look For

Once you establish your requirements, evaluate the features that various marketing automation software providers offer. Here are a few features worth considering:

Online Proofing: Aproove’s Online Proofing software brings the review and approval process of your content under one common platform with real-time collaboration. Eliminate de-centralised email strings and keep the reviewers on track with task-specific ‘to-dos’ and automated daily follow-ups.

Task Management: The solution you choose should include task management, enabling you to task the correct people at the correct time within a workflow. Aproove Work Management software allows you to manage more than just tasking users, it allows you to give your users the tools to do that job, making sure that everyone is kept up to date with automated reminders and early warning indicators in one single central, easy-to-use dashboard.

Analytics and Reporting: It’s important to be able to track and measure the performance of your campaigns so you know what’s working and what’s not – which in turn will allow you to continually optimise your strategy. Make sure to select software that offers robust analytics and reporting.

Customizable automation workflows: one of the best ways to get sales reps to stop wasting leads is to implement customizable automation workflows, so that leads are nurtured until they’re ready to be contacted.

User-Friendly Interface: How user-friendly are the software’s interfaces? How easy will it be for your team to use this tool without extensive training?

Project Management: Built in Project Management functionality allows you to define projects up front using project templates. In Aproove you can assign workflows to project steps allowing project management and work in progress to run in the same system!

Resource Management: Adjust the competency level of your team members, and then attach them to upcoming projects as per the availability of resources and bandwidth.

Scalability: When your business grows and starts hiring more people or adding more products to your store, you will want to make sure that the best marketing automation software grows with you. Look for a plan that accommodates your growing business.

Budget Considerations 

Price is of course a crucial when it comes to selecting the best marketing automation software for small businesses. Yes, you can buy all-in-one solutions that cater to a wider range of needs for a high price, or you can go for more cost effective software that’s more directly suited to a smaller company.

Compare the plans and price points of various providers before making a commitment. These could vary depending on the number of contacts, whether the features you require are included, and whether there are additional charges for add-ons or upgrade packages. Consider the Return on Investment (ROI) you’re likely to gain by using the software, and weigh that against the cost.

Evaluating Customer Support

Customer support is another crucial consideration when selecting the best marketing automation software. Because as a small business you might have technical-related queries or questions on how to use the software to your advantage. Therefore, you should seek a provider that offers responsive customer support via call, email and live chat.

Moreover, find a provider that offers tutorials, documentation and forums for common questions to ease your onboarding.

Assessing Integration Capabilities

Integration features are also key, as you’ll want a tool that works with your existing business technologies – whether that’s your CRM, the e-commerce platform you use to sell online, or your analytics suite.

Make sure your marketing automation software for small businesses has native integrations for your existing systems, or at least has integrations with third-party apps and APIs so you can continue to reap the benefits of your current software and keep your workflows efficient.

Making the Decision 

Once you have accounted for all these factors discussed above, you can now make the right choice, of the most effective software for marketing automation for your small business. This decision, obviously, will form the nucleus of your marketing strategy and subsequently aid in your growth. So, take your time making the choice.

The best marketing automation software for small businesses is ultimately a combination of the platform that meets your goals, fits your budget and provides the suitable features and support required. If you’ve followed the steps provided in this guide and have done your homework, you can find the software that best fits your needs and grows your business.

If you are a small business, choosing the right marketing automation software is important. By understanding your needs, defining the most important features, determining your budget, and doing your research, you will be able to make an informed decision that will allow you to take your business to the next level by helping you streamline your marketing processes and better communicate and interact with your customers.