If you put today’s marketing methods into historical context, you’ll realise how quickly industries are changing. For any company, its existence and success cannot be justified without the mention of marketing. Every trend that comes to light in the current context brings us to the conclusion that we need marketing and a marketing platform that can keep up. 

Without marketing or a marketing platform, companies can’t survive. A marketing platform paves the way for a company to reach its target audience. It creates a space where customers can interact with the businesses. The same platform is where brands can promote their products and services. As per a survey conducted in 2018, nearly 97% of all Fortune 500 companies rely on a marketing platform to promote products and develop communication. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how marketing platforms work and how efficiently they should work in the digital space. 

What is a marketing platform?

Simply put, a marketing platform is a method through which your company markets itself to its target audience. The primary goal of a marketing platform is to drive customer engagement. Marketing platforms help companies make the most of the available resources and create more cohesive marketing campaigns for their brand. 

To simplify the understanding of marketing platforms, one needs to understand the difference between traditional and modern marketing methods. Traditional marketing methods used television, radio, billboards, newspapers, etc., to bridge the gap between a company and its customers. Today, we use social media and content to instantly connect the company and customers. 

Why are marketing platforms needed?

All marketing is done with the ultimate goal of connecting with the target audience and fueling sales and growth of the business. Certain employees are burdened with the task of monitoring the essential metrics. A marketing platform can simplify most processes on the website. Apart from mediating between the company and customers, there are many other reasons why we need marketing platforms today. Some of those reasons are:

• Growth and scalability

Since marketing platforms bring companies and customers together, they also offer more opportunities to bring in more people. As a result, brands can build their reach and improve their sales by connecting with untapped audiences in the market. All of this is possible when a company uses the marketing platform to increase brand awareness and, thus, scale to greater heights in the market. 

• Guiding the buyer

A company can see a potential customer’s position in the sales process and influence their decision. The marketing platform can be used as a catalyst in the final step of the buyer’s journey. Customised messages and promotion of products and services are some methods that brands can apply through the marketing platform. The end goal is to make the potential customer a repeat customer. 

• Engage tech-savvy customers

The number of users accessing marketing platforms each day is baffling. Therefore, the company must put in efforts to reach out to those people who are tech-friendly. For example, many users prefer online shopping over window shopping. The impact of marketing platforms in this scenario can be high if brands use such platforms to promote their offerings in the market. 

• Leverage technology

There is so much happening daily with technology as new trends and people’s expectations come to light. Artificial intelligence has enabled brands to connect with their customers meaningfully and individually. It has also helped brands to analyze markets, create customized marketing strategies, and provide value to people interested in the brand. 

5 best marketing platforms in 2022

There are plenty of marketing platforms on the market. If a company is looking for a marketing platform that meets its requirements, then the answer is an all-in-one marketing platform. Your job will be simplified if you have a single marketing platform taking care of all your marketing needs.

A company must be prepared to juggle various operations if it wishes to have multiple platforms at once. For example, one platform would manage customers, the second would manage content, and the third would manage promotions. Here, the focus keeps shifting, and lesser time is given to each platform. If your requirement is specific, opt for a different marketing platform, or go to one that has a range.

The top marketing platforms in 2022 are as follows:

• Active Campaign

ActiveCampaign is the best marketing platform for companies that want to automate workflows and follow-ups. It can be set up within minutes and smoothly integrated with the company’s most used applications. To guide your decision in choosing one, this guide by HighLevel to ActiveCampaign alternative is what you must look into.

• HubSpot

HubSpot is a company’s go-to platform when the need for automating content and search arises. It has a secure space where different company departments can come together and share data. 

• MailChimp

MailChimp is, no guesses here, a platform that automates email marketing. Besides emails, MailChimp can take over promotions and analyze each campaign’s success. All of its functions are done on the same platform. 

• Keap

This is the marketing platform you need to eliminate repetitive tasks and “keap” only those that are essential in focus. Everything from marketing to sales can be automated here on Keap. 

• Zoho

Zoho is an all-in-one marketing platform that manages all activities and speeds up growth for a company. One can automate campaigns differently using Zoho and measure the effectiveness of each accordingly. 

4 ways to know if your marketing platform is functional

The marketing platform you choose should be able to collect and analyze data, automate marketing and deliver results. To understand its functionality, you need to check the following key features.

• Customer Relationship Management(CRM)

A successful marketing platform must be able to manage all your conversations with your customers from the past, present, and future. It must be capable enough to segment your customers based on preferences, interests, and other demographics. This will improve the quality and effectiveness of the marketing strategies you create. Ensure that the one you select gives you customer insights and optimizes your marketing efforts. 

• Marketing automation

Marketing automation is the answer to making the best use of your resources and generating more sales. You won’t have to monitor each interaction because the software does it for you in real time. To verify a marketing platform’s functionality, you should check if it follows up with people after purchase, engages the customer, and reaches out to people with abandoned carts. 

Marketing automation is the primary feature you must have as it takes your business to the next level without wasting any time. All your efforts will soon bear fruit, and your campaigns will reach more people worldwide. 

• Landing pages and form options

Your brand’s landing page is an integral part of your online presence. Simple pages like a sign-up page or a product recommendation that leads your customer to the website are enough to gather the data required. Basic information like the email address is all you need to reach out to wider audiences and influence purchases.

Your marketing platform must be targeted to the right audience and optimized for conversions. Using clear CTAs, sign-up forms, designs, and others is vital as that will get your potential customer to convert without any second doubts. 

• Digital advertising and social media management

Digital marketing reaps more benefits than traditional methods. In social media marketing, paid advertising has simplified customer reach by driving more sales and delivering higher returns on investments. Your marketing platform is functional if its supports a multichannel approach to online advertising and offers various metrics. 

From a single platform, you should be able to track conversations, monitor engagement and ad performance, and see more conversions. A simplified layout of all these metrics will optimize your marketing efforts. 

How to choose the right marketing platform

The following factors will help you make the best choice while selecting a marketing platform for your company.

• Price

The first and foremost factor here is the price. The marketing platform and its services should be within your company’s budget. Some software allows you to customize your requirements and then provide you with the package. You can save money by not implementing features you won’t need. 

• Features

You will not find any two marketing platforms that provide the same set of services. Going for an expensive one doesn’t mean that it will be feature-rich. You must evaluate your marketing strategy here and go for the one that fulfills most of your must-have features. 

• Limitations

All software services providing marketing platforms come with their own set of limitations. You need to assess which one nearly meets the criteria you have set and go for it. You can always shift to another marketing platform if you aren’t satisfied with the current one.

• Usability

Any marketing platform you use should simplify operations within your company instead of complicating them. Ease of usage should drive you to choose the right marketing platform for your brand. 

• Customer service

Marketing platforms should be capable of handling inquiries from first-time customers and regular ones too. Whether it’s about setting up the software or chat support, the marketing platform should have the bandwidth to solve issues. Some of the best marketing platforms are automated to solve real-time glitches and provide the best quality of customer service. 

• Reputation

Before integrating your business with a marketing platform, verify its authenticity and capability. Look through reviews and connect with existing users and get their feedback on the operation status of the marketing platform you wish to use. Check for the platform’s special mentions and accolades, which add to its credibility. 

• Reports and analytics

You can do much with the data at hand if it is adequately analyzed. With the correct marketing analytics, you can see where your competitors stand and if your resources are bringing in results. Go for marketing platforms that present data to you in a straightforward manner and bring in more traffic, ROI, and business goals. 

In conclusion

Marketing trends are constantly changing, and who knows what the next five years will bring. Therefore, the marketing platform you finalize for your company should be competent enough to embrace change quickly. Explore and experiment with a few until you find a marketing platform that fits your bill. 

By B Naomi Grace