This Article Contains:<\/h2>\n
(Click on links to jump to specific sections.)<\/p>\n
- \n
- What Is CRM Marketing?<\/a><\/li>\n
- What You Should Look for in CRM Marketing Software<\/a><\/li>\n
- Can I Just Use Google Sheets As My CRM?<\/a><\/li>\n
- 5 Excellent CRM Marketing Solutions<\/a>\n
- \n
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud<\/a><\/li>\n
- Zoho CRM<\/a><\/li>\n
- Nutshell<\/a><\/li>\n
- Agile CRM<\/a><\/li>\n
- Insightly CRM<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- The Best Way to Boost Your CRM Marketing Efforts in 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n
What Is CRM Marketing?<\/h2>\n
CRM marketing<\/b> is a digital marketing strategy that leverages customer relationship management (CRM<\/b>) software capabilities. For example, you can integrate your CRM software with an email marketing tool<\/a> to create personalized emails quickly for your leads.<\/p>\n
But what is <\/b>CRM software<\/b>?<\/b><\/p>\n
CRM software is an application that helps you manage customer or lead interactions and nurture relationships.<\/p>\n
With a CRM tool, you can:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Get a clear overview of all lead or customer interactions.<\/li>\n
- Align your marketing process and sales pipeline.<\/li>\n
- Avoid conflicting messages to leads from sales reps and marketing department members.<\/li>\n
- Facilitate a smooth customer journey for your leads.<\/li>\n
- Retain existing customers and enhance customer loyalty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Essentially, customer relationship management software helps you make more data-driven<\/b> sales and marketing decisions and create better campaigns that boost sales conversions and business revenue.<\/p>\n
However, as there are so many CRM software solutions out there, choosing a tool that effectively meets your <\/b>marketing objectives can be tricky. To help you make the right call, I\u2019ll list down some of the crucial features to look for in CRM marketing software.<\/p>\n
Note: <\/i><\/b>If you\u2019re only looking for a list of CRM marketing tools, feel free to skip to my <\/i>top five CRM marketing solutions<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n
What You Should Look for in CRM Marketing Tools<\/h2>\n
Here are some essential <\/b>features a software application needs to be an excellent fit for your marketing CRM strategy:<\/p>\n
1. Centralized Data Hub<\/h3>\n
The most fundamental requirement in CRM marketing tools is a centralized data hub or database to store and manage<\/b> lead and customer information.<\/p>\n
You can use the CRM database to organize:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Contact info<\/li>\n
- Company details<\/li>\n
- Call logs<\/li>\n
- Sales and marketing interaction history<\/li>\n
- Customer satisfaction ratings<\/li>\n
- Unresolved customer needs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The CRM database contains a gold mine of data<\/b> that your marketing team and sales reps can use to understand the customer base better. It can help you understand whether a lead is a good or poor fit, whether they\u2019re sales-ready or not, and more.<\/p>\n
Additionally, it offers a\u00a0single source of truth<\/b><\/a> (SSOT)<\/b>, ensuring that both the sales and marketing teams make critical business decisions based on the same data.<\/p>\n
2. Audience Segmentation<\/h3>\n
Your marketing CRM software should let you segment <\/b>customer data<\/b> to help you target the right audience.<\/p>\n
Most CRM marketing solutions support data segmentation<\/a> based on:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Industry, job, or age<\/li>\n
- Company annual revenue<\/li>\n
- Number of employees<\/li>\n
- Social media activity<\/li>\n
- Prior interaction behavior like clicks, views, unsubscribes, requests, etc. (Even if a CRM does not support this data, integrating it with a marketing automation software will make it easily available.)<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The data segmentation capability in a marketing CRM system sets the groundwork for personalized customer communications<\/b><\/a>. Moreover, it ensures that you approach and nurture only those prospects who are a good fit for your company and add significant sales value.<\/p>\n
3. Content Personalization<\/h3>\n
A marketing CRM system should help you personalize<\/b><\/a> your marketing efforts. This helps tailor your marketing message to reflect a particular lead\u2019s specific interests<\/b>.<\/p>\n
For example, the CRM marketing tool can give you the data you need to create customized messages based on the lead\u2019s name, company name, industry type, and other specific interests.<\/p>\n
Marketing content personalization enables you to:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Improve customer engagement<\/li>\n
- Carry out better lead nurturing<\/li>\n
- Boost customer satisfaction<\/li>\n
- Stand out from the crowd of competitors<\/li>\n
- Close more sales<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4. Workflow Automation<\/h3>\n
The ability to set up automation workflows<\/a> within your CRM marketing software can save you a lot of time and effort.<\/p>\n
You should be able to create custom trigger-action combinations to automate <\/b>parts of the marketing or sales process. For example, you could set up a trigger in your email marketing tool to send automatic welcome emails<\/a> to people who just signed up for your newsletter.<\/p>\n
Essentially, workflow automation lets you scale up your marketing efforts quickly to cater to a broad customer base. This way, you can consistently generate an optimal number of leads for your sales reps to pursue and close.<\/p>\n
Now that we\u2019ve covered the essential features to look for in CRM marketing software, let\u2019s take a look at my top picks<\/b> for CRM marketing solutions:<\/p>\n
Can I Just Use Google Sheets As My CRM?<\/h2>\n
Absolutely.<\/p>\n
While Google Sheets might not be right for everyone (especially large teams or enterprise companies), Google Sheets is a fantastic<\/em> CRM option<\/a> for individuals and small teams.<\/p>\n
In fact, we even built a free Google Sheets CRM template<\/a> you can use.<\/p>\n
5 Excellent CRM Marketing Solutions<\/h2>\n
Here are five<\/b> great CRM marketing software to help you improve marketing efficiency and provide a more wholesome customer experience:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud<\/a><\/li>\n
- Zoho CRM<\/a><\/li>\n
- Nutshell<\/a><\/li>\n
- Agile CRM<\/a><\/li>\n
- Insightly CRM<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I\u2019ll take a closer look at their key features, pros, limitations, pricing, and ratings<\/b> to provide you a complete picture of these tools:<\/p>\n
1. Salesforce Marketing Cloud<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image9-1-1024x544.png\")
<\/p>\nSalesforce<\/b> Marketing Cloud<\/b> is a comprehensive customer relationship management<\/b> product<\/b> suite<\/b>. It offers multiple tools to help you manage customer interactions, send marketing campaigns, track marketing performance, and more.<\/p>\n
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Key Features<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Customer 360 Audience functionality to consolidate, segment, and analyze marketing CRM data<\/li>\n
- Advertising Studio to help you create personalized ad campaigns by leveraging CRM data<\/li>\n
- Pardot (aligned with the Salesforce Sales Cloud) to combine sales and marketing efforts in one platform for easier B2B marketing automation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Pros<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Can personalize mobile interactions with your audience, including text messages, notifications, chat messages, and more<\/li>\n
- Tracks and manages the customer journey in real-time using the interaction studio<\/li>\n
- AI-powered personalization to market to various types of customers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Limitations<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Can be expensive for a small business<\/li>\n
- The CRM platform has a steep learning curve.<\/li>\n
- Lacks advanced built-in analytics capabilities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Pricing<\/h4>\n
This marketing CRM platform offers several<\/b> pricing plans to suit diverse user requirements:<\/b><\/p>\n
- \n
- Customer<\/b> 360 Audiences <\/b>(starts at $12,500\/organization per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- 45,000 unified profiles<\/li>\n
- 10 million super messages<\/li>\n
- 7.5 billion engagement events<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Loyalty Management <\/b>(starts at $30,000\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- Membership administration<\/li>\n
- Rewards management<\/li>\n
- Benefits management<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- B2B <\/b>Marketing Automation<\/b> (starts at $1,250\/month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- 10,000 contacts<\/li>\n
- Prospect tracking<\/li>\n
- Marketing ROI reporting<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Social Studio <\/b>(starts at $1,000\/organization per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- Brand listening and engagement on social networks<\/li>\n
- 20,000 monthly mentions<\/li>\n
- 2 social media accounts<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Google <\/b>Marketing Platform<\/b> (starts at $12,500\/organization per month):\n
- \n
- Google Analytics 360<\/li>\n
- Google Analytics 360 integration for Marketing Cloud<\/li>\n
- Tag Manager 360<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Ratings<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Capterra: <\/b>4\/5 (260+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- G2: <\/b>4\/5 (3580+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2. Zoho CRM<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image6-1-1024x541.png\")
<\/p>\nZoho CRM<\/b> is a sales and marketing <\/b>CRM software<\/b> that allows you to connect with potential customers, track interactions, manage their data, and refine your marketing strategy.<\/p>\n
Zoho CRM Key Features<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Marketing automation to help you reach out to prospective and existing customers quickly<\/li>\n
- Reports to gain real-time insights into sales process or marketing campaign performance<\/li>\n
- Social media marketing features to monitor brand-related conversations online and capture leads directly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Zoho CRM Pros<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Collaboration capabilities so that each sales rep and marketing team member can work together<\/li>\n
- Mobile apps to use their CRM functionalities on Android or iOS devices<\/li>\n
- Assigns roles to define permissions and control access to customer information on your CRM system<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Zoho CRM Limitations<\/h4>\n
- \n
- The free plan is limited to only three users.<\/li>\n
- It provides limited customization fields.<\/li>\n
- User reviews mention that the tool can be challenging to integrate with non-Zoho applications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Zoho CRM Pricing<\/h4>\n
This marketing CRM tool offers five<\/b> pricing plans:<\/b><\/p>\n
- \n
- Free<\/b>:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- 3 users<\/li>\n
- Lead tracking<\/li>\n
- Mobile apps<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Standard <\/b>($18\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- Supports all \u201cFree\u201d features<\/li>\n
- Custom workflows<\/li>\n
- Custom dashboards<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Professional <\/b>($30\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- Supports all \u201cStandard\u201d features<\/li>\n
- Validation rules<\/li>\n
- Web-to-case forms<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Enterprise <\/b>($45\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- Supports all \u201cProfessional\u201d features<\/li>\n
- Multi-user portals<\/li>\n
- Advanced customization<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Ultimate <\/b>($55\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- Supports all \u201cEnterprise\u201d features<\/li>\n
- Enhanced feature limits<\/li>\n
- Advanced business intelligence<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Zoho CRM Ratings<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Capterra: <\/b>4.2\/5 (4740+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- G2: <\/b>4\/5 (1840+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
3. Nutshell<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image3-1-1024x520.png\")
<\/p>\nNutshell<\/b> is a sales <\/b>automation<\/b> and marketing <\/b>CRM software<\/b> that helps you with lead generation, lead nurturing, and marketing automation.<\/p>\n
Nutshell Key Features<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Filters to create marketing lists based on industry, geographical location, and more<\/li>\n
- Reporting dashboard to see a list of everybody who has opened or clicked on your marketing messages<\/li>\n
- Timelines to get an overview of every interaction with your potential customers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Nutshell Pros<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Can combine sales and marketing contacts in one place, so you won\u2019t have to sift through multiple lists.<\/li>\n
- Integrates with third-party apps like Slack, Microsoft Office 365, Zapier, and more.<\/li>\n
- Offers built-in collaboration capabilities so you can tag marketing team members and store communications right inside the tool.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Nutshell Limitations<\/h4>\n
- \n
- No free plan is available.<\/li>\n
- UI can be a little cluttered and difficult to navigate.<\/li>\n
- It lacks advanced lead email filtering capabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Nutshell Pricing<\/h4>\n
This marketing CRM solution offers two<\/b> pricing plans:<\/b><\/p>\n
- \n
- Starter <\/b>(starts at $22\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- Communication histories<\/li>\n
- Activity and results dashboard<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Pro <\/b>(starts at $39\/user per month):\n
- \n
- Supports all \u201cStarter\u201d features<\/li>\n
- Automated lead assignment<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Nutshell Ratings<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Capterra: <\/b>4.2\/5 (350+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- G2: <\/b>4.2\/5 (460+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4. Agile CRM<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/image4-2-1024x541.png\")
<\/p>\nAgile CRM<\/b> is a cloud-based <\/b>marketing<\/b> and <\/b>customer relationship management<\/b> tool<\/b> with sales enablement, marketing automation, and customer support functionalities.<\/p>\n
Agile CRM Key Features<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Drag-and-drop designer to create marketing automation workflows<\/li>\n
- Landing page builder to create mobile-responsive and high-converting landing pages<\/li>\n
- Social media marketing to integrate social media into your marketing strategy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Agile CRM Pros<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Can convert abandoning website visitors into potential customers through exit-intent popups<\/li>\n
- Can create surveys, coupons, and signup forms to increase conversions<\/li>\n
- Offers customized small business, SaaS, and eCommerce solutions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Agile CRM Limitations<\/h4>\n
- \n
- User reviews mention that it can be challenging to import contacts into this CRM tool.<\/li>\n
- It doesn\u2019t integrate directly with popular reporting applications like Tableau.<\/li>\n
- It supports only limited service automation capabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Agile CRM Pricing<\/h4>\n
This marketing CRM platform offers four<\/b> pricing plans:<\/b><\/p>\n
- \n
- Free<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- \n
- \n
- 10 users<\/li>\n
- Landing page builder<\/li>\n
- Form builder<\/li>\n
- And more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Starter <\/b>($14.99\/month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Free<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- G2: <\/b>4.2\/5 (460+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Capterra: <\/b>4.2\/5 (350+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Pro <\/b>(starts at $39\/user per month):\n
- \n
- Starter <\/b>(starts at $22\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- G2: <\/b>4\/5 (1840+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Capterra: <\/b>4.2\/5 (4740+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Ultimate <\/b>($55\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Enterprise <\/b>($45\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Professional <\/b>($30\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Standard <\/b>($18\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Free<\/b>:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- G2: <\/b>4\/5 (3580+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Capterra: <\/b>4\/5 (260+ reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Google <\/b>Marketing Platform<\/b> (starts at $12,500\/organization per month):\n
- \n
- Social Studio <\/b>(starts at $1,000\/organization per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- B2B <\/b>Marketing Automation<\/b> (starts at $1,250\/month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Loyalty Management <\/b>(starts at $30,000\/user per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Customer<\/b> 360 Audiences <\/b>(starts at $12,500\/organization per month):<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Zoho CRM<\/a><\/li>\n
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud<\/a><\/li>\n
- Zoho CRM<\/a><\/li>\n
- What You Should Look for in CRM Marketing Software<\/a><\/li>\n