Top 7 Content Marketing Automation Platforms, Rated for 2017

#	Company	At a Glance
1.	HubSpot	The inbound experts; all-in-one simplicity; 18K customers in 90 countries
2.	Oracle Eloqua	Pioneers of the marketing automation industry; ideal for large businesses; pricey
3.	Hatchbuck	Harness data for lead generation; high customer satisfaction ratings
4.	Marketo	Reach more visitors with predictive content; costs can get high
5.	Infusionsoft	Solely focused on small businesses; excellent lead capture potential
6.	Pardot	B2B marketing automation solution for Salesforce users; good bang-for-buck ratio
7.	Aprimo	Strong emphasis on customer support; some concerns about difficulty and user interface

1. HubSpot

Known for its emphasis on inbound marketing, HubSpot has become an industry leader in lead generation and lead nurturing. This is due in no small part to its content marketing automation platform, which allows marketers to eliminate some manual drudgery in favor of more productive tasks.

Key Features

Drag-and-drop website editing
Professional-quality landing page builder
Automatic integration with Salesforce or HubSpot’s CRM

What You’ll Get

We love HubSpot because of its simplicity. You can view all of your data points on one convenient screen, and you can seamlessly share data between the marketing and sales departments, effectively creating one unified team.

It’s an all-in-one solution that you can integrate with your blog, social media accounts, email lists, and other digital assets.

What You’ll Pay

HubSpot charges between $200 to $2,400 per month, depending on the number of contacts you want to add. Additionally, the company charges onboarding fees of between $600 and $5,000.

Because of its price point, HubSpot’s upper packages will appeal primarily to larger businesses. However, the basic plan is within reach of most SMEs, and although it lacks the features of the more comprehensive packages, it’s a good place to get your feet wet. HubSpot’s diverse options is one reason that it lands in the number-one position.

2. Oracle Eloqua

Eloqua was one of the first companies to offer marketing automation, and even after their acquisition by Oracle, this is still one of the most powerful marketing automation tools available.

Key Features

Robust marketing calendar that seamlessly integrates with automation
Built-in SEO tools
Personality profiles for better segregation between consumer groups

What You’ll Get

Oracle Eloqua focuses primarily on paid search and email marketing campaigns. You have to manually integrate other lead-generation tools, such as blogging, but it boasts an impressive asset database that you can customize for your specific needs.

What You’ll Pay

This software costs $2,000 per month or more depending on the number of users and the features you want. This software is heavily geared toward the B2B space, so it’s not as useful for B2C companies.

Users report difficult reporting setup and an outdated user interface, which keeps Oracle Eloqua out of the top spot. However, it’s an ideal choice for B2B companies with extensive marketing budgets.

3. Hatchbuck

Hatchbuck, a data-fueled content marketing platform, gives you all the tools you need to create a marketing campaign from whole cloth — or to tweak the one you’re already using.

Key Features

Categories for different types of contacts
Full-scale CRM functionality
Email and e-commerce integration

What You’ll Get

Simple lead generation forms can segment website visitors into different categories. For instance, you might want to send a different series of emails depending on where each prospect falls in the sales funnel.

What You’ll Pay

We love that Hatchbuck offers a solution for everyone. Freelancers, for instance, can use the Solo plan, which costs just $59 per month (or $53 per month when paid on a semi-annual basis). Other plans range from two to unlimited users, so you can select the one that meets your specific needs.

Hatchbuck deserves its spot in the top three. Some users complain about the inbound-only API, but most have found easy workarounds. Users have also asked for small improvements, such as tag cheat sheets and more custom reporting, but this company remains largely well reviewed. It’s perfect for small businesses and startups in particular.

4. Marketo

Although it’s not as well-known as HubSpot, Marketo offers a well-rounded content marketing automation platform that centers around its unique approach to predictive content.

Key Features

Robust lead management tools
Detailed analytics
Large CRM infrastructure

What You’ll Get

Marketo focuses on several aspects of content marketing automation. You’ll gain access to lead generation and nurturing tools that help you usher prospects through the sales funnel. The predictive content component allows you to serve up content based on user behavior, which essentially turns your website or blog into a lead-generation machine.

You also get powerful analytics software, support for email and mobile, and a robust accounts-based marketing, or ABM, component, which enables cross-channel marketing and promotions.

What You’ll Pay

You can choose from several pre-built bundles at Marketo, or you can design your own bundle based on the features you want. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t publish its pricing scale online. It does state, however, that pricing is based on the number of contacts rather than the volume of communications you send.

The majority of Marketo customers fall into the mid-market category, though the software also attracts a few small business and enterprise clients. The software has received a few complaints about its landing page and form builders as well as infrequent slow-downs. However, users praise its ease of use, urging new clients to learn one part of the system at a time to master each one.

5. Infusionsoft

Although it doesn’t offer a dedicated blogging component, Infusionsoft is one of the premiere content marketing automation platforms available. It’s particularly useful for lead capture, especially for new and emerging businesses.

Key Features

Easy integration with many other marketing tools
Ability to create personalized communications for specific groups
Automated sales workflow

What You’ll Get

Infusion Soft earns its spot on this list by seamlessly incorporating marketing and sales follow-up. You can create personalized communications, such as emails, based on prospect activity.

For instance, when someone fills out your lead capture form on a blog post, you can immediately trigger a series of emails designed to usher the prospect toward a sale. Later on, appointments and other activities can trigger different email campaigns.

You can also add sales automation, CRM, and other platforms to your package if you want to use Infusion Soft for all of your marketing needs. Like HubSpot, this company offers several different services that incorporate seamlessly for your marketing team.

What You’ll Pay

Rates for Infusion Soft range from $199 to $599 per month on annual plans. You’ll also pay a “kickstart” fee of up to $2,999 to set up your account and get your business started with the software.

Most of InfusionSoft’s customers are small businesses and startups. We might have ranked this software higher if it offered more functionality for enterprise-level firms. Additionally, while the e-commerce integration offers a refreshing opportunity, users report that it’s sometimes difficult to use.

6. Pardot

If you’re looking for a content marketing automation platform that focuses specifically on maximizing ROI, you might want to consider Pardot. Using personalized prospect interactions, the software strives to serve up content that meets each prospect’s needs and generates more sales for every marketing dollar spent.

Key Features

Triggered emails that get released at pre-determined intervals
Scoring and grading functionality for leads
Detailed ROI reporting

What You’ll Get

The ROI reporting module offers significant value, especially for startups and other young businesses that haven’t established a proven marketing methodology yet. You’ll see statistics in real time to help you tweak your marketing campaigns for maximum ROI.

Depending on the package your select, this content marketing automation platform offers smart lead generation, customizable email campaigns, and effective built-in testing modules. It’s a great tool for both lead generation and lead management, and the lead qualification functionality will help your business avoid wasting time on unqualified or disinterested leads.

What You’ll Pay

If you have 10,000 or fewer contacts, you’ll pay between $1,000 and $3,000 per month. The company separates its packages into three tiers: Standard, Pro, and Ultimate. The most feature-rich package includes extras like phone support, API access, and custom user roles.

Although it lacks the range of functionality you’ll find with the programs on this list that ranked higher, Pardot has earned its reputation for easy-to-use modules and third-party integration. It’s best for mid-level businesses, primarily because the price point might drive away smaller firms.

7. Aprimo

If you’re looking for a more content-focused automation platform, Aprimo might suit your needs best. It focuses on automating and improving the marketing process from the moment you conceive of a content idea.

Key Features

Custom CRM integration options
Well-designed database management
Lead-capture forms that help predict and control outcomes

What You’ll Get

Aprimo allows you to create a marketing strategy, set realistic goals, track user data, work collaborative on content creation and approval, and create project plans. It also lets you establish customized protocols for delivering content to prospects, whether it’s a blog post or an email.

More specifically, Aprimo promises to “automat[e] the Five Marketing Essentials: plan, spend, create, distribute, and perform.” Each of these essential tasks improves your ROI and brings you closer to reaching your marketing goals.

What You’ll Pay

Aprimo doesn’t publish its pricing strategy online. However, you can request a free demo and quote from the website, so you can determine if this software is right for you without spending a dime.

Users report a time-consuming onboarding process and difficulty learning the software, which is why Aprimo falls at the bottom of the list. However, it gets positive feedback for its quick results once users learn how to use it properly. Companies with a dedicated IT manager or department might get the most use out of Aprimo.

Regardless of which content marketing automation platform you choose, automating marketing tasks can make your business run more smoothly and generate more leads. Of course, the entire process starts with quality content, and that’s where Media Shower shines. We help companies like yours start their marketing strategies with high-value content that your prospects will love. Click here to try us for free.

The Better Blog