Marketing Automation Software
Marketing campaign orchestration and lead management.
Key Functions
| Function | Description | AI Opportunity |
|---|
| Lead Management | Capture, score, nurture | Predictive scoring |
| Email Automation | Drip campaigns, triggers | Personalization |
| Landing Pages | Build, test, convert | Auto-optimization |
| Forms | Capture, progressive profiling | Smart fields |
| Segmentation | Lists, dynamic segments | Behavioral clustering |
| Campaign Management | Multi-channel orchestration | Optimization |
| Analytics | Attribution, ROI, funnel | Predictive insights |
| Personalization | Dynamic content, recommendations | Real-time |
| Social | Publishing, monitoring | Content suggestions |
| Integration | CRM sync, data flow | — |
Core Entities
| Entity | Fields | Volume | Sensitivity |
|---|
| Contacts | demographics, behavior, score | Very High | High |
| Companies | firmographics, engagement | High | Medium |
| Campaigns | assets, targeting, performance | Medium | Low |
| Activities | emails, pages, forms, clicks | Very High | Medium |
| Landing Pages | content, conversion data | Medium | Low |
| Forms | fields, submissions | High | High |
| Emails | content, sends, engagement | High | Low |
| Segments | rules, membership | Medium | Low |
| Scores | lead/engagement scores | High | Low |
Integration Points
| System | Data Flow | Direction |
|---|
| CRM | Leads, opportunities, sync | Bi-directional |
| Website | Tracking, forms | Inbound |
| Advertising | Audiences, attribution | Bi-directional |
| Sales Tools | Lead handoff, alerts | Bi-directional |
| Webinar | Registrations, attendance | Bi-directional |
| Data Enrichment | Contact/company data | Inbound |
| Analytics | Attribution, reporting | Bi-directional |
Data Retention
| Data Type | Typical Retention | Compliance Driver |
|---|
| Contact records | Until opt-out/deletion | GDPR/privacy |
| Activity history | 2-3 years | Analysis |
| Campaign performance | 2-3 years | Benchmarking |
| Email content | Indefinite | Compliance review |
Evaluation Criteria
| Criteria | Weight | Notes |
|---|
| CRM integration | High | Sales alignment |
| Automation depth | High | Workflow complexity |
| Ease of use | High | Marketer adoption |
| Reporting/attribution | Medium | ROI measurement |
| Scalability | Medium | Contact/email volume |
| AI capabilities | Medium | Optimization |
| Pricing | Medium | Contact-based scaling |
Market Leaders
| Product | Strength | Best For |
|---|
| HubSpot | Ease of use, CRM | SMB, inbound |
| Marketo | Enterprise, B2B | Large B2B |
| Pardot | Salesforce integration | Salesforce shops |
| ActiveCampaign | Automation, price | Growing businesses |
| Brevo | Price, simplicity | Budget-conscious |
| Customer.io | Product-led, behavioral | PLG companies |
AI Disruption Potential
| Function | Current State | 2027 Projection |
|---|
| Lead scoring | Rules + ML | Predictive |
| Content personalization | Segments | Individual |
| Send time optimization | Basic ML | Real-time |
| Campaign optimization | A/B testing | Auto-optimization |
| Attribution | Model-based | AI multi-touch |
| Content creation | Templates | Full generation |
Build vs Buy: Buy. Marketing automation is complex (deliverability, workflows, integrations). Focus on strategy, not infrastructure.