Digital marketing agencies rely on software to track results, enhance team collaboration, boost efficiency and productivity, and enhance client satisfaction. The right tools not only streamline operations, but also fuel successful marketing campaigns. On the flip side, choosing the wrong applications can drain time and money.
Here’s a breakdown of the must-have applications every agency needs to thrive.
1. Agency management software
If you’re used to using customer relationship management (CRM) software, you’ll find agency management software (AMS) to be an upgraded replacement. A CRM functions at a basic level to track leads, document client interactions, streamline workflows, track projects, and monitor sales pipelines. AMS takes things to another level by combining project management, financial tracking, and resource management into one platform. For instance, agencies can manage financial and human resource allocation, track budgets and deadlines, manage multiple clients and campaigns, agent commissions, policies, and much more.
For agencies that work with multiple clients and have multiple teams, agency management software is the ultimate solution to seamless collaboration. Insights are more comprehensive from ARM software compared to a CRM, extending into performance and profitability.
2. Project management software
Managing projects effectively requires more than just assigning tasks and checking them off a list. You need a comprehensive project management application that allows you to track granular progress in a way that keeps teams connected. For example, the following features make a project management application ideal:
- You can designate contingencies to connect dependencies between tasks and projects.
- You can set deadlines for the main project, each goal, and each milestone independently.
- File uploads, including audio, video, and other file types.
- Different views, like timelines, lists, boards, and calendars.
- Integrations with other important apps.
- You can assign users to projects.
- Users can’t see tasks associated with projects they aren’t part of.
- Users can create private tasks.
In addition to these crucial features, the best project management applications will be easy to use, intuitive, and won’t have a lot of clutter. Moving between tasks and projects will be smooth and easy.
3. Advanced email marketing automation
Every agency knows the value of email marketing automation, but not all applications are equal. Basic email marketing applications are good, but they’ll only take you so far. Your ideal application will offer advanced email marketing strategies, and this requires paying more for premium software.
Most of the lower-priced platforms only provide basic features. For example, you can send out emails on a schedule, but that’s not enough. You need to be able to drop leads in and out of sequences based on their actions, like clicking links and making purchases.
With this in mind, here are some tips for finding the right email marketing application:
- Make sure the price increases are affordable. You’ll pay more as your subscriber base increases, so make sure the higher tiers are within your budget (or will be when the time comes).
- Ensure you can segment contacts with multiple tags and send emails based on those tags. You should also be able to move leads through sequences automatically based on actions you define.
- Check the email templates available. You don’t need anything fancy, but the visuals should look good. You should also be able to completely customize your email templates with HTML.
- Make sure your email marketing application integrates with your CRM or AMS application.
- Check to ensure you can export your contacts via .CSV files. This makes it possible to transfer your contact list if you need to switch platforms in the future.
- Make sure the user interface is smooth. Each platform comes with a unique user interface, navigation system, and way of building out sequences and managing leads. These differences can be so vast that it makes some applications too difficult to use, while others are a smooth walk in the park.
4. Communication software
If you haven’t jumped on board with communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, now is the time. Facilitating real-time communication among your team supports smoother workflows and higher productivity. Communication apps provide users with instant notifications, which helps people get answers and information faster than waiting around for email. The best part is that communication apps separate conversations by topic and have a search function, so nothing is ever lost.
Embrace the right tools for success
Choosing the right software is vital. However, even when you know what applications you need, having too many choices can lead to making the wrong decision. Whether it’s for email marketing, project management, or agency management software, try a working demo before you commit to the purchase. This simple step can save you from costly mistakes and ensure the software you choose genuinely supports your goals.
