Inbound Marketing Solutions: Hubspot vs Eloqua

Eloqua is an ?old-timer? in the field of marketing automation software, having been around since 1999. In 2013, industry giant Oracle purchased the platform to augment their ?Marketing Cloud? suite. Nonetheless, when it comes to inbound marketing solutions, HubSpot is no slouch, either. Since its introduction in 2006, the platform has risen to #1 ranking among marketers.

So how do the two compare?

They are very different. Although both of these inbound marketing solutions offer robust features, Oracle Eloqua is aimed at enhancing mid-funnel lead nurturing through email automation, whereas HubSpot is aimed at helping companies attract top-of-funnel leads as well as nurture them.

HubSpot Overview

Positives:

• All-in-one product designed to provide full inbound marketing capabilities ? website, blogging, SEO, social media and analytics — to users of all skill levels.
• Content marketing and lead management tools support both top-of-funnel lead acquisition and mid-funnel lead nurturing.
• Numerous pre-designed templates for creating landing pages, etc.
• Workflow scheduling includes auto-responder options.
• Intense data-gathering and reporting capabilities.

Negatives:

• Designed to provide broad functionality but not a lot of deeply advanced capabilities.
• Overkill if all you want is email marketing automation.

Oracle Eloqua Overview

Positives:

• Powerful and sophisticated marketing automation designed specifically for targeted email messaging.
• Rich in tools and features.
• Landing pages are easy to create, with pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop customization.
• Visitor greetings can be personalized.
• You can migrate social content to landing pages and measure social media response behavior.
• Available in conjunction with a variety of other Oracle-owned inbound marketing solutions.

Negatives:

• Narrowly focused on email marketing, so not useful for multi-channel marketers.
• Expensive for companies with limited budgets.
• Some aspects require considerable technical expertise as well as marketing savvy.
• Companion products all originated with different development sources, so they do not fully integrate with one another.

Pricing

• HubSpot?s entry level plan runs $200/month for 100 contacts, payable annually. There is a one-time set-up fee of $600, and additional contact levels cost $100/1000. The mid-level Pro plan has a $3000 set-up fee and runs $800/month for 1000 contacts, also payable annually. Incremental contacts are $50/1000.
• To determine costs for Oracle Eloqua, you have to wade through a 48-page PDF that describes their myriad service permutations based on your industry and specific functional needs. There is a ?basic? service option, but it?s not entry level in scope or cost.

Summary

What kind of software do you need? If your goal is to make the most of a broad range of inbound marketing solutions, HubSpot could be an excellent choice to get you going and support your marketing efforts as your business?grows. It provides tools to create content, deliver it and study results.

However, if your sales and marketing plan focuses on using email to engage and nurture B2B leads, you might want to give Oracle Eloqua a closer look. Pricing may be high, but for large companies whose marketing and sales teams possess advanced technical expertise, this platform can still be a cost-effective solution.

If you’re not sure which to go with yet, do a little more research with our FREE eBook on choosing marketing?automation software or contact us to speak to an inbound marketing automation software expert.

Marketing Matters Inbound?is an inbound marketing firm specializing in online conversions, content?strategy, call-to-action mapping and traditional media placement. Our experience in?B2B digital?marketing?and traditional media allows us to deliver results through a strategic media mix. We believe in?aligning and merging marketing and sales/operations for optimal return on your marketing investment.