Inbound Marketing Solutions: Hubspot vs Marketo

HubSpot and Marketo are two of the best-known inbound marketing solutions available. Both companies were early entries into this arena, nearly ten years ago. They shrewdly perceived that inbound techniques and automation would become the future of marketing for businesses of all types and sizes.

Today, there are numerous inbound marketing software options, so choosing the one that is best for your purposes can be a distinct challenge. Let?s look at how HubSpot and Marketo compare.

The first thing to note is that these two platforms with different types of users in mind:

• HubSpot takes pride in its overall versatility, easy-to-use functionality, and integrated reporting capabilities. These features can be a real boon to small and mid-size businesses with small marketing staffs and small or non-existent IT personnel.
• Marketo is aimed at more advanced users in large B2B companies, although the software includes some features for B2C and very small B2B businesses. The software automates many tasks, with a focus on email marketing and facilitating coordination between marketing and sales teams. However, components are not entirely integrated, making them more cumbersome and time-consuming to use and making it harder to leverage results data.

HubSpot Overview

Positives:

• Single access point simplifies learning curve and ongoing use.
• A wide range of tools and tactics to support both top-of-funnel and mid-funnel strategies.
• Email, blogs and landing pages automatically include responsive design and mobile optimization.
• Email marketing work flow management includes scheduling and auto-responses.
• Easy-to-use tools for SEO, social media, and content management, including blogs, websites, landing pages, CTAs, and lead management.
• Multiple, customizable templates.
• Google Analytics, Adwords, and other analytics make it easy to study results?deeply, align marketing and sales and determine ROI.
• Free support, always.
• HubSpot is scalable for smaller businesses or those new to inbound marketing.

Negatives:

• Critics complain about a lack of advanced tools; however, external apps can often be used.
• Internal CRM is missing, but third-party platforms can be integrated. HubSpot?s Pro plan includes SalesForce integration.

Marketo Overview

Positives:

• CRM natively integrates with SalesForce and Microsoft Dynamics, providing a single data entry/reporting source for marketing and sales.
• A vast array of lead scoring criteria.
• HTML skills not required to design high-quality emails or add scheduling and other automatic actions.
• Multiple landing page templates with simple-to-use A/B testing features.
• Social media capabilities.
• Results reporting for web activity, landing pages, email, campaigns and revenue modeling.

Negatives:

• Lack of full integration complicates work rather than streamlining it.
• Multiple data sources can lead to inconsistencies and inaccurate ?insights.?
• Expensive for smaller businesses, without the easy flexibility to expand.
• Software package doesn?t include everything needed for all inbound marketing solutions, including personalized nurturing efforts.
• Low customer service rating ? reviewers say the response is slow and ?help? articles aren?t helpful. Phone support costs extra.

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.
• Marketo?s ?beginner? B2B plan runs $1,195/month for up to 10,000 contacts. Their standard B2B plan is also good for up to 10,000 records and costs $1,795/month. You may pay quarterly or annually.

Summary

Is HubSpot or Marketo the better choice for you? That depends on your business and marketing goals, the skill level and availability of your internal staff and, of course, your budget. To be effective in the long-term, inbound marketing solutions must be both efficient and cost-effective, and much of this depends on the tools you put to use. Therefore, it is imperative you research those tools to end up with the perfect platform. Learn more about what to look for when choosing a marketing automation software like HubSpot or Marketo by downloading our free eBook. It will go through comparing the industry’s leading automation software platforms complete with pros and cons lists and customer reviews. Just click the button below to download your free copy.

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.