What are the Benefits of having CRM Features as a Part of Your Email Marketing Software?

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is becoming an increasingly important tool in many organizations. Companies of all types utilize these products to track interactions that range from the inbox to the customer service desk. For all of its capabilities, a CRM platform can be made even more powerful when integrated with an email marketing solution. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of having these integrated features as a part of your software, and also give you a few considerations to think about before making the move.

Sales and Marketing Connected

Combining your CRM and email system has numerous benefits, but the most obvious and important is in the integration of data. It allows you to streamline your efforts in a manner that prevents data loss and maintains consistency. For example, if a subscriber changes their email address and you update it for your email list, it is automatically updated in the list connected to your CRM data. The main plus here is convenience as there is no longer a need to have both tasks performed.

Having CRM features in your email marketing software is all about connecting your sales and marketing initiatives, unifying two of the most important departments in your business. The sales team can have a look at performance reports generated by email campaigns while the marketing team can gather feedback from the sales people to base their strategy for subsequent campaigns. This is all done through a single platform, meaning neither team has to login to different systems or deal with different interfaces. A business tends to run more efficiently when all of its internal processes are working together, and this is the true advantage that comes from integrating CRM and email marketing functionality.

What You Should Keep in Mind

While software that bundles CRM and email marketing features into a single package is definitely an attractive option, there are some factors a business should consider when evaluating service providers. Below are few to keep in mind:

Need for CRM functionality - Do you really need CRM features in your email marketing software? If your business justifies having sale department, you probably do. If you are still putting your business together and only have a few customers to call your own, you may be taking on unnecessary complexity.

User management - Even the best integrated software can introduce headaches, especially when it has to be used by multiple people. Some users may have a difficult time grasping the system while others may be reluctant to use it all. In order for CRM and email marketing integration to work, all your team members must be in sync so taking user management into consideration is crucial.

Service provider - Does the company you’re evaluating specialize in CRM software or email marketing solutions? The answer to this question is important because having expertise in one area doesn’t necessarily mean they will be proficient in the other. Above all, the company you choose must have the skill and technology to successfully integrate these platforms.

Combing your CRM and email marketing efforts is one of the smartest decisions you can make. Do it right, and you will be able to enjoy time savings, higher operating efficiency, and other benefits that come from this integrated strategy.