In a recent post, we talked about the three key elements in the Marketing Automation/CRM integration stack ; data, activity, and process. The next challenge in evaluating an integration between your marketing automation and CRM systems is understanding how to approach the integration. The first dimension is whether your Marketing Automation software is natively “aware” of the CRM system you are working with or not. Are you that CRM vendor’s recommended provider of marketing automation? The way to think about this is a 2X2 matrix. MORE >>

There’s a colossal social CRM battle shaping up. big CRM dogs offer so-called “complete” solutions that link social activity to data marts and layer on BI tools, rules engines, campaign management systems and loyalty programs. Their sales guys are hawking end-to-end solutions that integrate social participants into a larger CRM universe.  They use APIs to suck out consumer data. Still others can import or export data to traditional CRM platforms like Oracle, SAP , SQL or SAS.  Conventional CRM wisdom is that the more data points; the better. MORE >>

This means, at a technology level, that integrations with leading CRM systems such as Oracle’s Siebel and other CRM systems, Salesforce.com, and Microsoft CRM are necessary. It also means providing open APIs across the entire platform to facilitate bringing sales into the conversation at the right time, and enabling integrations across social media, data sources, event systems, video, and more in order to understand and connect with buyers wherever they are. Marketing Efficiency b2b marketing crm Eloqua Eloqua Oracle deal marketing automation modern marketing Oracl MORE >>

Article courtesy of Lauren Carlson, CRM Market Analyst with Software Advice. Better alignment is only possible through tight integration of your marketing automation platform with your customer relationship management (CRM) system. Our friends at Marketing Automation Software Guide presented a great overview of the importance of CRM integration in marketing automation. When you integrate your marketing automation and CRM system , you allow them to talk to each other. An API allows an external system to access and use the services of the connected system. MORE >>

As a marketer, you're likely familiar with a CRM system; if not, no worries, you're about to learn all about it! In an attempt to equip businesses with the right CRM system for their needs , this post will explain -- without the gobbledygook -- what the heck a CRM is, why they are incredibly valuable in the right hands, and whether you actually need one at this stage in the game. And if you find after this post you are ready for one, be sure to remember that you can get pretty fancy with a CRM. What is a CRM? What are the Benefits of a CRM? Here's why. MORE >>