With so many different options on the market, choosing the right marketing automation platform for your B2B company can be difficult. These platforms can simplify and accelerate your marketing efforts, offering a way to communicate more effectively at each stage of the buyer’s journey. With so many benefits available, deciding on the right platform for you is an important task.
Two of the top players in the market are HubSpot and Salesforce’s Pardot, so we’ve made a roundup of the key information you need to make the right decision for your company.
What is HubSpot?
HubSpot is an inbound marketing automation platform bringing Marketing, Sales and Services onto one working system, with a free CRM system at its core. This allows for a seamless transition between functions and a more useful, tailored experience for customers, driving more effective results.
What is Pardot
Pardot is Salesforce’s B2B marketing automation platform with the tools to create, deploy and manage online marketing campaigns to get results. Pardot is popular amongst sales-focused companies due to its efficient integration with the Salesforce CRM system.
What’s the Difference?
Both are high-quality options with a range of benefits, but there are some differences that can help you decide which is right for your business. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of some of the key areas of interest for both platforms:
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Ease of use – HubSpot is more user-friendly and offers a wealth of training materials. |
Ease of use – Pardot is more difficult to master and may require more training. |
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Features – Similar features, but inbound-focused with blog and website platforms. |
Features – Similar features, but no blog or website platforms. |
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Integration – More integration options, as well as Salesforce integration. |
Integration – Less integration options but has better integration with Salesforce. |
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Analytics and reporting – Analytics and reporting tools are powerful, clearer and more user-friendly. |
Analytics and reporting – More sales-focused in terms of return on investment (ROI) and customer lifecycles. |
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Pricing – Low costs for basic starter packages, prices rise steadily for more advanced packages. 12-month minimum. |
Pricing – Lowest price is $1000 per month, so there is no option to start with a basic package. More flexible – no minimum term. |
Which Should I Choose?
HubSpot and Pardot are both very good marketing automation platforms for B2B companies however HubSpot is a better all-round tool in terms of the useful features and integration offered.
If your company uses Salesforce, you shouldn’t just think to use Pardot because it is owned by the provider of your CRM system. HubSpot offers effective integration with Salesforce, so your existing CRM can still be used to combine your Marketing, Sales and Services into one platform, with the benefit of the powerful yet user-friendly design of HubSpot.
Supercharging Salesforce with Inbound Marketing
We have found great success for both our company and our B2B clients through the use of HubSpot, so book a consultation to find out how we can help your business to drive and nurture Inbound leads into sales-ready leads.