Item: Adobe Marketo Engage
Rating: 9
Author: Michal Wachstock

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Marketo runs the entire back end of the lead funnel from lead generation, lead interaction, sales cycle, through post sales communications. All lead facing departments have some interaction with Marketo if they know it or not. Leads come into Marketo first, then sync to SFDC, and then all interactions with the lead are done through Marketo.

Pros and Cons

The ability to segment my audience based on behavior, actions, demographics
Management of the lead life-cycle through all the stages
Keeping leads in communication at different points of their life cycle
Pick-up on interest based on all the above parameters
Direct active leads back to sales team to engage

Marketo is a beast, it has unlimited power which also means it can be truly damaging if left in the wrong hands.
Currently I am the only power user because I feel like I can't give the reigns to too many other people without them damaging the flows I have already created

Return on Investment

Simply couldn't do it without Marketo. I can't even attribute ROI since there would be little to no activities without it. I don't even know what I would do when I go to the office if I wasnt running programs on Marketo

Alternatives Considered

I used Act-on which is a great platform as well. Act-on is perfect for smaller organizations who can't afford Marketo. Marketo is for the big boys who can afford a dedicated resource. They both have their pros and cons. I found Act-on easier to use out of the box but had less customization. Marketo takes a bit of time to learn but then the sky is the limit.

Number of Contacts (List Size)

100,000 to 250,000

Likelihood to Renew

There is no better alternative. Marketing automation is challenging, there is no perfect tool but if you are looking for a serious contender that will give you 90% of what you need, Marketo is the way to go. Plus there is a great community that is very supportive. The support team for EMEA is pretty sucky...that is my biggest complaint.

Likelihood to Recommend

Must have one person spending more of their time on the platform, this is not a tool used sometimes. It becomes the lifeblood of the company so there needs to be an owner who knows it and uses it intimately. Need to be in complete sync with the sales administration to make sure it matches the sales processes. It has ultimiate flexibility but need to know when to say no as well. It is easy to get too complex and have to many exceptions which makes it impossible to manage. Need to follow best-practices to keep it in control.

No better Marketing Automation Alternative Available.

Software Version

Modules Used

Overall Satisfaction with Marketo Marketing Automation