Item: Constant Contact Lead Gen & CRM
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

SharpSpring functioned as both our CRM and our marketing intelligence suite, replacing Salesforce. As a start-up, we needed something scalable, that integrated well with other platforms and we found that our team never really utilized Salesforce when we had it in place. With SharpSpring, we were able to demonstrate value very quickly, garnering strong user buy-in and helping the system become a core part of our daily business practice without requiring an excessive lift from the management team or leadership staff. It was great for managing mailing lists, tracking engagement, lead strength, and queuing the growth team regarding optimal timing and outreach techniques.

Pros and Cons

Marketing automation
Data analytics
Customer support
List maintenance

User experience
Organization of projects/lists
Evening support for west coast clients

Return on Investment

Increased engagement.
Increased sales effectiveness/funnel productivity/lead gen.
Increased intelligence of marketing spend.
Increased internal alignment between production-marketing-sales.
Increased knowledge of client/customer base.

Alternatives Considered

Salesforce Community Cloud

Salesforce would have been a stronger CRM, perhaps. But they required the purchase of Pardot before they could provide the marketing intelligence tools we needed, and Pardot is expensive. In the end, we needed strong, scalable marketing intelligence and enough CRM capability to manage our leads effectively. SharpSpring allows that and actually keeps us from overdoing it, which saves time, effort and money.

Other Software Used

Hootsuite, Blackbaud NetCommunity, Blackbaud Online Express

Likelihood to Recommend

I generally work with educational, startup, and nonprofit organizations (think limited team and limited dollars); SharpSpring is perfect for this scenario. I've also used it in enterprise-size orgs with six-figure budgets and it is equally effective. That's what I love about this tool: it is scalable and gives great bang for your buck, regardless of size. That said, you need at least one dedicated user who is willing to push other work aside to make marketing intelligence THEIR LIFE or it isn't worth trying. You only see benefit from a product like this when you take the time to move into it, live in it, and use it as the core of your business practice.

My Secret Weapon

Overall Satisfaction with SharpSpring