Guest post by Vivian Rodriguez.
The Tipping Point has been sitting on my nightstand now for 2 years. It’s not alone. It’s also got some friends:
Buy-ology
Hey Whipple
Squeeze This
Web Analytics 2.0
Made to Stick
There are a plethora of other marketing and self-help books I’ve enthusiastically purchased, and literally just left in the dust. I had great intentions, but ultimately, I jumped into the marketing game and found I had relatively little time to read because so much time was needed to execute. Marketing “best practices” change at the speed of light these days, and being “cutting edge” is often more about experimenting and doing than reading about how others have done it. That’s what I love about the field, but, at some point, you need to put everything into context, bite the bullet, and figure out how you’re going to get all of these moving parts organized. Can you relate?
Over the last few years I came up with a haphazard — and subjectively– contrived system to manage my projects, but I realized a month ago that it is time to invest in a grown-up marketing task management system. I say marketing specifically because there are tons of project management tools out there that work great for the average consultant, but do not have the analytics components that are critical to what marketers do. In other words, there are loads of programs or applications out there that do a part of what we do, but ultimately need to be integrated into other systems and processes, making managing the types of programs I oversee more complex than need be. So, finally, after all these years, I took the time to sit still and do some field research. At first it certainly can be intimidating. There are simply so many options out there right now, and nowhere near enough time. But if you are really serious about getting your business polished, perfected, and running smoothly from A to Z, here are a few applications that, for me, stand out from the rest.
I wanted a robust platform to track marketing strategy, stakeholders, tasks and more, as well as analytics tools that helped me generate reports for all of my campaigns — social, direct marketing, event promotion, digital, lead generation, and CRM, all with shared calendaring and document distribution, accounting, staffing, event and strategic initiative monitoring. So, without further ado, I hope you find some of these applications useful and helpful.
Workamajig
Pros:
- Web-based; access it from anywhere.
- Free live web-based support.
- They offer free software training, but… (see below)
- Good report generation capabilities.
- Streamlined calendaring.
Cons:
- If you’re not looking for something comprehensive, this probably has too many bells and whistles.
- It was originally designed for ad agencies, so it will likely have a lot of moot features for other professionals.
- They don’t issue licenses for any companies with less than 10 employees (or users). At a rate of $38/person, this comes only comes out to a minimum of $380, but if you’re not going to use it, you’re not going to use it.
- In fact, if you don’t have at least 10 users for this platform, they won’t give you the demo (I reviewed it based on online reviews).
- …. suggested implementation time is 2-3 months.
Final Thoughts:
- Not for mom and pop shops, or independents.
Sproutloud
Pros:
- Full suite of social media management tools (including customizable landing pages).
- A “personal assistant” feature that brings to your attention all matters of urgency or action.
- Software allows for brand management and compliance.
- Software is highly compatible and adoptable for multiple industries.
Cons:
- Won’t even talk to companies unless they are looking at a 10k “initial investment.”
- “Initial investment” of 25-50k + is normal.
- No companies were reached to out for comment on this software, so we’d love to hear from those who use it.
Final Thoughts:
- A high-end full concierge suite of services that is worth checking out, but is potentially pricey.
Zoho Projects
Pros:
- Project chat.
- Google app integration.
- Cloud office suite.
- Templates are basic.
Cons:
- Upgraded features and capabilities come at a price.
- Has a social campaign feature, but does not offer real beneficial social management or page customization features. Simply manages pages (on Facebook) and offers insight into page metrics.
- No Social Media integration or analytics.
- Not fully collaborative.
Final Thoughts:
- Silos aren’t fully synchronized or streamlined. Not as effective as intuitive navigability and full integration is not present.
AtTask
Pros:
- Works in the cloud.
- Pretty straight-forward Project Management tools.
- Color coding story board for ease of access and use.
- Customizable.
Cons:
- No Social Media measurement tools.
- No invoicing capability.
- Sterile user interface.
- No information on standard pricing, but known to be expensive.
Final Thoughts:
- Basic Project Management tools that are customized for each client; one of the most expensive options.
User Review for AtTask:
| “Our project needs are different because our projects last from 9 months to a year and a half. Most projects don’t last that long. We tried MS Project and other software, but because our project timelines are longer, they didn’t quite suit our needs and demands. We chose AtTask because it was highly customizable, and ended up fitting the bill. We are enjoying the new update that allows the teams to communicate more effectively, and the new user interface, but because we are so small we did not initially get the sort of customer support that we direly needed. While we now get great support, their customer service management seems to be in transition (our customer service rep changed 4 times in the last year). Ultimately, AtTask is a highly customizable tool, but if you are a small company, you’re likely to hit some bumps in the road to full integration.”~ Executive in the Events Industry with 120 people and that manages approximately 250 events a year chiming in about AtTask. |
Clarizen
Pros:
- Tradeshow and event planning feature that includes analytics.
- Only $29.95 per user per month, but… (see below)
- Importing from Microsoft Project®.
- Social management.
- Mobile integration.
- Business and individual dashboard customization.
Cons:
- … it is based off of a 36-month plan paid in advance. That’s $1,078.20 up front. Scratch.
- Customization can be tricky to navigate.
- No social analytics or metric reporting.
Final Thoughts:
- Highly collaborative Project Management software best suited for larger teams.
Raventools
Pros:
- The whole metrics enchilada: SEO analytics (PPC, AdWords) made easy, event, content integration, industry Project Management and Social Media management.
- Competitive analysis inclusion.
- Full customer relationship management (CRM).
- Easy and elegant user interface.
Cons:
- Heavily analytics and metrics based. PPM is not included.
Final Thoughts:
- An SEO marketer’s dream, but will have to use in conjunction with PPM software.
Have a favorite not listed above? Let us know which one and why it’s your favorite below in the comments!
Vivian Rodriguez
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