Go to Google and put “marketing cloud tools” into the search box. If you do, you will see there is a virtual war going on in this niche industry among the tech giants looking to dominate. It’s not all that surprising that Adobe is one of the top contenders, because let’s face it; these are the guys behind Photoshop, Creative Suite, Creative Cloud and Illustrator.
As you tighten your hold on the web project management world, you might wonder if the Adobe Marketing Cloud is a practical tool for your arsenal.
What is Adobe Marketing Cloud?
Adobe Marketing Cloud is a collection of SaaS tools used for digital marketing. According to Adobe, this package includes:
- Analytics – Harnesses marketing data into one dashboard
- Audience Manager – Builds unique audience profiles based on data management
- Campaign – Campaign building and management tool
- Experience Manager – Content management tool for building websites, mobile apps and forms
- Media Optimizer – Tool for organizing social ads based on budget
- Primetime – Tool to manage broadcast advertising via TV and cable
- Social – Social management platform
- Target – Testing system to identify your best content for each target audience
Sheesh, right? Get App offers some screenshots of this program in action. It is clearly a comprehensive solution for marketing professionals.
What’s Good About It?
The Adobe analytics system pulls from aggregate navigation data, so it allows for analysis up to the individual user-level. It’s customizable, so you can shape it to fit your needs and it integrates with third-party tools like a customer relationship management system.
What’s Not So Hot?
The same thing that tends to come up with most Adobe products – price. Information about the exact cost of this collaboration is a little ambiguous, because the pricing is customized based on your needs. They do charge for each service separately. That is not necessarily a bad thing, though. It allows you to group the sections you need together without paying for what you won’t use.
Are There Alternatives to Adobe Marketing Cloud?
The truth is smaller companies may find the Adobe offering a little bloated for their needs. There are more cost-effective options out there. Google Analytics is a practical solution if all you want to do is follow the numbers.
Hubspot is another choice if you want a platform that is more comprehensive than Google. Hubspot won’t give you all the same options as Adobe Marketing Cloud, but it may offer enough to meet your needs and probably for less money.
If you are willing to piece together free or open source programs, you could build your own management system. It won’t have the convenience or sophistication of Adobe Marketing Cloud, but it will have the added bonus of being free.
Is Adobe Marketing Cloud worth it? It has gotten some promising support, but ultimately, it depends on whether you can afford it. If your budget includes paying for an organized digital marketing platform, this one is a powerful asset to have at your disposal.
Writer Bio: Darla F is is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in helping agencies meet their goals by developing creative and engaging content.
