10 Best Field Marketing Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
With so many different field marketing software solutions available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want tools to organize, track, and manage marketing activities and personnel, ensuring that resources are optimally utilized—but now need to figure out which platform is best. I've got you! In this post, I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using dozens of different field marketing tools with brands of all sizes, with my picks of the best field marketing software overall.
What Is Field Marketing Software?
Field marketing software is a practical tool that helps businesses plan, execute, and track marketing campaigns outside the office. It's designed for efficiency, enabling teams to manage tasks, leads, and customer interactions on-the-go. The purpose is to provide essential data and insights for better decision-making, ensuring that field marketing efforts are targeted and effective.
Overviews Of The 10 Best Field Marketing Software
Here, you’ll find my evaluation of some of the best field marketing software you might consider for your brand. Each is worth its own weight in unique ways, and I’ll detail how every option differs from the rest.
Smartsheet is a project management software that allows marketing teams to align on tasks, schedules, and plans from wherever they are.
Why I picked Smartsheet: The platform offers powerful features for managing ongoing tasks and schedules for field marketing initiatives. One standout feature is its proofing capabilities, which allow all team members to comment and annotate assets with built-in version control features and review and approval workflows. This ensures that all materials have been vetted before being used by team members in the field.
Smartsheet Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include project management, resource management, task scheduling, capacity planning, multiple project views, like Gantt charts, calendars, cards, and grids, digital asset management through Brandfolder, and secure request forms for internal and external stakeholders.
Integrations include Evernote, Box, DocuSign, Adobe Creative Cloud, Jira, Tableau, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Microsoft Office 365, Slack, Google Workspace, Dropbox, OneDrive, GitHub, and Zapier.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Real-time collaboration tools
- Mobile app for productivity on the go
- Automation of repetitive tasks
Cons:
- Reporting capabilities could be improved
- Potential learning curve to get started
Hubspot Marketing helps your field marketing team drive revenue by managing and connecting with the leads they collect from their efforts.
Why I picked Hubspot Marketing: I added Hubspot Marketing to this list because it can help you and your teams with lead management capabilities. You can use the platform to manage contacts your field reps meet and collect in one place and measure the success of your field marketing campaigns. Hubspot Marketing empowers you and your team to stay organized and aligned and scale your lead management after your face-to-face events.
Hubspot Marketing Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include marketing automation tools that help you nurture and score leads, personalize follow-up campaigns, and manage data in bulk. The platform also provides advanced reporting capabilities that allow you to prove the effectiveness of your field marketing campaigns to relevant stakeholders.
Integrations include Databox, Eventbrite, Intercom, Mailchimp, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Supermetrics, Typeform, Unbounce, and Zendesk. You can also create custom integrations through the platform’s API and Zapier.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good lead nurturing capabilities
- Integrated marketing, sales and CRM functions
- Easy to navigate platform
Cons:
- Free version is very limited
- Can get pricey with more advanced features
Bizzabo helps marketing teams power immersive events, engage audiences, and achieve extensive business outcomes.
Why I picked Bizzabo: The platform helps you create robust and memorable field marketing events and impress attendees. Bizzabo helps your field marketing team to create personalized experiences with your events, from registration to post-event follow-up and ensures attendees make the most of every moment. With Bizzabo, you can also measure your events’ performance and engagement to make highly effective decisions.
Bizzabo Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include event management tools to help you and your team manage every aspect and detail of your events. The platform also provides event content capabilities that empower you to create personalized content journeys with intuitive, flexible agendas.
Integrations include connections with third-party applications, enabling you to get more from your tech stack, such as Constant Contact, Gigasheet, Hubspot CRM, Keap, Mailchimp, Qlik Application Automation, Salesforce, Slack, Xero, and other software options. Use Bizzabo’s API or a paid Zapier account to get access to event data and enrich your current tech stack through custom integrations.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Excellent suite of event management tools
- Quick attendee registration and engagement exporting
- Simple set up
Cons:
- Support needs work
- Customizations can feel limiting
Fluix provides a sales enablement platform that provides sales support to field marketing teams, helping them close deals faster when face-to-face with potential customers.
Why I picked Fluix: Marketing and sales are very closely connected, so it makes sense to evaluate a platform that empowers your field marketing reps to enhance sales experiences - and I added Fluix for consideration for this reason. Fluix is a sales enablement tool that provides your marketing team with sales support features, enabling them to securely get contracts signed remotely and distribute them within your sales hub. With Fluix, your field marketing teams can close deals faster, and you can track and audit documents from the same solution.
Fluix Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include workflow automation capabilities that handle routine tasks and create a clear team collaboration flow. Fluix also automates report creation and management, which allows you to collect vital insights and ensure compliance.
Integrations include connections with various platforms to help you automate every phase of your business’s sales lifecycle, such as Airtable, Asana, Domo, Dropbox, Qlik, Salesforce, Slack, Smartsheet, Tableau, Wrike, and other software options. You can also use other integration methods like Fluix’s API or a paid Zapier account to connect the platform with systems you use every day.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Quickly sets up progress notification workflows
- Collects and summarizes data from multiple contracts
- Allows document annotations from Apple Pencil device
Cons:
- Navigation needs improvement
- Creating custom PDF files is complex
Drift is an AI-powered conversational solution that helps field marketing teams increase productivity while speeding up sales cycles.
Why I picked Drift: I decided to add Drift to this list because it’s an AI-powered conversational tool that can help your field reps have more valuable conversations that lead to opportunities. With Drift, you can empower your field reps with a prospecting tool that tells them where they should focus their efforts so they engage with top prospects. It does this through an AI-powered Engagement Score feature that’s personalized to your business and acts as a radar to notify you of who your team needs to engage with and when.
Drift Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include prospect and AI engagement score that provides real-time intent insights on your reps’ prospects. Drift also enables your teams to create video messages to help personalize engaging conversations.
Integrations include connections between Drift and popular business tools to help you build quality field marketing campaigns - these include native integrations with 6sense, Drip, Google Analytics, Hubspot, Marketo, Optimizely, Salesforce, Salesloft, Slack, Zendesk, and other software options. You can also use Drift’s API or a paid Zapier account if you need custom integrations between the platform and your current systems.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Simple to train other team members on
- Easy to use
- Excellent onboarding process
Cons:
- Customer support can be slow to respond
- Pricing isn’t suitable for small businesses
Array helps field marketing teams collect in-field data and analyze it in real time to provide marketing managers with a transparent overview of campaigns.
Why I picked Array: The platform enables your field marketing reps to collect potential customer data by utilizing intelligent mobile forms. Afterward, Array will instantly track and analyze this information confidently and provide comprehensive data reports. As the team leader, you can use Array to keep your teams on track and ensure customers are informed by seeing data as your reps collect it.
Array Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include real-time data visualizations such as graphs, pie charts, and maps. Array also provides tools to help you use GPS on form data to track your submission locations.
Integrations include the ability to connect Array with the tools you’re currently using, such as Airtable, Asana, ClickUp, DocuSign, Eventbrite, Google Analytics, HelloSign, Hubspot, Mailchimp, Microsoft Teams, and other software options. You can also use the platform’s API or a paid Zapier account to make custom connections between Array and your current tool set.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Simple user interface
- Quick customer service
- Customizable forms
Cons:
- Can be slow
- Needs more form templates
Wiser is a commerce intelligence tool that field marketers can use to get the information needed to make better decisions while on the road.
Why I picked Wiser: The platform prides itself on helping marketing teams achieve more competent commerce execution by delivering accurate data and simple action. With Wiser, your field marketing teams can act on the solution’s commerce intelligence capabilities through easy workflows and systems that turn your data into actions. The information your field representatives have access to includes price management, brand intelligence, market awareness, shopper insights, and more.
Wiser Standout Features
Standout features include retail execution details that diagnose in-store compliance challenges and enable quick in-field team execution to ensure your field marketers make the most of store visits. The platform also offers shelf intelligence capabilities that provide field marketers the information they need to ensure potential customers will receive their orders as soon as possible and position your brand for success.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Simple customization capabilities
- Easy to navigate
- Real-time email communications
Cons:
- Would be more beneficial to have third-party integrations
- Coverage map needs work
Promomash helps marketing managers organize field marketing campaigns more intelligently, allowing them to scale brand promotions effectively.
Why I picked Promomash: I wanted to add Promomash to this list because of how it can help you manage effective brand promotions with your field marketing team. You can use the solution to plan, execute, and analyze multiple field marketing activities in a single tool. With Promomash, you can manage brand promotions via in-person activities such as in-store demos, merchandising activities, events, and more.
Promomash Standout Features
Standout features include approvals and payment tools that allow you to review recent event history, approve expenses, and pay your field reps for their work. The platform also offers comprehensive reporting tools that enable you to analyze data to identify your best-performing events that lead to sales.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Many field representative scheduling options
- Readily accessible support team
- Comprehensive brand promotions platform
Cons:
- Pricing isn’t suitable for small businesses
- Needs more training resources
MainEvent is a comprehensive solution for field marketing teams conducting local sampling campaigns.
Why I picked MainEvent: Product sampling is a popular field marketing campaign strategy conducted by many organizations, and MainEvent can help those using this specific method to gain more customers. MainEvent can help you manage and track many aspects of your local sampling campaign, from field staff to visits and locations. Afterward, you’ll get an in-depth report of your sampling strategy displaying the outcome of your field reps’ efforts.
MainEvent Standout Features
Standout features include customizable dashboards that allow you to break down your programs by market and choose what information to display and monitor. MainEvent also provides scheduling and staffing tools that help your field teams see their schedules and get directions to work locations.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Offers in-depth access to sampling events
- Helpful event scheduling capabilities
- User-friendly platform
Cons:
- No integrations listed
- Mobile application’s UI needs work
VisitBasis enables field marketers to use their devices to complete various retail store audits.
Why I picked VisitBasis: With VisitBasis, your field team can create customizable forms to collect the information they need when auditing your retail stores. The platform allows them to quickly add questions one at a time or upload entire forms. VisitBasis also empowers them to add question descriptions to provide additional information to ensure they get the information they need when out in the field.
VisitBasis Standout Features and Integrations
Standout features include the ability to collect 16 data types for every product in your inventory, allowing your field reps to stay in complete control of stock details. VisitBasis also provides tools to help prevent human error through its built-in fraud prevention capabilities, ensuring your field teams provide accurate, up-to-date information.
Integrations include connections with standard business applications, allowing you to ensure data collected from your field marketing reps flows through your systems with its built-in connectors - you can book a demo to see which systems can connect with the platform.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Tasks can be performed on mobile devices
- Covers all merchandising processes
- User-friendly interface
Cons:
- Doesn’t allow data storage on local servers
- No clear integration list
The Best Field Marketing Software Summary
Tools | Price | |
---|---|---|
Smartsheet | From $7/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
HubSpot Marketing | From $800/month + $45/month for additional seats | Website |
Bizzabo | Pricing upon request | Website |
Fluix | Plans start from $10/user/month, with a 10-user minimum | Website |
Drift | From $2,500/month (billed annually) | Website |
Array | From $25/month | Website |
Wiser | Pricing upon request | Website |
Promomash | From $500/month | Website |
MainEvent | Pricing upon request | Website |
VisitBasis | From $15/user/month | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareOther Options
Since field marketing can come in many forms, you might need additional options other than the platforms I evaluated above. In this case, I added a brief list of other field marketing software options that are worth considering for your business.
Selection Criteria For Field Marketing Software
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best field marketing software for this article:
Core Functionality
At their base level, all field marketing software will provide the same core functionality that makes it a field marketing tool. The following details the core functionality you’ll find in all field marketing software.
- Activity planning; the ability to design, organize, and schedule various field marketing initiatives, such as events, promotions, demonstrations, and campaigns.
- Tracking functionality; including tracking the progress of events, gathering customer interactions and feedback, and capturing relevant data for analysis.
Key Features
The following are some of the common features I found when researching field marketing software to add to this article.
- Task and Schedule Management: You can use field marketing tools to assign tasks to individual representatives, track progress, and establish deadlines, ensuring everyone understands their responsibilities, remains organized, and optimizes their time.
- Real-Time Communication: Effective communication is crucial for field marketing representatives, especially when working remotely; field marketing tools can provide capabilities such as instant messaging, file sharing, and collaborative tools, enabling straightforward communication between you and your team members, enhancing coordination, quick decision making, and a sense of unity among your employees.
- Performance Tracking and Analytics: You can use this feature to track your team’s performance with comprehensive analytics and reporting, allowing you to monitor key performance metrics, including conversion rates and customer interactions; this information can help you identify improvement opportunities, offer tailored coaching, and optimize field marketing strategies.
- Data Access: Field marketing software can provide real-time access to marketing and customer information, allowing field reps to retrieve the latest details, such as product catalogs, pricing, customer preferences, and stock levels, ensuring they have the latest information during customer interactions.
- Route Optimization: Field marketing solutions often provide features for route optimization to help your reps plan their schedules, allowing your team to optimize the sequence of events, reduce travel time, increase client meetings, and enhance productivity.
- GPS Tracking: Built-in GPS tracking features enable you to monitor your reps’ location in real-time, enhancing safety and security for field teams, especially when visiting unfamiliar or remote locations.
Usability
Usability and intuitiveness are essential when considering new field marketing software for your business and field rep productivity. So, when writing this article, I looked for platforms that have good reviews for clean, intuitive interfaces, customizable workflows, and simple navigation. Field marketing software with high usability will minimize your team's learning curve and enable everyone using it to get started immediately.
Software Integrations
Field marketing software should fit nicely with your current business systems through native integrations or custom connections through an API or a Zapier account. I looked for field marketing solutions that integrate with tools such as customer relationship management, inventory management, or accounting platforms. Simple integration between your field marketing software and other business systems ensures straightforward data flow through different tools, enabling efficient collaboration and accurate reporting.
People Also Ask
Many people have questions about field marketing software, and getting answers will help them see why they should implement these solutions in their business and narrow down their choices. Here are some of the top frequently asked questions about field marketing software.
What is the difference between field marketing and digital marketing?
Field marketing consists of showing products in front of your customers – also known as direct selling or direct marketing. Field marketing is carried out by highly trained representatives who contribute to brand building, customer relationships, and lead management efforts for a company. Digital marketing is marketing where you sell products or services online that target more audiences. Digital marketing is an online marketing method that helps promote your business and generates more return on investment.
What is an example of field marketing?
Field marketing allows representatives of your organization to speak with existing or potential customers in multiple ways. An example of this marketing method is product demonstrations that typically happen in stores or during trade events. You might also see field marketing professionals giving product demonstrations on the street. For example, companies selling edibles can hold product demonstrations in the form of giveaways, allowing prospects to taste the product and decide whether they want to make a purchase. For non-consumable products, you can give prospects a chance to see your product in action, giving them an opportunity to understand its benefits and make better purchase decisions.
How much does field marketing software cost?
The final cost of field marketing software varies based on multiple factors, including features, vendor, and number of users. According to my research above, it can range from free plans with feature limitations to monthly subscriptions between $15/month and $2,500/month. As I mentioned, free plans are available with some of the options above, and you can use free trials to understand what you’ll be paying for after your trial is complete.
What are the benefits of field marketing software?
In the realm of modern marketing, reaching customers in their local environments is a crucial strategy. Let’s dive into the benefits this software offers, highlighting how it transforms how your organization approaches localized marketing efforts.
- Localized Campaign Precision: Field marketing software improves localized campaign effectiveness.
- Real-Time Data Insights: With real-time analytics, this software enhances decision-making speed, leading to more agile and impactful marketing strategies.
- Higher Conversion Rates: Businesses using field marketing software achieve an average 20% increase in conversion rates during in-person interactions.
- Seamless Team Collaboration: Utilizing field marketing software improves cross-functional collaboration between sales and marketing teams.
- Inventory Optimization: Field marketing software aids in optimizing inventory levels, leading to a reduction in excess inventory costs.
- Enhanced Customer Engagement: This software facilitates direct customer engagement, contributing to an increase in post-event customer satisfaction scores.
- Optimized Resource Allocation: Field marketing software leads to an improvement in resource allocation efficiency, helping businesses allocate budgets and personnel more effectively.
- Lead Generation Impact: By enabling on-the-spot lead capture and nurturing, this software drives a rise in qualified lead generation during events and activations.
- Performance Accountability: Businesses adopting field marketing software witness an increase in the ability to track and measure field marketing ROI.
- Adaptable Strategy Execution: Field marketing software enhances adaptability, with companies reporting the ability to alter strategies based on real-time insights.
Other Marketing Software Reviews
Other than field marketing, there are other strategies you can implement to promote your organization and tools to help you with the process. The following are reviews of different types of platforms you can use to enhance other marketing strategies.
- Marketing Strategy Software
- Marketing Planning Software
- Marketing CRM Software
- Marketing Calendar Software
- Inbound Marketing Tools
- Direct Mail Marketing Software
The Takeaway
The main goal of field marketing is building a connection with your prospects and customers, which you can achieve through events, roundtables, and product demonstrations. Utilizing field marketing software in your organization enhances these activities, allowing your field reps to interact better with your audience. These tools will help you get the most out of your team’s field marketing efforts by aligning your company’s marketing, sales, and product marketing teams.
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