Marketing Resource Management Software: What To Look For In A Platform

Marketing resource management software can be a game-changer for marketing teams. With teams under more pressure than ever before, MRM software offers a viable and affordable way for organizations to remove many potential challenges in one fell swoop.

With that said, while MRM software can be hugely beneficial for an organization, it’s not guaranteed. What determines its value is ultimately the quality of the software itself, which can vary widely.

With so many MRM software options on the market, we thought it’d be a good idea to put together a list of some of the all-important questions to ask when assessing software. If the one you’re looking at ticks all or most of the following boxes, then there’s a good chance that it’ll serve your business well. 

Is It Customizable?

You can do good work with standard MRM software, but you can do great work with one that feels like it’s a native solution built with your specific organization in mind. 

Customizable marketing resource management software allows brands to adapt the software to how they actually work, not the other way around. When selecting MRM software, it’s always good to pay attention to what the provider allows you to customize as standard (be wary of ones that charge significant sums for customization). 

This makes it easier for everyone involved, especially marketing teams. With a customized tool, they’ll be working with a tool that feels like a genuine addition to what they’re already doing, rather than feeling like it’s something they have to learn from scratch.

Is It Scalable?

Not all MRM software is created equal. Some are designed with small teams in mind, others are designed with large enterprises in mind. The best ones serve both parties. If the software is scalable, then you can have confidence that it’ll be a valuable asset no matter how complex your marketing requirements become later down the line. This stands in opposition to non-scalable solutions, which can be attractive when you’re looking for software that can meet your current demands, but which break down when things step up. At that point, you would likely find that you need to switch to a new software provider, creating unnecessary hassle.

Is It Suitable for Non-Technical Users?

Software tools that require pretty much any level of technical expertise tend to suffer from poor adoption rates. After all, with marketing teams already at full capacity, the last thing they want to do is spend their time trying to learn something technical just so they can use a piece of software. The software should work for the employee, and part of that involves being easy to use. 

A demo of the software should reveal everything you need to know about how easy it is to use. If the provider has clearly thought about the user experience and it feels intuitive to use, then that’ll be a good sign that the marketing team will be able to get up and running with the software as quickly as possible. 

Does It Integrate With Existing Tools?

A piece of software could be great in isolation, but if it doesn’t integrate with the adjacent tools that you’re already using, then it’ll likely cause more problems than solutions in the long run. Checking that you’ll be able to integrate your financial, communication, project management, and other tools before you commit to using the tool will ensure that you’re able to unlock the full capabilities of marketing resource management software. 

Does The Builder Actually Understand Marketing?

This point is often overlooked by organizations when selecting marketing resource management software. There are many, many options out there, but they weren’t all built by people who actually understand marketing and what marketing teams need. In some cases, MRM features are tacked on to other software as a bonus. To get the most from the tool, MRM has to be designed fully with marketing teams in mind. 

You should get a good sense of the developing company’s background by looking at its website. If it makes extensive mention of marketing and their experience in that field, then that’s a good sign that they’re experts in what they do — and that they have a strong sense of what marketing teams need. On the other hand, if marketing-related mentions seem like an afterthought, then it will likely be better to continue your search! 

Is Quality Customer Support Available?

The best MRM software providers want their users to get as much use and satisfaction from their tool as possible — and they’ll be there to make sure it happens. Pay attention to software providers that take a proactive role in helping their clients solve problems. A good way to assess this is to first look at their website. Beyond the contact information and support ticket systems, do they provide training and guidance in the form of blogs and other content? 

You can also test the provider’s responsiveness by sending a query. If it takes them a long time to get back to you, then that could indicate that they’ll act the same when you’re actually a paying customer. 

Does It Offer Good Value?

Finally, there’s the value factor. Any tool that you invest in for your business should offer a positive ROI. 

Ensuring that the tool you select offers good value isn’t about picking the cheapest option (in fact, it’s generally advised to avoid that temptation), but about having confidence that whatever price you do pay will be worth the money. This can be hard to assess before you’ve had a chance to use the tool, but there are a few telltale signs that you’re likely on the right track. For starters, the price has to make sense for your business. There are plenty of affordable MRM software options, so that shouldn’t be an issue. From there, it’s about assessing the experience of other users of the software. If they continually note that the software offers great value, then that’s a good sign that it’ll offer plenty in return for whatever cost you pay.