25 Best Marketing Agency Management Software

Every marketing agency faces growth challenges, especially as the business matures. Processes that once functioned well begin to break down as more clients and projects come through the door. Teams need help to collaborate, meet deadlines, and maintain quality. Suddenly, “what worked for us” doesn’t work anymore. Instead of focusing on delivering for clients, the agency manages chaos more. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone.

This scenario is so common that it has a name: the growing pains of marketing agencies. Luckily, marketing agency management software can help. This article will discuss the significance of marketing agency management software within the best agency management software. It will also offer valuable insights to help you achieve your goals, such as using an all-in-one toolkit to grow productized services.

Orchestra's solution, grow your productized service, is a valuable tool to help you achieve your objectives, such as an all-in-one toolkit to grow productized services. The best part? This tool takes the chaos out of delivering on your promises to clients so you can focus on what matters: growing your agency.

Importance of Management Software for Marketing Agencies

1. All Your Projects in One Spot for Better Collaboration

Marketing agency management software helps consolidate your tools so your team doesn’t have to jump between different disjointed systems to get their work done. With an all-in-one solution, you can manage all your projects from one place. No more scattered folders, files, or work across different systems. Everything lives on the same platform.

This helps teams collaborate more effectively by giving them visibility into each other’s work. For example, let’s say your performance marketing team needs advertising assets from the design team. With an agency management tool, they can see the design team’s progress and share feedback in real-time. Similarly, design and web teams can work closely together to develop web pages for client websites.

2. Smooth Client Management from Start to Finish

An all-in-one marketing agency management software solution helps you manage the entire client lifecycle from one central hub. You can onboard new customers, send invoices and contracts, manage support requests, and track client communications. All-in-one solutions also let you link client data to your business metrics. So, for example, you can identify which accounts bring in your most and least profitable projects, respectively. Holistically understanding this data helps businesses make strategic decisions, such as prioritizing profitable accounts.

3. Centralize Data for Better Insights

Another significant benefit of marketing agency management software is that it lets you centralize all your data in one place and crucially link client data to your business metrics. So, for example, you can identify which accounts bring in your most and least profitable projects, respectively. Or, when assigning resources to a new project with an existing client, you can pinpoint employees who previously worked on the account. Understanding this data holistically helps businesses make strategic decisions, such as prioritizing profitable accounts and allocating resources optimally.

4. Monitor Your Business Economics in Real-Time

Marketing agency management software can help you keep track of your cash flow, see where money is coming in, and, crucially, where it’s going out. Business management systems also give you a more holistic overview of your business economics, making it easier to track more granular metrics such as the time, cost, utilization, and revenue associated with each team member.

5. Hassle-Free Scalability as You Grow

Having a single, unified business suite makes it easier to scale as your teams and operations grow because It reduces administrative hassles. There are fewer subscriptions to manage, and all your team members and projects are on the same platform. This means team leaders and managers only have to manage roles and resources on one platform, and assigning responsibilities is more straightforward.

Managing and forecasting costs is more manageable. When subscribed to multiple tools, it’s challenging to forecast how your costs will scale as your organization grows. SaaS systems have different pricing structures, e.g., they may have tiers with more advanced features and per-user billing. Long-term costs are more accessible to projects when you only subscribe to a single business management suite. Easier onboarding means no more having to train new hires on multiple systems.

25 Best Marketing Agency Management Software

1. Orchestra

Orchestra is a comprehensive growth toolkit designed to help creative agencies launch, manage, and scale productized services. The platform includes a white-labeled client portal, task management features, and real-time analytics, all with no coding required. With Orchestra, you can quickly create a branded experience for your clients so you can smoothly collaborate with them to deliver your service while keeping your internal processes private. The software also integrates with tools like Slack to create a customized setup for your team.

2. Notion

Notion is an incredibly flexible workspace that helps teams organize their projects and processes. The software is currently used by major companies like McDonald’s, The Wall Street Journal, and Pixar, and for good reason. Notion allows users to create customizable databases to track and manage information. You can also build templates to organize your data and project management features to help visualize your processes. The notion is great for agencies because of its collaborative capabilities. You can invite clients to your Notion pages to share information and get organized while maintaining a professional appearance.

Pros

Great note-taking capabilities
Very easy to use and customize
Affordable pricing
Forever Free plan has enough features for solopreneurs

Cons

Lacks advanced project management features
Keeping multiple projects can get tedious
Poor security features

3. Asana

Asana is an established project management tool that helps teams organize their work and improve collaboration. The highly visual platform allows users to create projects and manage tasks to suit their needs. You can make a project from scratch or use one of Asana’s templates to start quickly. From there, it’s easy to customize the layout to your liking. You can also view tasks in a list format and calendar view to visualize deadlines and dependencies.

Pros

Offers a free plan. Asana's primary concern as a project management software is helping small and medium-sized businesses. However, it is not limited to them. Thanks to its free plan, small teams on a tight budget can still have access to affordable project management software.
Several integrations. This feature more than makes up for Asana's lack of some features. Several third-party apps and software can be integrated with Asana, including Salesforce, Slack, Dropbox, Google Calendar, etc.
Time tracking. The Asana app also helps companies and teams see where their time is being spent. Jobs, tasks, and responsibilities are all sorted into different projects, ensuring you will notice everything.

Cons

We know new users need help understanding the Asana interface. To this end, we've created an online tutorial to guide users through the software and ensure their comfort.
Asana could be better for small teams or single projects. Its overloaded features Can become overwhelming for a fundamental project. When you add new features, you have to balance the application's complexity, and that’s where the problems start to happen.

4. Productive

Productive is a well-rounded agency management software with powerful functionality that gives you the tools and data to keep an agency running smoothly. The tool was built by a team with a decade of experience in founding, managing, and scaling a software development shop, so it's especially well-suited to digital agencies. The tool's features fully satisfy my criteria for agency management tools. You'll find client and prospect management in the Sales Pipeline (manage deal flow, get sales organized).

The Resource Planning feature, time tracker, and task collaboration tools fit the resource and project management criteria I look for in an agency tool or platform. Billing and invoicing can also be managed straight from the tool, along with valuable reports on profitability and costs to help with finance management. The reporting feature goes beyond that, with real-time reports on margins, utilization, and much more, including reports on individual employees' or contractors' history with the company, salary reports, etc. Productive's integrations include Zapier and Jira, Open API, QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Exact.

Pros

Customizable Dashboards: Enhanced customization allows users to tailor their workspace to their needs, providing a more personalized and efficient management experience.
Integrated Financial Management: This feature integrates financial tracking with project management, offering a seamless experience for budget and expense oversight.
Client Portal: Including a client portal sets Productive.io apart, enhancing client engagement and transparency.

Cons

Learning Curve: New users may find the platform slightly complex, requiring time to thoroughly understand and utilize all its features.
Customization Constraints: While customizable, some users might need more customization options for their specific needs.

5. Monday.com

Some of the biggest companies in the world, like Hulu and NBC, use Monday.com, and there’s no reason why your agency shouldn’t give it a whirl, either. Monday streamlines workflows and task visualizations. It’s an excellent agency management system tool. You can create boards or visual tables to sync items and updates in real-time.

Status buttons and other presentable options include Gantt charts, maps, forms, Timelines, Calendars, Kanbans, and more. Available on Android and iOS, this highly responsive agency management software tool allows you to manage and collaborate with remote teams easily. You can assign owners for different tasks and let their AI bots focus on mundane matters, reducing the chances of human errors.

Pros

Forever free plan available for up to two seats
Modern, intuitive, and visual dashboard
Highly customizable
200-plus templates for creating boards and automations

Cons

Confusing pricing plans because of per-seat (user) pricing
Minimum team size of three for paid plans
The free trial is only 14 days, whereas most project management platforms give 30

6. Hubstaff

A simple, highly efficient time-tracking app that pulls no punches, Hubstaff is the ideal way to determine how long it takes teams to complete different tasks. There are apps available for Chrome, desktops, and mobiles, so you can easily keep track of performances. Hubstaff is designed to improve productivity, and with over 40 integrations, it works like a charm.

It automates team management and frees your time, thus allowing you to focus on things that matter. You no longer have to worry about check-ins, and you will receive detailed activity reports for each employee. It’s one of the most popular marketing agency management software programs. You can easily plug in money leaks by checking profit margins for different projects. It’s an excellent tool for project management.

Pros

Affordable enterprise plan
Mobile app
Free version and trial
Screenshots are available even in the free plan
A balanced approach to employee privacy and monitoring

Cons

One-user limit in the free plan
No video screen recording
Many features are only offered via an add-on in lower-tiered paid plans
No add-ons available in the free plan

7. Harvest

Harvest is an easy tool for tracking time and expenses. It provides clear reports on time spent on a project and the agency’s billable hours. Harvest’s integration capabilities make it easy to integrate with your current workflow and tech stack.

Pros

Clean interface and easy navigation
Option to generate invoices and share them with clients through email
Comprehensive integrations (50+)

Cons

Per-user pricing can be costly for larger teams
Customization and reporting capabilities are limited
The software seems too basic for larger enterprises or those with complex project management needs

8. Wrike

Wrike is a powerful work management platform built for teams and organizations looking to collaborate, create, and exceed daily. Wrike's solution for agencies creates a central hub that allows teams to monitor all client projects and resources in one place, improve workflow, and track progress. Key features include real-time collaboration, time tracking, cross-tagging for full visibility, proofing and approvals, resource management, insights, and analytics. Wrike is where agencies unite to delight their clients by completing more projects in less time.

Pros

Unlimited projects in a free account
Unlimited subtasks with unlimited levels of nesting
Kanban, Calendar, and Table views
Unique customization for marketing/creative teams and professional services
20 free external collaborators

Cons

Gantt chart view is available only in paid plans
An in-app timer for time tracking is only available on Business plans or higher

9. Salesforce

Salesforce Cloud CRM is a fantastic piece of software for agency management. Although it has a wide range of CRM functionality, including a huge number of integrations, one of the areas where it truly shines is in managing communications with existing clients. Regarding contact management, Salesforce provides a clear overview of your clients, including activity history, key contacts, customer communications, and internal account discussions.

It’s easy to access critical customer data, such as their communication history, to gain a complete picture of every client. It’s also easy to pull in relevant social data from LinkedIn and Facebook so your company can gauge customer sentiment. The Salesforce CRM also recognizes that we live in a mobile-first world, and business can be conducted anywhere. That’s why Salesforce Cloud CRM is accompanied by the Salesforce Mobile App, which means you can quickly access critical data before you enter a client meeting - wherever you are.

Pros

Total sales pipeline management
The high number of integrations are available
Advanced reporting and customizable dashboards

Cons

Expensive in comparison to competitors
Limited customer support

10. Clickup

I tested ClickUp’s Free plan to explore its features and capabilities. This marketing project management software provides a centralized hub for handling sprints and adjusting to evolving project requirements. Whether it’s campaign tasks, resources, or deadlines, everything’s in one place for easy access.

I liked the freedom to set weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly goals. Tracking progress became significantly easier with different project views, including Kanban boards that enhance task visibility. I could schedule daily tasks and reminders to stay on top of project deadlines. Custom widgets also made it possible to measure ROI efficiently.

Pros

You can streamline affiliate sign-ups and requests from clients with ClickUp Forms.
Access to Docs, wikis, and more for seamless team collaboration
Resource management capabilities to track resource workload for best optimization
Assigned Comments help establish clear task responsibilities

Cons

It does not offer agile reporting in the free plan
Too many features on the dashboard can overwhelm users

11. Scoro

Scoro project management offers a range of features to help you manage your projects and resources. It’s a good option for service-providing businesses looking for a single platform to manage their day-to-day operations, but it can be difficult to onboard. Users like Scoro because it’s good business management software with many features to help teams collaborate and manage tasks. Since it focuses on project management, time tracking, and invoicing, it can be a good choice for businesses looking to automate daily processes.

Pros

Data-focused and detailed, perfect for project managers
Offers a continuous and logical flow, from quote to project to invoice to final project delivery, suitable for many different business processes
Provides a good onboarding experience
Although much data is presented, it puts the most essential information upfront, like the profit margin for all issued quotes.

Cons

It is a lot to take in, quite overwhelming at the beginning
Moving to Scoro will take quite a bit of time due to the amount of data we will have to transfer and the time it’ll take to introduce our team to Scoro
The UI, although modern, could use some improvements to package the amount of data it presents or requires better, like in the many numbers we can enter when working on our quotes

12. Airtable

Airtable is a cloud-based collaboration and project management tool that combines an easy-to-use spreadsheet with the power of a database and the flexibility of custom applications. With Airtable, small teams can create highly collaborative workspaces to work together on projects. The platform also integrates with other apps and services like Slack, Zapier, and Dropbox to provide a complete client management system for customer management.

Pros

Actions to goals linking functionality to streamline reporting
Shareable forms to populate records into the Airtable base
Timeline View to track events, resources, and projects
Automation with Javascript functionality
Form View for contact management

Cons

Limited sorting and filtering options compared to other client management software tools
Limited customization options for workspace appearance

13. Teamwork

Teamwork is a project management platform built to help agencies manage the entire lifecycle of their client work in one place. Teamwork provides all the features you’d expect, as well as integrated time tracking, financial management, robust reporting, and free access for clients to ensure your projects are delivered on time and within budget. Forget crossed wires, unread Slacks, and endless emails. Collaborate in real-time with your team and clients to get your questions answered.

Keep clients, teammates, and leadership on the same page. Centralize your work, communicate easily with your team, and reduce the complexity of collaboration so your team is free to focus on what they do best. Keep your team members and clients in the loop with Teamwork. Communicate with colleagues and clients without having to switch platforms. Update the team, ask for input, and get feedback in context. Working as a team has always been challenging.

Pros

Free forever plan and low-cost paid plans starting at $5.99 per month
Deep level of customization
Easy-to-use automations
Agency-oriented nomenclature and features
Built-in time tracking

Cons

A minimum of three users for the low-priced paid plan
Slower run time once more work gets added
Most features are only unlocked with the Deliver plan or above

14. Kantata

Kantata is an agency management system that can manage everything from client relationships to workflows and project tracking. This highly customizable tool allows agencies of all sizes to streamline operations and increase profits. This guide will explain how you can use Kantata for successful agency management. Kantata has various features designed specifically for agencies, including tools for client onboarding, project planning, time and resource tracking, invoicing, contracts, communication management, and more.

With these features in place, you can easily monitor your team’s progress against deadlines or budgets and track the status of clients or projects at any given time. You’ll also have access to critical performance data such as team utilization rates or revenue forecasts. Kantata's core function is to provide users with comprehensive data management solutions.

It allows you to store customer information, generate reports, manage tasks and projects, track expenses, collaborate with colleagues or partners remotely, and share information organizationally. Additionally, it offers real-time insights into customer trends and market conditions so that you can make informed decisions quickly. This makes Kantata an excellent solution for businesses that need to stay ahead of the competition by utilizing data-driven insights.

Pros

Intuitive Task Management: Kantata simplifies work organization by allowing easy assignment and tracking tasks and subtasks.
Real-time Collaboration: It supports immediate communication and file-sharing among team members, ensuring everyone stays updated.
Robust Reporting: Kantata offers comprehensive reporting features that aid in making informed decisions and tracking project progress effectively.

Cons

Limited Integrations: Kantata doesn’t support many third-party integrations, which may limit its flexibility and usability.
Learning Curve: Some users might find Kantata challenging to navigate initially, requiring time to grasp its functionalities fully.

15. Zapier

Zapier isn’t a regular AMS but is excellent for automating tasks between apps. It connects software for you, so you don't need coding skills. For example, you can create a “Zap” to add new leads to your CRM from your website or get a Slack alert when an invoice gets paid.

Pros

Free forever plan and low-cost paid plans starting at $5.99 per month
Deep level of customization
Easy-to-use automations
Agency-oriented nomenclature and features
Built-in time tracking

Cons

A minimum of three users for the low-priced paid plan
Slower run time once more work gets added
Most features are only unlocked with the Deliver plan or above

16. Brafton

The Brafton Content Marketing Platform is a project management tool that aims to simplify content marketing for any organization or business. It accomplishes this by streamlining any content team’s workflows, organizing marketing collateral in an easy-to-use system, and giving all pertinent stakeholders visibility into all past and current projects.

Pros

They cover multiple industries and have writers experienced in producing content for each.
They are a one-stop shop for all of your marketing needs. They will create your marketing plan, make your content, and help you promote it.
Brafton ensures that the content they produce for you is 100% unique and checked for plagiarism.
Brafton guarantees that your content is formatted correctly and ready to publish immediately. You won’t have to worry about things like using the correct font sizes, headings, and if the layout is correct.

Cons

The main downside of working with Brafton is that they charge much more than freelancer platforms and other marketing agencies. However, you have to weigh the extra cost against the quality of the content you will receive and the higher level of service you will receive.
You can’t build direct relationships with any writers who produce your content as you deal with a client manager. This makes it difficult to bring your marketing operations in-house at a later date if you wish.

17. Freshworks CRM

Freshworks CRM makes it easier for teams to track leads, automate marketing campaigns, segment customers into different categories, manage customer data in one place, and quickly build customer relationships. Features like contact management, lead scoring, customer segmentation, task automation, and customer insights allow businesses to increase revenue and better understand their customers.

The CRM tool also helps teams stay organized by providing detailed reporting on customer interactions and allowing users to set up rules-based workflows to automate repetitive tasks. Additionally, Freshworks CRM integrates with popular third-party applications like Google Apps, Zapier, and Mailchimp, making it even easier for teams to get the most out of their customer data!

Pros

Pipeline management to visualize the entire sales process organized by stage
Sales Goals to set and track goals based on revenue or the number of deals
Filter, sort, and search functionality on the mobile app
Deal performance dashboards
Drag-and-drop interface

Cons

Project management features are only available on expensive plans
Limited reporting capabilities to customize key metrics

18. Base Camp

For remote teams seeking improved campaign tracking, Basecamp has you covered. It offers a platform to align goals and manage projects seamlessly, regardless of team members’ locations across different cities or countries. You can set project schedules, assign tasks, and monitor progress effortlessly.

Plus, real-time messaging and chat features enable instant communication to overcome obstacles. Easy access to files ensures you can find what you need when needed. To-do lists help you stay organized and focused, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. Also, with data backup, you can work confidently, knowing your project information is safe and sound.

Pros

Real-time task reminders ensure nothing slips through the cracks
Collaborate on files to get work done faster
Clear workflows to track project schedules from anywhere and anytime

Cons

Limited customization ability with poor drag-and-drop capabilities
No time tracking ability to track where team members are engaged

19. Screendragon

Screendragon is agency management software designed to manage projects, people, processes, and profitability in one place. It is easy to use and offers powerful customization. The world’s top agency groups, like Omnicom, WPP, and IPG, rely on Screendragon to power their agency operations. Screendragon is seamlessly integrated, offering project management, workflow management, resource management, forecasting, time-tracking, budget management, and asset management.

The highly configurable tool allows users to customize forms, dashboards, templates, workflow rules, permissions, notifications, reports, and even the platform's terminology. Screendragon’s integrated budget module enables users to build SOWs and estimates and forecast future revenues and resourcing needs.

Reviews and approvals are made simple with features for visual proofing, real-time collaboration, version control, and granular permissions. Screendragon’s advanced automation capabilities facilitate the secure and efficient approval of assets and can adapt quickly to support scaling agencies. Intuitive task management allows users to switch between Kanban boards, interactive Gantt charts, and list views.

Pros

Screendragon offers flexibility to deliver a solution fully aligned with the organization’s needs. Brands can create and edit their terminology, templates, forms, workflow rules, notifications, reports, and rates.
It provides an enterprise-class hosting environment and service levels. Moreover, its sophisticated permission controls ensure that only the right people see the correct data at the right time.

Cons

Some users encounter occasional system slowness.

20. Smart Sheet

Next, talk about Smartsheet, another excellent pick for managing marketing projects. Smartsheet Rocks, a spreadsheet-style setup, is handy for sorting tasks. Need collaboration? Using this tool, you can chat with your team in the comments, whether about a whole sheet, a row, or even a piece of content. Never miss a deadline again with automated alerts and reminders. And if you’re curious about where your team’s hours go, this tool covers you with time tracking. Here’s a fantastic bonus: using comments, you can scribble notes on images and docs.

Pros

Project baselines help compare planned and actual statistics to stay on track
Report grouping and summary to get real-time project insights
Client portals and dashboards to keep them up-to-date with project progress

Cons

It can be expensive for freelancers, startups, and small businesses
Tool navigation can be a bit complex initially

21. Workable

Workable is excellent for recruitment agencies. It makes hiring easier with job postings, candidate tracking, and team collaboration. Plus, it uses AI to help you find the right candidates faster.

Pros

Comprehensive candidate evaluations: Workable provides all the necessary data for reporting, visualizations, and understanding the basics of hiring strategy and recruiting metrics, enabling a more thorough assessment of candidates
Swift and straightforward onboarding: The onboarding process with Workable is quick and easy, making it less time-consuming for new users to get started
User-friendly interface: Workable, intuitive, and easy to use, reducing the need for extensive training for new employees
Unlimited collaborative options: The software allows for real-time updates and comments from team members, fostering a collaborative hiring process
Cost-effective: Compared to other options, Workable is more affordable, making it a financially sound choice for businesses.

Cons

Incompatibility with virtual conferencing services: Workable does not integrate with Zoom or other virtual conferencing services, making it difficult to schedule interviews
Email syncing issues: Emails from users' inboxes do not automatically sync or appear immediately on Workable, causing delays in communication

22. Jira

Jira is a flexible tool that fits well with marketing teams. It supports agile methods like Scrum and Kanban, which help manage marketing campaigns effectively. Its Sprints dashboard offered me a structured way to plan and execute marketing iterations for my company’s campaigns. I also used epics and stories to organize my marketing projects into manageable tasks. Customization is another benefit. Jira can be adapted to your marketing team’s needs with custom fields, workflows, and issue types. Whether you’re a small team or a large enterprise, it scales easily to meet your unique marketing project and campaign requirements.

Pros

Backlog feature to keep track of marketing tasks, ideas, and user stories
Comments, notifications, and tags make it easier to communicate about tasks and projects
Seamless integration with Trello, Confluence, and third-party apps from the Atlassian Marketplace
Rich dashboard features to track and analyze your marketing project’s progress and performance

Cons

Weak team chat functionality, such as struggling to connect with colleagues online via the platform
It takes time to set up projects

23. Bitrix24

Although Bitrix24 may be outlined as a CRM tool, it also doubles as a fantastic piece of client management software. The solution is a well-designed collaboration tool for communication and project management. Beyond lead generation, Bitrix is a valuable tool for customer support, making it ideal for client management. The platform has its own Customer Contact Center, so you can answer client queries and solve problems in real-time, whatever channel they come through. Bitrix can also help businesses set up automated support if needed and offers help with creating company websites or setting up a chat network on your homepage.

Pros

Comprehensive business suite
Affordable pricing
Unlimited contacts with all plans

Cons

Very steep learning curve
It doesn’t support chatbots for sales or support

24. Proofhub

ProofHub is the perfect tool for marketing project managers. It puts you in charge of tasks, resources, and deadlines, making project and team collaboration a breeze. With customizable templates, you can start your marketing project in no time. Just tweak the project name, add tasks, assign resources, and set due dates, and you’re good to go! ProofHub lets you create project plans, milestones, and goals.

It even offers chat and discussion boards for quick, real-time communication, saving you from cluttering your inbox. ProofHub made marketing project management much more straightforward. It clarifies daily tasks, helps me track resources and workload, and makes it easy to turn ideas into action.

Pros

ProofHub lets you set deadlines, prioritize tasks, and keep everyone in sync.
It supports various file formats like PDF and JPEG, making collaborating on documents, images, and other assets easy.
Teams can track their time spent on tasks and projects, helping with accurate billing and cost estimation.
A shared calendar allows teams to schedule events, meetings, and deadlines

Cons

The mobile version falls short compared to the web version
Customer support lacks prompt responsiveness

25. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a CRM system designed to help sales teams increase their productivity and close more deals. It offers various features that help streamline the sales process, including contact management, email tracking, call logging, lead scoring, sales forecasting, and automated workflows. With Pipedrive, a sales team can quickly organize their leads, contacts, and deals to stay focused on the tasks that matter. The client management app allows users to easily create custom pipelines and automated emails to help nurture leads and increase conversions.

Pros

Segment leads to create personalized, targeted communication
Drag-and-drop interface to quickly update deal statuses
Activity reminders and team collaboration
Customizable web forms
Revenue forecasting

Cons

Limited customization for user permission settings compared to other free client management software
Project scope and document management tools are paid add-ons

26. Zoho CRM

One of the areas where Zoho CRM stands out as a client management tool is its omnichannel approach. This allows firms to engage with clients via whichever medium they prefer, whether email, telephone, or something else. Zoho CRM has made a great effort to become an all-in-one platform. It allows businesses to monitor lead activity and customer buyer preferences and view price lists or documents without changing applications - everything your company needs for client management is right here.

Given that AI is such a hot topic right now, it should come as little surprise to hear that Zoho offers users its assistance. You won’t find ChatGPT levels of intelligence here, but personal assistant Zia Voice can retrieve information, update accounts, and help generate performance reports.

It’s certainly a handy addition that improves Zoho’s ease of use. Although there is no free tier with Zoho CRM, a free trial is available. Given that the platform is currently used by more than 150,000 businesses across 180 countries, a free trial may be all you need before you’re convinced this is the right client management software for you.

Pros

Workflow automation
Customization
Email marketing

Cons

Steep learning curve
Limited customer support

How To Choose the Right Marketing Agency Management Software

1. Workflow Management: The Heart of Marketing Agency Management Software

Project management tools are great for individuals and small teams. But for marketing agencies running numerous campaigns across multiple clients, they simply don’t cut it. That’s because as you grow, your projects and the number of people involved can become incredibly complex. You need a tool that helps you manage this complexity rather than one that adds to the confusion. The best marketing agency management software has robust workflow management features to help you organize your projects and deliver timely results to your clients.

2. Creative Collaboration: Get Feedback Without the Back-and-Forth Emails

Marketing is all about creativity. Whether you’re producing a campaign, content, or creative assets, getting the opinion of others is critical to your success. But as you grow, you’ll notice that emailing your colleagues and clients is not the most convenient way to get feedback and approval. Marketing agency software that’s worth the investment will make this kind of creative collaboration easier.

3. Resource Planning: Track Time and Monitor Team Capacity

As your agency takes on more clients, you’ll need to pay closer attention to all your resources. After all, whether it’s your internal documentation or knowledge, project budgets, or your team members themselves, you need clarity on the availability of your resources. That’s what resource management tools are for — and they’re another non-negotiable element of your marketing agency software.

4. Financial Management: Keep Your Projects Profitable

The final critical aspect of any agency tool is financial management. This includes tools for planning budgets, tracking spending in real-time, reporting on project costs, and managing primary admin such as invoicing and billing. If your marketing agency tool doesn’t have these as standard, ensure that it has integrations with other reporting and invoicing software so that you can still access all of these insights in one centralized place.

As they grow, many agencies find that using separate tools to manage each function burdens them. Often, they don’t work well together, information gets duplicated, and already stretched teams must manually enter data between them.

5. Establish Your Wants and Needs

Next, ask yourself what you need to meet these goals and how you want to use the software.

Consider what is essential for you to keep going at your current rate versus what you’d like to have. Bringing in a new system means getting everyone on board with it. And there’s no point in trying to do this after the event. Talk to your teams about what’s important to them, as this can help you draw up a list of priorities.

The MoSCoW method can be a helpful technique in defining what you’re looking for: Must-have. Critical requirements that are non-negotiable Should have. It's essential, but you are open to alternatives that deliver the same results. Could have. It's an excellent idea, but nothing that will influence your decision too much Won’t have. Too far down on your priority list to make a discernable difference.

Top Tip

talk to your teams about what they’d like to see in a system, but remember you’re unlikely always to please everyone. You need to find balance. Make it clear you’re asking for opinions but not making a binding promise. As an agency leader, you must look at the complete picture to get the best system for the whole agency.

Try Orchestra for Free to Grow Your Productized Service Today

Launch your productized service effortlessly with Orchestra's all-in-one growth toolkit. Designed for creatives ready to scale, Orchestra provides a branded, white-labeled client portal, task management, and real-time analytics, with no coding needed, just your Stripe account. Whether you’re a designer, developer, or copywriter, Orchestra streamlines your workflow, letting you collaborate with clients seamlessly while maintaining a private workspace with your team.

Add integrations like Slack and webhooks to customize your setup and deliver a branded experience. Enhance your service with a platform built to grow alongside you. Try Orchestra for free and develop your productized service today!

9 Tips for Efficient Marketing Agency Management

1. Utilize Orchestra for Smooth Service Delivery

Orchestra is an all-in-one growth toolkit that helps you quickly launch productized services. Designed for creatives ready to scale, Orchestra enables you to establish a branded, white-labeled client portal to deliver services smoothly and efficiently. The platform also allows you to keep organized with task management and real-time analytics, and no coding is needed to get started, just your Stripe account.

Whether you’re a designer, developer, or copywriter, Orchestra streamlines your workflow, letting you collaborate with clients smoothly while maintaining a private workspace with your team. Add integrations like Slack and webhooks to customize your setup and deliver a branded experience. Enhance your service with a platform built to grow alongside you. Try Orchestra for free to develop your productized service today.

2. Foster Strong Communication with Marketing Agencies

Communication is crucial. You need to establish solid communication to manage a marketing agency effectively. This starts by selecting a primary point of contact for streamlined communication between your business and the agency. Forbes suggests that this person should have excellent organizational skills and be able to relay information between both parties effectively.

Scheduling regular update calls with your marketing agency can help ensure everyone stays on the same page throughout the project. Use these meetings to discuss ongoing projects, address any concerns or roadblocks encountered during campaigns, and brainstorm new ideas for future initiatives. Remember: open lines of communication are essential in maintaining healthy working relationships with advertising agencies while ensuring they align their efforts with your business goals.

3. Adjust Your Pricing Structure as You Scale

Knowing how to charge your clients may not always be the most straightforward task, but it’s essential. To decide on an appropriate agency pricing strategy, ask yourself: Is my agency focused on short-term or long-term client projects (or a combination)? How long would these types of projects take? Should my agency consider any contractual clauses (e.g., 50% downpayment)?

How do my competitors typically price their services? Are there any opportunities for pricing add-ons or upselling clients? Should my agency charge for client reports? With a pre-determined pricing structure, you position your agency to send proposals and contracts quickly. But, as your agency continues to scale in size and experience, don’t be afraid to adjust your pricing structure as needed.

4. Defining KPIs for Marketing Success

To effectively manage your marketing agency and achieve stellar results, you must set transparent Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). But what are KPIs, you ask? KPIs are measurable objectives that help track the success of your marketing efforts. Selecting Measurable Objectives for Your Campaign Here are some examples of KPIs you can consider: Website traffic growth (unique visitors, page views), Social media engagement (likes, shares, comments), Email open and click-through rates, Conversion rate optimization (CRO) for landing pages or e-commerce sites

5. Create Replicable Documents and Procedures

Our onboarding was so messy that we knew we needed better processes. Now, when a client onboards, it's all automated, and each client has a smooth experience. And getting sales was always just a matter of chance. Now, we have a strategic and focused sales process that gives us a steady stream of leads. Joaby Parker, President of Cover3 Creative. The agency’s brand reputation begins prospering, and suddenly, you've onboarded ten new clients in one day!

It’s excellent news, but it won’t mean much if you try to do everything from scratch and fumble during onboarding. To avoid unnecessary hassle, create documents and procedures that can be easily customized and sent out when needed. From professional SEO proposals using a pre-built proposal template to client contracts to onboarding checklists and dashboard templates, automated processes save your agency time in the long run. The proper management system is a game-changer!

6. Considering Different Media Tactics at Each Stage of the Marketing Funnel

Welcome to the exciting world of media tactics. To truly maximize your marketing efforts, exploring various strategies tailored for each stage of the marketing funnel is essential. This ensures that every aspect contributes positively towards overall business goals while keeping customers engaged throughout their journey.

7. Invest in Infrastructure

When scaling their agency, Yanira M. Castro, CEO of Humanity Communications, found that the most important thing was to build out the infrastructure. It makes sense because workflow automation is non-negotiable for scaling agencies. As your roster grows, you need proper systems to ensure your agency can keep up with numerous marketing efforts and evolving demands.

I understood the value of having sound systems to communicate and track work, even when we were just three people. Infrastructure building helped us grow because there wasn't wasted time searching for something stuck in one person's email inbox. It also allowed us to become more responsive to clients, which leads to better quality work.

8. Practicing Honesty, Openness, and Transparency

A successful collaboration with a marketing agency is like a great friendship – built on trust and open communication. So, how do you foster this healthy working relationship? Honesty, openness, and transparency are the keys. To start on the right foot, establish clear lines of communication. Schedule regular meetings to discuss progress and address concerns.

Create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas or feedback without fear of judgment or retribution. Promote active listening within your team and with the agency – giving full attention to what others have to say before responding thoughtfully.

9. Hire the Right People

There’s power in diversity and hiring resources with various skill sets. This will bring new perspectives to your agency and ensure proper resource management while scaling. We guarantee that we have the right mix of people and support their individual needs, all while staying focused on the company as a whole. When building a company, you don't want to hire all the same people.

Just like in a recipe, you need different ingredients to make a dish shine. Yanira M. Castro, CEO of Humanity Communications, said that a part of hiring the right people is trusting them to do their jobs. As CEO of SEOMCR, Simon Thompson, says, “I hire good people with specialist skills that can–annoyingly–do every job better than me.”

After all, you have an agency to run and can only stretch yourself thin by focusing on some things. It may be challenging to pass essential responsibilities on to someone else, but it is the only way an agency can continue to scale. The solution? Focus on hiring resources with the appropriate skill sets and trust them to do the job. That way, you won’t have to worry about micromanaging competent employees or excessive workflow management, which gives you more time to focus on agency operations.

Try Orchestra for Free to Grow Your Productized Service Today

Orchestra is an all-in-one growth toolkit that helps you launch a productized service. The software is designed for creatives ready to scale, including designers, developers, and copywriters. Orchestra enables you to streamline your processes to collaborate with clients seamlessly while maintaining a private workspace with your team. It has a branded, white-labeled client portal, task management, and real-time analytics. No coding is needed. Just connect your Stripe account to get started.

25 Best Marketing Agency Management Software

25 Best Marketing Agency Management Software

Importance of Management Software for Marketing Agencies

1. All Your Projects in One Spot for Better Collaboration

2. Smooth Client Management from Start to Finish

3. Centralize Data for Better Insights

4. Monitor Your Business Economics in Real-Time

5. Hassle-Free Scalability as You Grow

Related Reading

25 Best Marketing Agency Management Software

1. Orchestra

2. Notion

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Cons

3. Asana

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4. Productive

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5. Monday.com

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6. Hubstaff

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7. Harvest

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8. Wrike

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9. Salesforce

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10. Clickup

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11. Scoro

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12. Airtable

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13. Teamwork

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14. Kantata

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15. Zapier

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16. Brafton

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17. Freshworks CRM

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18. Base Camp

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19. Screendragon

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20. Smart Sheet

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21. Workable

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22. Jira

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23. Bitrix24

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24. Proofhub

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