This is somewhat off-topic, but I thought I'd tap the minds of the community since I'm sure there are others in our same situation. You probably hear this a lot: "Marketing has this amazing new email tool called Marketo [yes, I know Marketo is much more than just email] - can the Internal Communications team use it as well?" Our common response is Marketo is used for external, market-facing activities only. Not only would we need a separate revenue model/lifecycle to support these activities, but if we allow internal use of Marketo, it would put us over our lead limit.
Today, the internal comms team sends out internal emails using Outlook. They're a complete mess since the experience differs across device/display preferences, inconsistencies with layout (since everything is done using an .oft file), etc. The only nice thing about using Outlook is we obviously have direct access to Active Directory (accurate user records, distribution lists, etc.). I'd like to know if others are using more modern internal communications platforms for these requirements - specifically:
- An intuitive email "builder" that doesn't break (template-based with locked/editable regions) and enables non-technical users the ability to create consistently formatted/branded emails, without ever needing to see/touch the underlying code. Even Marketo requires some level of technical knowledge - and the need to edit the underlying HTML code (e.g., apply <h1>, <h2>, etc. tags to blocks of content).
- Ability to connect with a company's Active Directory services for list management.
Thoughts?
.png)