Act-On Explained

Act-On
Act-On Marketing Automation
Developer:Act-On
Operating System:Software as a service
Genre:Marketing automation
License:Subscription

Act-On Software is a software-as-a-service product for marketing automation. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and was founded in 2008, originally retailing its software exclusively through Cisco, which provided $2 million in funding.[1]

History

Act-On was founded in 2008 by Raghu Raghavan, formerly a founder of Responsys, after he saw "potential for a sophisticated, but affordable SaaS marketing tool mid-market companies could easily use."[2] Act-On initially sold through alternate channels, but later created its own sales team.[3] Entering the market after several competitors had been established, Act-On had a second-mover advantage, learning from the successes and failures of earlier market entrants.

In 2011, Act-On raised a third round for $10 million in June 2011 and established a new location in Silicon Valley.[4] The company raised an additional $16 million in funding the following year. [5]

By 2013, the number of employees had grown to 140,[6] [7] up from 11 in 2010 and 35 in 2011.[8] [9]

In April 2014, $42 million in additional funding was raised, which was the largest funding round in the Oregon technology market since the dot com bubble.[10] [11] Act-On now employs about 200 people across the US and UK, serving more than 4,000 customers worldwide.[3] [12] In 2015, Act-On expanded its executive team with a new CFO, formerly of the company Jive, a VP of demand generation, previously with ExactTarget, and a VP of cloud operations.[13] [14]

In 2015, Act-On announced the appointment of Andy MacMillan to the position of CEO.[15] The former CEO and company founder Raghu Raghavan assumed the role of CTO. Prior to joining Act-On Software, Andy held several senior leadership positions at Salesforce, including Chief Operating Officer of the Products Division and Senior Vice President & General Manager of Data.com, where he helped to significantly grow customer adoption of products and services.

In early 2016, it expanded again into larger offices in Portland.[16]

In 2018, Act-On announced its board of directors had appointed Kate Johnson as the company's new CEO to replace Andy MacMillan.[17] The company consolidated its operations to Portland, Oregon at this time. Ms. Johnson had served as Act-On's CFO for the prior 3 years and was endorsed by Diane Fraiman, Voyager Capital Partner and Act-On board member and investor in the formal press release.[18]

In 2019 Act-On raised a second round of funding for $4 million.[19] [20]

In June 2020, Act-On Software rebranded itself to fit the modern marketing tool needs, prioritizing engagement, updates on services, and product inventory.[21]

In 2023, Act-On has reported to hit $25.8M revenue and 4k customers. The current number of employees is around 200 in 2024 [22]

Features

Act-On is a subscription-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) product for marketing automation. Its software products are for email marketing, landing pages, social media prospecting, CRM integration, lead management, webinar management, and analytics.[23] [24] [25]

Act-On has a Twitter prospector tool introduced in 2010 that automates the publishing and monitoring of content on Twitter, tracking prospective customers and measuring their activity.[26] An Act-On Insight tool, released in June 2012, compares a company's social media marketing performance to competitors.[27] [28] Its Hot Prospects tool, introduced at the 2011 Dreamforce conference, creates a dashboard in Salesforce.com that scores the likelihood a prospect is ready to make a purchasing decision.[29] A set of software tools for search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising and other inbound tactics was introduced in May 2013 under the name Act-On Inbound. Act-On also introduced a mobile app and mobile optimization features.[30] [31] [32] In July 2014, Act-On announced a set of product updates intended to improve data visualization and customize the user experience.[33] Enhancements included a responsive email composer and expanded CRM integrations.[34] [35] [36]

In March 2015, It introduced Act-On Anywhere, a Chrome application allowing users access to marketing automation data and functionalities across any web-based browser.[37] Allowing users to embed calls-to-action in web pages and blogs from any web-based content management system,[38] [39] [40] this extension along with Act-On's open APIs, supports a larger vision for an open marketing ecosystem, in which third-party applications can plug and play with Act-On – ensuring that end-users can continue to leverage their current systems and augment the use of those systems using engagement data collected within marketing automation.[39] [41]

In June 2015, Act-On released Data Studio, an advanced data access and analytics tool allowing users to visualize, select, configure and export Act-On data to any Business Intelligence (BI) platform.[42] Offered as part of Act-On's enterprise package, the feature equips users with built-in wizards, filters and templates to extract and report on engagement data in real-time.[43] [44] [45]

Act-On is intended for marketing departments across small, midsize and enterprise companies, serving as a lower-cost and more customer-service focused alternative to enterprise software suites.[46] [47]

Users can manage WebEx and GoToWebinar events within the software. It also integrates with data and analytics services, such as Google Analytics.[48] More connectors are available for Microsoft Dynamics, WordPress, Salesforce, SugarCRM, Oktopost and others.[49] [50] [51]

As part of its Open Marketing Ecosystem, the Act-On platform offers native integrations with all major CRM systems, to be vendor-agnostic without being indifferent.[52] [53] A separate version for agencies has an agency dashboard to centrally manage multiple client campaigns and is sold at a lower bulk price. Act-On also promotes its agency partners and third-party applications on the Act-On Partner Exchange (APEX), manages an educational resource called the Act-On Center of Excellence (ACE) and provides professional services.[54]

In 2023, Act-On released Advanced Analytics which greatly improved reporting appearance and functionality for its users.[55]

Reception

The company was named to the Inc. 500 List of Fastest-Growing Privately Held Companies in 2013, 2014 and 2015,[56] Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 List in 2013[57] and 2014,[58] and Portland Business Journal's List of 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in 2013,[59] 2014,[60] and 2015.[61]

In 2022, Constellation ShortList selected Act-On as one of the ten top vendors on the B2C Marketing Automation for Small to Mid Sized Business list, ranked alongside multiple enterprise-level competitors.[62] This followed selection of 2021 for both the B2C Marketing Automation and B2B Marketing Automation Constellation lists.

In early 2015, the Portland Business Journal anointed Act-On's CEO Raghu Raghavan the Technology CEO of the Year, for his ability to manage the company's growth across multiple offices and continents.[63]

Act-On published the results of a three-month survey, detailing differences between top and average performing B2B companies.[64] [65] The report found that few marketers owned the customer lifecycle "end to end," and top-performers were likelier to focus on customer retention and expansion, rather than their mid-size, average-performing peers.[66] [67] [68] [69] For its efforts promoting this report, Act-On was shortlisted for MarketingProfs' 2015 B2B Bright Bulb Awards.[70]

In the 2014 Forrester Wave Report on Lead-to-Revenue Management Vendors, Act-On was ranked a leader in both categories: Small Marketing Teams and Large Enterprises. Forrester noted that Act-On did an admirable job delivering functionality for "nearly every criterion" evaluated: Simplicity, feature set, software and support.[71] In Gleanster's Gleansight 2014 benchmark, Act-On received a "Best" ranking in three out of four categories: Ease of deployment, ease of use and overall value.[72] In the 2014 VEST report from analyst firm Raab Associates, Act-On was awarded "good scores" on the "product and vendor dimensions," numbering among "strong leaders" in the "crowded small-to-midsize company segment."[73] The 2015 VEST report named Act-On as "the only privately held company to rank as a leader across all major categories of business."[74]

In 2024, Act-On held a 4.1 out of 5 rating on G2.com with over 1,000 reviews.[75]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2021-12-14 . Act-On Software, Inc. Revenue: Annual, Quarterly, and Historic - Zippia . 2024-06-13 . www.zippia.com . en-US.
  2. News: Marketing automation startup Act-On raises $42M, sets sights on IPO. Geekwire. Taylor. Soper. June 28, 2016. April 15, 2014.
  3. News: Interview with Raghu Raghavan, Founder & CEO, Act-On Software. Ankush. Gupta. June 28, 2016. MarTech Advisor.
  4. News: Batista . Amanda . Act-On Software Surpasses 500 Customers; Plans Aggressive Expansion Track In 2012 . DemandGen Report . November 29, 2011 . June 28, 2016 .
  5. News: Butcher . Mike . Act-On's $16M D Round From Norwest Venture Is Evidence That Online Marketing Will Be Automated . TechCrunch . September 6, 2012 . June 28, 2016.
  6. News: Inc. 5000: #172 Act-On Software. Inc. Magazine. June 28, 2016.
  7. News: April 28, 2014. Act-On Software on hiring spree, mostly for Roseville office. June 28, 2016. Sacramento Business Journal. Mark. Anderson.
  8. News: Rogoway . Mike . June 1, 2011 . Act-On Software lands $10 million in venture capital, says Portland startups are finally getting respect . The Oregonian . June 28, 2016.
  9. News: Act-On Software Reports 405% Revenue Growth; Expands International Footprint . DemandGen Report . January 19, 2012 . June 28, 2016.
  10. News: Act-On Software lands whopping $42 million VC round, among Silicon Forest's biggest ever. The Oregonian. Mike. Rogoway. April 15, 2014. June 28, 2016.
  11. News: Act-On Software lands $42M. Portland Business Journal. Malia. Spencer. April 15, 2014.
  12. Web site: September 28, 2022 . Act-On Software . September 28, 2022 . Act-On Software.
  13. News: Tech firm lures CFO away from Jive, expands management team. Jon. Bell. June 28, 2016. March 30, 2015. Portland Business Journal.
  14. News: Act-On Software hires CFO from Jive, names two other execs. Mike. Rogoway. June 28, 2016 . March 30, 2015. The Oregonian.
  15. Web site: Andy Macmillan, Former Salesforce Executive, Named CEO of Act-On Software . 2024-02-07 . Act-On . en.
  16. News: Rogoway . Mike . May 22, 2013 . Act-On Software, continuing to grow, will move to larger offices in Beaverton . June 28, 2016 . The Oregonian.
  17. Web site: Act-On names Kate Johnson CEO, Consolidates to Portland, and Doubles Down on Product Innovation . 2024-02-07 . Act-On . en.
  18. Web site: Act-On names Kate Johnson CEO, Consolidates to Portland, and Doubles Down on Product Innovation . 2024-02-07 . Act-On . en.
  19. News: Rogoway . Mike . November 14, 2010 . Act-On resists Silicon Valley's call, lands $4 million in venture capital anyway . June 28, 2016 . The Oregonian.
  20. Web site: Act-On Software Scores $4M from Voyager, USVP Xconomy . June 28, 2016.
  21. Web site: Haileyesus. Samson. 2020-06-11. Act-On Software Rebrands to Offer Modern Marketing Tools to Businesses. 2020-06-24. Small Business Trends. en-US.
  22. Web site: LinkedIn Login, Sign in . 2024-06-13 . LinkedIn . en-US.
  23. Web site: Ludwig . Sean . 8 August 2013 . 5 Davids beating Goliath in the cloud arena . Venture Beat.
  24. Web site: 2014-04-15 . Marketing automation startup Act-On raises $42M, sets sights on IPO . 2016-05-21 . GeekWire . en-US.
  25. Web site: Independent Act-On Software Review. www.crmsearch.com. 2016-05-21.
  26. News: Act-On Twitter App Connecting Social Outreach to Marketing Automation. April 5, 2010. DemandGen Report. July 19, 2016.
  27. News: Gleberman. Monica. Act-On Software Launches New Tracking Tool, Act-On Insight. TMCNet. June 28, 2012. July 19, 2016.
  28. News: Knight. Kristina. New tools offer additional reporting features for online, social . BizReport. July 2, 2012. July 19, 2016 .
  29. News: Casey. Kevin. One SMB's Secret for Improving Sales Leads. InformationWeek. September 2, 2011. July 19, 2016.
  30. News: Act-On Extends Inbound Marketing Capabilities, Unveils Mobile App. May 30, 2013. July 19, 2016.
  31. News: Act-On Adds Inbound Marketing Capabilities, New Mobile App. CMS Wire. Barb. Zinck. May 29, 2013. July 19, 2016.
  32. News: Meeting the Wizard of Moz: Culture Breeds Community. Benjamin. Romano. May 29, 2013. Xconomy.
  33. News: Act-On Announces Data Visualization, User Experience, and Integration Enhancements for its Marketing Automation Platform. Cloud Computing Today. Arnal . Dayaratna. July 19, 2016. July 15, 2014.
  34. News: New Funnel Reports, Gmail Integration Among Upgrades Unveiled At Act-On User Event. Demand Gen Report. Kim . Zimmerman . July 19, 2016. June 10, 2014.
  35. News: Act-On revs up marketing automation: Adds funnel reports, Gmail integration, and more . Venture Beat . John . Koetsier . July 19, 2016. July 15, 2014.
  36. News: Act-On's Enhancements Focus on Reporting, Responsive Design. CMS Wire. Dom . Nicastro . September 15, 2015. July 19, 2016.
  37. News: Act-On Brings Automation to the Browser. Direct Marketing News. Al . Urbanski . July 19, 2016. March 11, 2014.
  38. News: New Chrome app puts Act-On's marketing automation tools front and center for SMBs . CIO Magazine. Katherine . Noyes. July 19, 2016. March 11, 2015.
  39. News: Act-On Anywhere Targets Small Business Marketers. EWeek. Nathan . Eddy . July 19, 2016. March 17, 2015.
  40. News: Take Your Marketing Act Anywhere . Website Magazine . Amberly . Dressler . July 19, 2016. March 18, 2015.
  41. News: Embedding marketing automation in WordPress, Twitter, LinkedIn: Act-On launches Anywhere . Venture Beat . Andrew . Jones . July 19, 2016. March 11, 2015.
  42. News: Act-On surfaces engagement data. The Hub Comms. July 19, 2016. June 2, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160701215715/http://www.thehubcomms.com/analytics/act-on-surfaces-engagement-data/article/418097/. 2016-07-01. dead.
  43. News: Act-On Announces Data Studio for Deeper Analytics, Visual Discovery. EWeek. Nathan . Eddy . July 19, 2016. June 5, 2015.
  44. News: Act-On releases new Data Studio tool to feed data-hungry marketers. EWeek. Barry. Levine. July 19, 2016. June 1, 2015.
  45. News: Act-On Promises Deeper Analytics in Data Studio . CMS Wire . Dom . Nicastro . July 19, 2016. June 3, 2015.
  46. News: Aquino. Judith. Act-On Software Rolls Out Online and Social Media Tracking Tool. DestinationCRM. June 27, 2012. July 19, 2016 .
  47. News: Morphy. Erika . Act-On Insight Lets Businesses See How They're Seen Online. CRM Buyer. June 29, 2012 . July 19, 2016.
  48. News: Wizdo . Lori . January 21, 2014 . The Forrester Wave: Lead-to-Revenue Management Platform Vendors, Q1 2014 . Forrester . July 19, 2016.
  49. News: The 2012 Sales And Marketing Integration Award Report. DemandGen Report. June 26, 2012. July 19, 2016.
  50. News: 5 Online Tools I Recommend to B2C Israeli Startups. Times of Israel . Sam Avishai . Bitton . July 19, 2016 . February 7, 2015.
  51. News: Let's Talk Act-On: Behind the Software Q&A with CMO Atri Chatterjee . Business Software Com . Kristen . Crosier . July 19, 2016 . May 14, 2014.
  52. News: Act-On Builds Native Integration to Major CRMs. July 19, 2016. August 20, 2014.
  53. News: Act-On Software now offers native integrations with all major CRM systems . The Hub Comms . Omar . Akhtar . July 19, 2016 . August 20, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160701185441/http://www.thehubcomms.com/news/act-on-software-now-offers-native-integrations-with-all-major-crm-systems/article/367098/ . 2016-07-01 . dead .
  54. News: Let's Talk Act-On: Behind the Software Q&A with CMO Atri Chatterjee . Business Software Com . Kristen . Crosier . July 19, 2016 . May 14, 2014.
  55. Web site: Act-On Software launches Advanced Analytics with AI to provide most powerful analytics in a Marketing Automation Platform . 2024-02-07 . Act-On . en.
  56. News: Inc. 5000: #172 Act-On Software. Inc. Magazine. July 27, 2016.
  57. News: Technology Fast 500 Powerful Connections: 2013 ranking of the fastest growing technology based companies in North America. Deloitte. July 27, 2016. November 13, 2013.
  58. News: Deloitte's 2014 Technology Fast 500 Ranking. Deloitte. July 27, 2016 . November 13, 2014.
  59. News: PBJ100: See where the fastest growing companies rank. Portland Business Journal . Mason . Walker . July 27, 2016 . June 20, 2013.
  60. News: PBJ100: See where the fastest growing companies rank. Portland Business Journal . Mason . Walker . July 27, 2016 . June 12, 2014.
  61. News: PBJ100: Here are Oregon's fastest growing companies (Ranked). Portland Business Journal . Mason . Walker . July 27, 2016 . June 17, 2015.
  62. Web site: Constellation ShortList B2C Marketing Automation for Small to Midsize Business . September 27, 2022 . Constellation Shortlist. 24 August 2022 .
  63. News: CEOs of the Year - Tech: Raghu Raghavan of ActOn Software. Portland Business Journal. Malia. Spencer. January 30, 2015. July 27, 2016.
  64. News: Should Marketers Drive the Customer Experience? . 1to1 Media . Anna . Papachristos . July 27, 2016 . February 19, 2015 .
  65. News: Sales Owns CX, Say B2B Marketers. Direct Marketing News . Al . Urbanski . July 27, 2016 . February 18, 2015 .
  66. News: What Top B2B Marketers Know That You Don't . Forbes. Christine . Crandell. July 27, 2016 . February 18, 2015.
  67. News: Mid-Size B2B Marketers Focusing More on Acquisition Than Retention. Market Charts. July 27, 2016 . February 19, 2015.
  68. News: Digital Marketers Must Own the Customer Lifecycle . CIO Magazine . Tom . Kaneshige. July 27, 2016 . February 24, 2015.
  69. News: Only marketing can engage customers across the entire spectrum of CRM – report. MyCustomer . Chris . Ward . July 27, 2016 . February 25, 2015.
  70. News: And the finalists are…. MarketingProfs . July 27, 2016 . July 24, 2015.
  71. News: The Forrester Wave: Lead-to-Revenue Management Platform Vendors, Q1 2014. Forrester . Lori . Wizdo . July 27, 2016. January 21, 2014.
  72. News: Gleanster 2014 Benchmark Report: Marketing Automation . Gleanster . July 27, 2016 . August 25, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160506162649/https://www.act-on.com/docs/reports/Gleansight-Benchmark-2014MarketingAutomation-VL.pdf . 2016-05-06 . dead .
  73. News: 2014 Marketing Automation Vendor Selection Tool (VEST) . Raab Associates . July 27, 2016 . August 5, 2014.
  74. News: VEST Report: Competition in B2B Marketing Automation Isn't About Features . Customer Experience Matrix . July 27, 2016 . July 31, 2015.
  75. Web site: G2 - Business Software Reviews .

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