CRM and marketing automation software both help businesses use customer data, but they are built around different jobs. A CRM gives sales and service teams a dependable record of relationships. Marketing automation helps marketing teams segment audiences, run campaigns, and respond to behavior at scale.

That distinction matters because buying the wrong system first creates more work instead of less. The right choice depends on the problem you need to solve, the people who will use the system, and the handoffs that connect marketing activity to revenue. This guide explains the practical differences in CRM vs marketing automation, then shows how the two can work together.

Content marketing. Content strategy. Content… development?

There are so many content-related words buzzing around the world wide web.

Confused?

I don’t blame you.

However, any marketer or content creator worth their salt will know that content development is not a process to skimp out on.

That’s why, in this article, I’ll be discussing – and all in plain terms – what content development is and why it’s important. Plus, I’ll provide you with a content development process that’ll ensure you’ll research, create, edit, and promote stellar content audiences will want to engage with. Every. Single. Time.

Simply read through the following sections to get the complete low-down on content development:

• What is the content development definition?
• The difference between content strategy, marketing, and development
• Why is content development so important?
• An 8-step content development process for success
• Become an excellent content developer with our superpowered checklists!

Ready to become content with your content?

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For over half a decade now, the team at Process Street has been creating stellar content so that businesses around the world can become the best they can be.

In terms of numbers, that’s nearly 1,000 on-site business blog posts we’ve published!

Considering this vast swathe of content, there may be a few times where, if you’re a veteran reader, you’ve missed posts that would’ve been high-value resources for your business.

Similarly, if you’re a new visitor (welcome, by the way! ) you may not be sure where to get started.

That’s why we’ve created this roundup post of our greatest business blog posts. To boot, the posts have been categorized into separate sections so you can find relevant content quickly:

• What business content can you expect from the Process Street blog?
• Process Street’s greatest business blog posts, categorized!
• Business blog posts: Automation
• Business blog posts: Case studies
• Business blog posts: Human resources
• Business blog posts: ISO and quality management
• Business blog posts: Marketing
• Business blog posts: Management and organizational theory
• Business blog posts: Property management
• Business blog posts: Productivity
• Business blog posts: Sustainable business
• Business blog posts: Tools and tech
• Business blog posts: Just for fun!
• How does Process Street stand apart from other business blogs?

Now, let’s learn a thing or two.

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This is a guest post by Ronita Mohan. Ronita is a content marketer at Venngage, the online infographic and design platform. Ronita is interested in a variety of topics related to digital marketing, visual content, and online engagement, which she enjoys researching and writing about.

Content marketing has certainly become popular.

In fact, it’s become a lynchpin for marketing strategies.

Businesses of all sizes are employing content marketers left, right, and center to ensure that content is created and distributed on a regular schedule.

The purpose of content marketing may have started as a way for businesses to communicate with their audiences, but it has taken on another angle altogether. Content marketing is now seen as a primary driver of SEO and organic web traffic, and content needs to be tailored accordingly.

Unsurprisingly, content marketers are spending huge amounts of time developing blog post ideas that will gain them traction, incite visitors to their websites, and tempt users to use the businesses’ products or services. But without a solid content strategy, the content itself could be insubstantial and ineffective.

That’s why in this informative post I’ll be discussing content marketing in detail, and presenting you with an easy-to-understand, four-step content marketing framework you can follow straight away. Just read the following sections:

• How to improve your content plan
• Content framework step #1: Setting your content marketing goals
• Content framework step #2: Undergoing content research
• Content framework step #3: Establish your authority
• Content framework step #4: Cross-promotion
• Use Process Street to complement this content marketing framework!

Ready to dive in?

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It’s 8 am. Your alarm buzzes.

You roll out of bed, perform your morning ablutions, and then sit down at your desk, ready to take Monday by the horns. Which you do, because you’re working from home, and not some crummy, cramped office which is full of distracting coworkers.

Ahh. Bliss.

It’s 8 am. Your alarm buzzes.

You realize you were dreaming.

This rose-tinted view of remote work – and being part of a virtual team – was exactly that: A dream.

Although working remotely can be wondrous, it isn’t always easy.

As members of virtual teams (like myself) will tell you, there are countless challenges and hurdles teams must tackle – from maintaining a healthy work-life balance to establishing a culture of asynchronous communication – before a virtual team can reap the rewards of increased employee productivity, lowered business costs (Cisco saved over $270 million a year!), and improved employee happiness.

Luckily for you, this blog post contains everything you need to help your virtual team not only excel but become excellent.

Read through the sections below to get a proper handle on all-things virtual teams:

• Virtual teams definition
• What makes strong, successful virtual teams?
• How top remote companies go about managing virtual teams
• Overcome virtual team challenges with Process Street!

Now, it’s time to wake up, smell the coffee, and learn exactly how to instill and sustain a masterful, virtual team!

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Learning about vendor management is no easy task.

As soon as you search the words ‘vendor management’ in Google, you’re bombarded with details regarding vendor management systems, rather than information regarding vendor management itself.

And considering that 88% of companies use at least one outside vendor, and 47% more than 10 vendors, vendor management is a topic that, at some point in their careers, many employees will need to understand.

That’s why in this informative, easy-to-understand post, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about vendor management – and in layman’s terms.

Specifically, you’ll learn exactly what vendor management is, the benefits of it, and the process of managing vendors successfully. To finish off, I’ll even provide you with (free!) vendor management templates you can jump into and use straight away. Just read through the sections below:

• What is vendor management?
• Benefits of vendor management
• The vendor management process (and its 4 essential components)
• Tried-and-tested tips for successful vendor management
• How Process Street can help with vendor management and vendor relations

Now, it’s time to get a solid grasp on vendor management.

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This is a guest post by Marla DiCarlo, an accomplished business consultant with more than 28 years of professional accounting experience. As co-owner and CEO of Raincatcher, she helps business owners learn how to sell a company so they can get paid the maximum value for their company.

Inventory management.

The mere mention of it may strike fear into the hearts of those working in the manufacturing, ecommerce, or logistics sectors as, after all, it can be rather complicated.

But with the right high-value processes, procedures, and techniques in place, inventory management can be turned from a fear-inducing activity into one which helps your business to truly thrive.

That’s why in this short, informative post, we’ll take a look several inventory management best practices, so you can help your business be more efficient, productive, and better all-around at managing their inventory. Just read through the following sections:

• What is inventory management?
• 13 inventory management procedures for startups and SMBs
• The benefits of using software for inventory management
• How Process Street can help you with inventory management

Now, let’s get started.

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Think life coaching is mumbo-jumbo? A bit of social hocus-pocus?

It’s not. And it’s a rapidly growing market.

In the U.S., the personal development industry was worth just $707 million in 2011, but that quickly shot up to over $1.06 billion in 2016.

To boot, the International Coach Federation believes over 53,300 coaches are practicing their craft worldwide, with over 17,500 of those coaches operating in the U.S.

So if you’re wanting to break into the coaching industry and establish yourself as an authority figure, you’re going to need all the help you can get. And that means getting life coach certification.

Confused about what life coach certification is?

I’ve got you covered.

In this post I’ll define what a life coach is (useful for any non-life coach readers), give examples of prominent life coaches, clarify what life coach certification is and how to get it, then offer free Process Street-made templates to help you with life management. Just read the following sections below:

• What is a life coach?
• Inspirational life coaches
• What is an ICF life coaching certification?
• Which life coach certification road should you take?
• How Process Street can help you be a better life coach!

Now, take a deep breath.

We’re about to get started.

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“Once upon a time…
A fledgling young business set upon a quest…
To incorporate digital storytelling…
After hearing of its success.

They scoured the web…
During all hours of night and day…

For digital storytelling techniques…
So their customers would stay.


But they couldn’t quite find…
The resources they sought to seek…
Until, that is, they found this blog post…
Written by the team at Process Street.”
– Anon

Storytelling.

It’s a medium nearly as old as time itself.

From the visual scribblings made over 30,000 years ago by our cavemen cousins to the 18th-century fairy tales about dwarves, goblins, ghouls and demons made popular by the Brothers Grimm, the human need for stories runs deep.

Luckily for us living in the 21st century, we have the digital and technological means to bolster the stories we tell in unprecedented ways.

And from a marketing standpoint, digital storytelling is something of a holy grail; with it, businesses can gain, engage, connect, influence, and retain customers.

So, if you’re on a quest to learn about digital storytelling and how to incorporate it into your marketing plans, you’ve come to the right place, adventurer. Read through the sections below:

• Chapter 1: What is digital storytelling?
• Chapter 2: The benefits of digital storytelling
• Chapter 3: Brands effectively utilizing digital storytelling
• Chapter 4: The digital storytelling tools of the trade
• Chapter 5: How Process Street can aid digital storytellers

Let’s begin.

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You may remember from Latin 101 at college that conversiō is the process of turning around, altering, changing, or converting.

And whether you’re now a WeWork-dwelling solopreneur or a newly-hired marketer at an SMB, it’s crucial for your leads to undergo conversiō.

After all, without conversions site visitors aren’t as likely to sign up to newsletters, put an item in a cart, or proceed to the checkout page and order that product or service. Conversions, therefore, are a major contributor to your business’ longevity.

This could be the point where you’re frantically thinking: “I want to secure my business’ longevity! How can I help facilitate conversions? And how can I optimize conversion rates for the better?!”

Slow down.

We’ve got you covered.

During this post we’ll be explaining all things CRO – conversion rate optimization.

First we’ll tackle what CRO is, then we’ll delve into an actionable framework for increasing your conversion rates, and then we’ll provide you with a Process Street-made template which has everything you need to hike those conversion rates up!

All you have to do is read the different sections below:

• What is CRO (conversion rate optimization)?
• A 10-step framework for optimizing conversion rates
• Use Process Street’s template for CRO and website optimization
• The secret 11th step for improved website conversion

Let’s jump straight in.

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