5 Best CRM for Newspapers

So, you are in the market for a CRM that suits Newspapers.

Ideal, because in this article we have our compilation list for our top picks, and we compare the features and pricing for you. 

If you just want the best choice, we’ve added that right at the top of the article as this was what is most requested by our customers. So, that’ll be the “can’t go wrong” option. 

Otherwise, feel free to explore all the options we’ve reviewed on the market to find something that might fit you a little better.

Enjoy the list!

What CRM would you recommend?

In short, It’s Monday.com CRM

It’s very well rounded, well priced, feature-rich with a large community of support and a very top-notch set of tutorials for every use case. You can’t go wrong with Monday.com. It’s the software we use with our clients at our ad agency.

“🚀Try Monday.com CRM For Free, It’s my favorite webinar software to use and recommend.” -Scott Max

Monday.com is a user-friendly CRM platform that provides advanced solutions with its robust marketing tools. It allows larger companies with complex workflows to perform efficiently and produce nifty results. Monday.com has you covered for your: Service, Sales, CMS, Operations, and Marketing needs.

For more details, read our Monday.com Review.

The best CRM specifically for Newspapers

Newspapers have to equip their editors with the necessary tools to process the latest information at the earliest and maintain their consumer base. A CRM that allows you to gather relevant headlines from integrated sources and optimizes communication between staff will be the perfect fit for this category. Have a look at the products below to choose the best CRM for Newspapers:

1. HubSpot

HubSpot is one of the best known CRM tools in the world, and one of the undisputed references in the field of inbound marketing. Hubspot’s CRM functionality allows you to manage all marketing and sales activities as you see fit. For example, it allows us to group by campaigns that generate detailed reports of metrics on the real return on investment in the entire conversion funnel experienced.

In addition, it is a complete CRM tool that is completely free of charge. 56,500 customers in more than 100 countries trust HubSpot for their growth.

Get Started with Hubspot🔥

Hubspot Features

Hubspot is a user-friendly CRM platform that provides advanced solutions with its robust marketing tools. It allows larger companies with complex workflows to perform efficiently and produce nifty results. Hubspot has five modules: Service, Sales, CMS, Operations, and Marketing, so you can include them in the package as per your business requirements.

Here are some impressive features available on Hubspot:

• SEO Tools: Hubspot is one of the few CRM services that provide SEO-related analysis for your website’s content. Once you integrate your business website with Hubspot, it automatically scans it and recommends better optimization. Alternatively, you can paste your website’s URL and get an SEO report.
• Content creation tools: You can create new blog posts for your website and edit the existing ones by simply integrating the website with CRM. Hubspot records all comments and edits made to the original content, so you are always in touch with the changes. Moreover, you can use the editor to start a new blog and add relevant images.
• CPQ Functionality: Every business needs to create quotations for products or services to assist sales reps in negotiations. Hubspot allows you to do it inside the CRM with its “Quotes Tool”. You can add unit price, discount offers, conditions, regulations terms, or any other information that will benefit the buyer and sales process.
• Campaigns Tools: Hubspot has several relevant automation tools that enable smooth interaction with clients and organize workflow. You can make posts on social media, send customized emails and run paid search campaigns to get leads on potential customers. It is one of a kind collection with all the necessary marketing tools and a great addition for larger businesses. 
• Contact Attribution Reporting: Hubspot can help your management team understand the latest trend related to customers’ sales processes and identify the sources that influenced their decision. You can customize the attribution parameters to get different insights into your business and recognize the market-making activities.
• Data Quality Automation: It allows you to automate properties like; time, date and add new automation to manage the incoming leads swiftly. Hubspot will follow all the pre-entered instructions and give a reminder every it finds a promising opportunity.

Hubspot Pricing

Hubspot offers you the option to create a customized subscription plan by adding the required services. Alternatively, you can choose from the existing bundles and get a general subscription. The “Starter” plan costs $45/month and offers fundamental marketing and sales features. The “Professional” plan starts at $1600/month with advanced marketing tools and customer service software. The “Enterprise” plan offers all available features of Hubspot and is priced: at $4000/ month, with the price set to go up to $5000/month From December 1, 2021.

2. amoCRM

The specialization, and the detail that makes it peculiar, of amoCRM is the messaging. Thanks to its technology it adds a complete set of messaging applications to its arsenal, allowing it to respond quickly to potential customers and generate more sales. You can identify the progress of each potential customer, get a preview of the task status and get an overview of the overall sales status. It also has a mobile app.

Get Started with AmoCRM🔥

amoCRM Features

amoCRM stores contact information regarding potential customers and leads, allowing businesses to increase their clientele base. It offers a plethora of options to simplify the tasks related to sales and marketing; while also providing analytical tools to keep track of every lead.

Here’s a list of features that you can use inside amoCRM:

• Pipeline: It allows you to arrange leads based on how advanced the negotiations are. Whenever you create a new lead, it gets added to the “Initial Contact” section and can be moved; to further stages later on. Also, you can use the Digital pipeline to add lead sources like messaging applications, Email addresses, and Web forms, which will automatically move any inquires on the added source to the “Incoming Leads” section.
• Salesbot: It gives an automated response to all inquiries and is customizable so you can pre-enter the instructions. Salesbot is a great tool to engage with potential customers during off-hours and is accessible in every section of the Pipeline.
• Analytics: It provides a detailed assessment of all sales leads with an option to filter out the results you don’t want to see. You can check the Win-Loss record of every sales rep and generate client reports with the advanced filter options. Moreover, you can see what happens to negotiations at various stages and get a detailed analysis, which forecasts your future sales.
• Digital Pipeline: It saves you the trouble of cold-calling by automatically nurturing the client towards making a purchase and keeps you in touch with the latest advancements. You can add automated actions such as email responses or social media advertisements to every stage and set a reminder to call the client if the negotiations move swiftly. 
• WebForms: You can create web forms on amoCRM without any programming knowledge and customize every detail; as per your company’s requirements. This webform will integrate amoCRM with your website and move every submission to the “Incoming leads” section.
• Business Card Scanner: It’s a great tool to automatically add client information to the leads: from business cards. All you need to do is click an image of the card, and the system will automatically add it to the “Leads” section after recognizing it.
• Collaboration: Some of your business partners or employees may not use amoCRM, so for such instances, you can communicate through Lead cards by sending mail. The receiver will get a link that redirects to the lead card and gives access to the amoCRM.

amoCRM Pricing

amoCRM has 3 pricing options available depending on your requirements: Base Plan, Advanced Plan and Enterprise Plan. The Base plan offers intrinsic features and is priced: at $15 per month; The Advanced subscription is worth $25 per month and offers added benefits like widget creation, whereas The Enterprise Plan allows you to use amoCRM to its maximum capabilities: and is worth $45 per month. All these prices are applicable only for a subscription period of 6 months or longer.

3. Creatio

Creatio is defined as a tool that allows the management of each client, in a particular way, at each stage of the life cycle. From the initial origin or lead, through the moment the sale is generated and up to the after-sales service. It has a simple, friendly and responsive interface that, at a glance, allows the particular situation of each client to be conceptualised. In addition, it allows the processes between marketing, sales and customer service to be connected.

Get Started with Creatio🔥

Creatio Features

Creatio is designed; for businesses looking to expedite their sales and marketing services. It enables a seamless transition to the CRM and requires no coding while also providing a marketplace where users can avail templates and relevant applications. You can orchestrate customer journeys with Creatio and maximize the ROI by marketing your product to the right audience.

Here are some central features offered by Creatio:

• Marketing Plans: It is the hub of all your marketing strategies throughout the years, where you can access each activity, schedule meetings, and sort data. You can create new entries or update the older ones to meet your current requirements. You can also set access permission and distribute the workload among the organization effectively.
• Website event tracking: Creatio lets you track specific user actions on your website; to help you know the customer preferences and structure your marketing tactics accordingly. You can add commands to remind the customer about the cart items and nurture them towards a potential purchase. You have to enter the unique tracking code into your website’s source code and set the guidelines to get started.
• Case appraisal: Here, you can access all customer-related queries, assign cases to employees, and import new data from your system. You can access each inquiry to see the relevant details and progress, add new attachments or escalate the incident to a higher authority. It allows you to satisfy the customer by providing a quick resolution.
• Service Changes assessment: Creatio gives you access to all the recent changes made in the interface and the system. You can see who assigned the work to whom and add notes to inform the responsible entity about the nature of the task. Moreover, you can also sort these changes according to the execution time and priority level.
• Knowledge base: It is the perfect place for your employees to find educational material regarding the company’s working process, plus add new relevant content for other users. As an administrator, you can set access rights and tag the articles to make them easily discoverable.
• Sales homepage: Here, you get an in-depth analysis of the sales process and recent negotiation activities. You can see how many leads have been; converted or lost and formulate a plan to close more opportunities. Moreover, you can access the sales pipeline through the homepage and group the leads according to the phases.

Creatio Pricing

Creatio allows you to customize the plan, so you only pay for the services you require. There are three tools available in Creatio: Marketing, Sales, and Service. To get a quote, Fill in the relevant details. You also have to add a “Support package” to get technical assistance from the Creatio team. You can opt for a “Basic”, “Business”, or “Premium” plan, which cost 5%, 12%, and 20% of the subscription package, respectively.

4. Monday

The Monday software is extremely simple, with pre-defined templates for all kinds of situations, allowing you to start with the one that suits you best. It also gives you the ability to use the columns to display all the information you need at any given time. Monitoring the time for each task, keeping track of who is in charge of what, marking locations, adding text, numbers, links, and much more.

Get Started with MondayCRM🔥

Monday Features

Monday integrates client emails, collects leads with forms, and refines marketing campaigns through scrupulous analysis that greatly enhances your relationship with clients and creates more business opportunities. It’s an easy-to-use platform that simplifies organizational tasks for sales and marketing teams.

Here are some features that make Monday a unique CRM:

• Software development: Monday provides templates to help your technical team quickly organize tasks, find bugs and improve iterations. You can add indicators to let the team know what you are working on and analyze the resource allocation. Every project has a specific ID that can be used; to track it among other tasks. Clients will automatically be alerted once the error is solved to reduce downtime and keep customers updated.
• HR structuring: Monday lets users manage recruiting process and track employee progression through its HR tools such as Applicant Tracker, Employee Engagement, Attendance Tracker, Recruitment Tracker, and Vacation Tracker. You can boost the team spirit of your employees by creating specific goals and giving constructive feedback on their work.
• Inventory Management: Businesses can record product and asset details while setting automation to get regular updates about sales and inquiries. You can create new templates to match the company’s requirements and integrate Monday with other applications to make the tasks easier. Moreover, Monday generates a unique QR code for each product so your clients can coherently buy the inventory.
• Marketing and Creative attributes: Monday can bridge the gap between creative thinking and marketing strategies by merging them into a single platform. You can create visualizations on campaign effects, share ideas and create personalized operations to make information accessible for employees.
• Sales operations: Monday offers CRM customization to make the leads attainable and manage all opportunity stages at a single interface. You can see the combined effect of marketing and sales campaigns to make adjustments accordingly. Moreover, businesses can centralize the available data for ease of use and synchronization of operations.
• IT workspace: You can add educational content for new recruitments to learn skills faster and ensure quality work. Monday lets you set access permissions for tasks and strictly follows security protocols to prevent cyber attacks on your CRM database. You can integrate IT tools and put technical work in order on Monday.

Monday Pricing

Monday CRM offers 4 pricing options depending upon your business size and requirements.

“Individual” plan is free of cost and lets users record work-related activities. 

“Basic” plan is priced at $10/month for a single user and offers 5GB storage along with customer support.

“Standard” plan is worth $12/month for a single user and offers additional collaboration tools. 

“Pro” subscription costs $20/month for an individual and offers chart view along with time tracking.

 “Enterprise” plan is made specifically for large businesses and includes quality security features. You can contact support to get a quote on the “Enterprise” package.

5. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a free CRM full of customer management tools, support and marketing automation features. Available in the cloud and locally, for mobile devices and desktops. Includes all essential tools: sales funnels, channel management, sales reporting, 360 degree customer view, repeat sales support and sales automation.

In addition, it comes with dozens of available integrations, and you can also create your own applications using its REST API.

Get Started with Bitrix24🔥

Bitrix24 Features

In the corporate world, most of the marketing-related work is done collectively, and using different software for each task can be costly as well as inefficient. Bitrix24 offers all necessary tools for businesses within a single platform and makes it easier to collaborate with your team members. Bitrix24 has its virtual ecosystem where you can tackle every task with ease on an interface.

 Here are some exclusive features of Bitrix24:

• Activity stream: It is the most happening place inside the Bitrix24 and is a perfect tool for communicating the project details with your employees. Think of it as a social media platform; where you can post project updates, create polls, follow relevant tags, and comment on posts.
• Virtual workspace: It is a great collaborative tool that helps you connect with the employees through video conferencing. Each call can have up to 48 members, and you can invite participants who don’t use Bitrix24. Moreover, you can track each employee’s work hours and progress through a Virtual workspace.
• Project Management: Bitrix24 offers the ability to create workgroups based on projects and assign tasks in several ways. You can approach each project differently, sort them according to the deadlines, and cumulate reports.
• Bitrix24.Drive: You can use the virtual drive inside the Bitrix24 to keep all your business-related files organized inside the system. Moreover, you can decide who gets access to each file and create new documents.
• CRM Space: It is your one-stop for all sales and marketing-related activities. You can customize the existing process templates or create a new one with the “Smart Process automation” without programming. CRM Space is designed: specifically to help you organize leads and lucidly automate processes.
• Sales Intelligence: Here, you can manage the traffic sources and see the ROI for each platform. It’s a perfect tool to assess your marketing strategy and see which sources generate more traffic. Users can connect their business website and get information on every lead through Sales Intelligence.
• Bitrix24.Sites: Bitrix24 has an inbuilt website creation tool that is easy to access and offers several templates to choose from. You can browse through the layouts according to your business niche or use an empty template to design a website from scratch.
• Marketing Campaigns: Bitrix24 allows you to target a specific audience through social media, Phone and E-mail. CRM marketing tool will identify genuine clients and help you connect with potential customers.

Bitrix24 Pricing

Bitrix24 currently offers 4 pricing options for users interested in getting the most out of CRM services.

The “Free” plan is best for the new users who want to get accustomed to CRM software and costs absolutely nothing.

 The “Basic” plan is priced at €49/month and offers customer support service along with some simple collaboration tools. 

The “Standard” plan offers advanced collaboration tools and an increase in user capacity. It is priced: at €99/month.

The “Professional” plan is worth €199/month and unlocks all features of Bitrix24. You can add unlimited users, which makes it suitable for established businesses.

Benefits of CRM for Newspapers

In the fast-paced world of newspaper publishing, customer relationship management (CRM) systems have become indispensable tools that drive efficiency, improve customer engagement, and ultimately enhance profitability. Here are some of the key benefits of implementing a CRM specifically tailored for newspapers:

1. Streamlined Sales Processes:

A robust CRM like ASK-CRM centralizes sales, production, and billing data, allowing sales teams to manage all aspects of their accounts in one unified platform. This integration minimizes the time spent on administrative tasks, enabling sales representatives to focus on nurturing client relationships and closing deals.

2. Enhanced Customer Insights:

With advanced contact management features, newspapers can gain a comprehensive understanding of their advertisers. Custom search fields allow for fluid and specific queries, making it easier to identify active, inactive, and prospective advertisers. This insight supports targeted marketing efforts and helps sales teams prioritize their outreach strategies.

3. Automated Goal Tracking:

CRM systems automate the tracking of sales goals and performance metrics. By providing real-time data and automated alerts, sales teams remain focused and motivated. This proactive approach ensures that all accounts, including those that may have fallen off the radar, are regularly engaged, maximizing revenue opportunities.

4. Effective Communication:

Email marketing integration allows newspapers to communicate effortlessly with advertisers regarding special sections, new products, and promotions. Features that track email engagement, such as who opened an email and when, provide valuable data that can inform follow-up strategies and improve overall communication effectiveness.

5. Improved Team Collaboration

A CRM fosters collaboration among team members by consolidating important notes, tasks, and account histories onto a single screen. With easy access to shared information, sales teams can coordinate efforts and provide a seamless customer experience, enhancing client satisfaction and loyalty.

Key Features to Look for in Newspaper CRM

When selecting a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system specifically tailored for newspaper publishers, it’s essential to consider features that cater to the unique demands of the industry. Below are some key functionalities that can significantly enhance your newspaper’s operational efficiency and overall success:

1. Comprehensive Ad Management

A robust newspaper CRM should offer integrated ad management capabilities. This includes tracking ad sales, managing inventory, and facilitating order entry. The ability to set up campaigns, monitor performance, and generate reports with ease allows for more informed decision-making and maximizes ad revenue.

2. Streamlined Production Workflow

Look for a CRM that simplifies the production process, from conceptualization to publication. Automation features can significantly reduce manual tasks, enabling your team to focus more on content quality. This includes project management tools that help manage deadlines, assign tasks, and collaborate seamlessly across departments.

3. Integrated Billing & Accounting

An effective newspaper CRM should integrate billing and accounting functions to streamline financial management. This ensures accurate invoicing, track payments, and manage print production costs all from one platform. Keeping sales data and financial records unified not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors.

4. Customer Relationship Management tools

Central to any CRM is its ability to manage customer relationships. Features like contact organization, detailed customer profiles, and interaction history help your team provide personalized service to clients. Additionally, the ability to segment customers based on their advertising needs can enhance targeted marketing efforts.

5. Analytics and Reporting

Data-driven decision-making is crucial in the competitive publishing landscape. A good newspaper CRM should offer robust reporting tools that provide insights into sales performance, audience engagement, and marketing effectiveness. Customizable dashboards and real-time analytics allow for quick adaptation to market changes.

Why use a CRM at all?

Every business struggles to maintain databases of several platforms used by every department within the organization. By incorporating a solution with a unified interface to manage your departmental operations, you can empower your teams to deliver better results and be more effective.

CRM optimizes your business processes and provides a platform to collaborate on tasks. Your sales team can utilize valuable customer data and interactions to get the behavioural understanding of the clients and communicate swiftly. It unlocks your business potential by expediting and automating repetitive procedures, helping your employees to focus on high-priority tasks.

Why should Newspapers use a CRM?

A collaborative rich, and interactive experience is crucial for a successful new media strategy. CRM is a unified service platform that not only delivers your publication on multiple distribution channels but also helps you promote and monetize your market-ready newspapers.

It provides your subscribers with a seamless and quality experience from the print to your online editions. CRM is a 360⁰ full-service platform that takes up; an end-to-end responsibility for your new media publishing.

You simply supply the pre-press digital pages, and CRM handles the rest for you. From conversion, hosting, maintenance and reporting, CRM manages the entire nine yards of services; on its high-end infrastructure.

There is no internal IT cost or change in your existing setup. You incur only a one-time investment and can control the cost as you scale your operations.

Your digital edition is a rich replica of your newspaper’s print edition. With complete page-turning zoom and navigation features, your subscribers will love the online reading experience and won’t miss the print layout they are comfortable and familiar with.

Searching through the articles, pictures, or ads is simple yet, extensive and sharing the news with online communities is just a click away. Your subscribers can access the same digital edition as an RSS feed, mobile edition or podcasts.

CRM for Newspapers, A Summary

CRM ensures your digital edition of the newspaper is market-ready. With pre-existing subscriptions and e-commerce abilities, you can start generating online revenues as early as you choose to, and if advertising is your focus, CRM provides ready capabilities to win advertisers for your digital edition.

Hubspot offers all the necessary tools required; to create an attractive digital edition of your newspaper and keep it consistent with your physical edition. It is our suggested pick for a CRM that suits Newspapers. Visit the website to get started.