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Last week I introduced the best of the best when it comes to marketing automation software. Because marketing has diversified exponentially over the last five to ten years, marketing needs are now greater than ever. There’s a lot more to do and tons of ways to do it. So it comes as no surprise that businesses striving to meet the needs of marketers are swiftly competing to offer the best automation software, including the three below.

Genius – Divided into two main users, Genius recognizes two types of marketers: Small Business and Professional Marketers. Small business needs are unique in that they have the same needs as the big dogs but can’t afford the same price tag. They also are the DIY types that at best have a very small (likely minimally skilled) team to carry out a marketing campaign. “Genius Small Business” ropes in leads with manageable marketing that’s planned and easy to execute with no special training. On the other hand, “Genius Pro Marketer” is a more aggressive marketing outreach that includes social media marketing, tracking, real-time sales alerts and lead nurturing.

It’s free to sign up for Genius, but to get more out of it you’ll have to go with a paid upgrade. Their packages range from “Genius Nuclear” ($330/month); “Genius Fusion” ($220/month); and “Genius Custom,” which lets build your own package for an adjusted rate.

Pardot tells you where to look. A cloud-based solution, Pardo helps your team track where most of your marketing time should go so you can maximize your return on investment (ROI). They also look for “buying signals” both on and off your site to track. They then teach you how to nurture these leads and convert them into sales.

Geared for business to business needs, Pardot is designed for those that don’t need any frills, especially when it comes to the price point. You pay for what you need and aren’t committed to any long-term contracts. Small businesses that aren’t willing to pay the price need to step aside to make way for businesses willing to invest in results. Pardot packages start at $1K month – a price that, among other features, includes unlimited users, 50 lead nurturing programs, 100 MB file hosting, 50 Automation rules, social media tracking, 50 landing pages and live weekly training.

Marketbright – Also a cloud-based software, Marketbright focuses on collecting leads by optimizing all the channels through which leads naturally come your way. This includes your website through signup forms, white paper downloads, event registration and optimized landing pages. The software also empowers your sales team by making it easier for them to make use of marketing content syndication.

Everyone knows it takes months to go from a lead to a sale, which includes a lot of courting with back and forth emails and calls. And when you have more than just one lead (as you should), it can be pretty tough to stay on top of it all; something always slips through the cracks. Marketbright’s dialogue automation makes sure that you’re on top of nurturing your leads with automated programs that “deliver a sequence of relevant and personalized communications (newsletters, case studies, white papers or invitations to events) at appropriate intervals.”

The really neat feature here is that individual team members can not only quickly access content, but they can do so through their own Act-On accounts. Marketbright also hosts a very comprehensive resources page and a tools page to help you get everything you need out of it.

With month-to-month contracts, Marketbright offers an affordable $500 a month price point, which includes all available capabilities. When choosing your budget, especially with a software like Marketbright, it’s important to consider how many leads you plan on contacting each month, including both old and new contacts via email marketing.