The 8 Best CRM for Creatives To Manage Their Work

If you're a creative agency who enjoys keeping track of projects, clients, and customers then the field can be rewarding, but it also has its challenges.

The most basic challenge being on how do you keep track of all the CRM contacts that you have made? It's hard! Luckily there are CRM portals designed specifically for creatives like you.

These CRM Portals will allow you to stay organized while collaborating on a project and will give you an easy way to see your progress towards your fundraising goals.

What is a CRM?

CRM stands for "Customer Relationship Management" and CRM Portals are software that lets you create profiles for individuals, groups, or organizations.

Using those profiles, you can see someone's donor history, whether they have attended your events, which emails you've sent them, any phone calls you've had with them, and more.

You might be thinking, "I don't have CRM contacts. I just run a blog." Well, CRMs can be used for any type of relationship you want to keep track of whether it's people or projects!

CRMs are customizable so you can define what information is important and useful to your business, and change the layout as needed. CRMs often integrate with other tools that are important to you, such as your blog or email provider.

Why does a Creative like you need a CRM?

CRMs were created at first for salespeople to keep track of leads, but CRMs are useful for anyone who needs to stay organized while collaborating on a project.

As creatives, you probably have your hands in all different areas at once! You're doing client work one day and thinking about future projects the next.

It's easy to get overwhelmed when you have multiple CRM contacts, projects in different stages of completion, and ideas for new products.

CRMs designed specifically for creatives will allow you to stay organized while collaborating on a project so it's easy to see your progress towards your goals!

What to look for in a CRM for creatives?

As you can see there are a lot of features to look for when picking your perfect CRM. So we've made a helpful checklist below!

Lets you easily manage your contacts and tasks. Keep track of what prospects have shown interest in so that you can stay organized!

• Allows you to customize your CRM so you can see what information is most important to you!
• Gives a good idea of how many contacts you have and if anything has been going on with them recently (for example, did they open a message that you sent them?)
• Has an iOS app for easy access no matter where you are.
• Integrates with a variety of other tools.
• Allows you to use email templates for outreach emails or data that is copied into your CRM from an outside source (meaning that it doesn't require manual entry).

Best CRM for Creatives

The best CRM for creatives are CRMs that are easy to use, customizable so you can define what information is important and useful for your business, and have an intuitive interface.

In some CRMs, it's difficult or time-consuming to figure out how the CRM works because of a complicated layout. In other CRMs, there may be too much flexibility which makes it hard to define what CRM contacts and CRM projects are important.

There's a CRM for everyone! Let's have a look at some of them.

1. Airtable

• Airtable is a CRM for creatives that is not focused on just one type of CRM contacts such as donors or clients. These CRMs allow you to manage all types of relationships and projects at once, which makes it easy to stay organized while collaborating with other team members!
• Airtable's interface is intuitive so there aren't many barriers when it comes to CRM contacts. As soon as you start using it, you'll see that CRMs are simple and easy to create!
• It is also customizable so you can define fields such as name, email address, or phone number and make them required or optional.
• Airtable uses tags to help keep track of CRM contacts and projects. You can set up a new tag group for each project and use those tags to find the CRM contacts that you need.
• You can also add tags to CRM contacts so when it's time to find your CRM contacts for a project, you can easily use the search bar.
• Airtable also has email templates which means you can send emails from within Airtable and add attachments such as contracts or invoices!

Features

• Integrates with tools like Mailchimp and Google CRM for creatives Suite.
• Uses a spreadsheet layout so it's easy to sort and filter CRMs' contacts based on the information you need. For example, if we wanted to see all events that have been hosted or are coming up soon we could simply click an event title CRM to view CRMs that are filtered by CRM events.
• Comes with several different templates including the sales CRM donations template and art gallery CRM.
• Airtable is organized while collaborating on sales leads, deals, and prospects.

If you want to get a good idea of the CRMs and deals that your contacts have shown interest in, or what came up recently (for example, did they open a message that you sent them?) then Airtable is the perfect CRM for creatives!

The best part about Airtable? It's free for everyone! All you have to do is sign up on their website or download it from your app CRM store.

2. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 CRM is targeted towards nonprofits and therefore it's a great CRM for creatives who are looking to keep track of donors. This CRM allows you to see your donor history, whether they have attended your events, which emails were sent out, any phone calls made with them, and more!

One feature we like about Bitrix24 CRM is that you can make and record calls from within the CRMs which makes it incredibly easy to manage CRM contacts. Plus, Bitrix24 CRM integrates with Mailchimp so your CRM contact information is up-to-date!

Bitrix24 CRM is also free for up to 12 users so it's easy to collaborate with your team! It also has a lot of helpful tutorials that can teach you how to use CRM.

Bitrix24 CRMs also has an intranet where you can coordinate CRM members and CRM projects, set CRM tasks and goals from within your account, share files with other CRMs team members. What's more, is that you can access your Bitrix24 CRMs on any device!

Features

• Intranet to help coordinate CRMs members and manage CRM projects.
• Task management CRMs.
• Email CRMs templates for outreach.
• You can see the complete history of donor interactions including whether they have attended an event, name changes, and any events they may be attending.
• Make calls directly from the CRMs which saves you time while managing clients. You can also keep track of CRM contacts' call history.
• Create individual CRMs for each client to keep track of personal information such as contact details and notes you've added about your CRM contacts.
• Bitrix24 is great for small businesses that want to manage sales leads, deals, and prospects all in one place.

3. Hubspot

• Hubspot CRM is great for CRMs that need to track their marketing efforts. This CRMs provides tools such as autoresponders and email templates so you can stay organized while focusing on your work!
• Hubspot CRM's calendar integration makes it easy to see what events you have coming up or scheduled meetings with other CRMs members. You can also see your CRM contacts' social media profiles so it's easy to customize the messaging you send out!
• Hubspot CRM also invites you to view your contact's recent social media posts so you can tailor emails or voicemails you send out. You can manage creative teams with the help of CRM.
• Hubspot CRMs also has a contact database where you can add any details you want such as their personal or professional information, the type of industry they work in, whether they've attended events before and if so which ones.
• Hubspot CRMs also integrates with Gmail which is great for creatives who aren't used to using business software. If a prospect leaves an email address, Hubspot CRMs will automatically pull up any information you have on them from their social profiles!
• The best part about this CRM is that it offers different plans depending on what kind of CRM you need. If you're a small business looking to manage sales or manage CRM contacts then the Basic plan is free!
• Hubspot CRMs allows you to set up a blog right from within your account which means all your content is in one place. You can also use email templates right from the Hubspot CRM to send out blog posts, newsletters, and anything you need!
• Hubspot CRMs allows you to set up a blog right from within your account which means all your content is in one place. You can also use email templates right from the Hubspot CRM to send out blog posts, newsletters, and anything else you would like!
• Since Hubspot CRM integrates with a variety of other tools such as Google CRM for creatives Suite, Dropbox, and more there is no need to switch between different CRMs accounts. Plus, this CRMs allows you to personalize your CRM layout to fit the needs of your CRM!

Features

• Integrates with other tools such as Google CRM for creatives Suite.
• Intuitive calendar that allows you to see your CRMs contacts' social media profiles, scheduled meetings, email templates.
• Calendar integration is also great if you need to see CRMs contacts' availability for meetings
• Customizable CRM layout.
• Social media profiles for CRMs contacts.
• Autoresponders for easy outreach.
• See what events you have coming up or scheduled meetings with other CRMs members.

4. Pipedrive

• Pipedrive is a CRM for creatives that are trying to grow their CRMs contacts list. Pipedrive is designed for sales teams rather than nonprofits, but it's still a solid option for artists and creatives.
• One of the best parts about the Pipedrive CRM is its visuality. You can see how your CRMs contacts stack up against one another by seeing who has been working on deals longer, which CRMs have a higher sales stage, or even if they have an upcoming CRM task.
• You can also see all communication you have with a specific CRM. This is especially helpful if you need to refer back to a voicemail or email someone sent you.
• Pipedrive is great for creatives who are looking to conduct simple outreach since this CRMs provides an easy way to keep track of prospective leads and follow up with them.
• Pipedrive CRM also offers a variety of integrations so you can have your CRMs contacts' contact information up-to-date! Plus, there are templates to help increase productivity and decrease manual work.

Features

• Visual CRM layout allows you to compare similar CRMs contacts by seeing who has been working on CRM deals longer, their CRMs sales stage, upcoming CRM tasks.
• Comes with templates to help increase productivity and decrease manual work.
• Unlimited CRMs contacts and storage space.
• Intuitive calendar that allows you to see your CRMs contacts' social media profiles, scheduled meetings, email templates.
• Unlimited storage space.
• Sales team rather than nonprofit focused.
• See who has been working on deals the longest, which CRM contacts have a higher sales stage, or if they have an upcoming event.

5. Salesforce

Salesforce is the portal for creatives that are looking to keep track of their CRM contacts, donors, and events. This CRM is perfect if you need an industry-standard CRM that your clients will be familiar with or just want a tool that can help organize your work-life!

It is highly customizable with lots of CRM tools and integration capacities. You also don't have to use the nonprofit version of Salesforce, it has options available for small businesses too! The only downside to Salesforce is that the free version does not come with analytics or unlimited storage.

Salesforce CRM allows you to see your CRMs contacts' social media profiles so you can customize the messaging that goes out. Plus, Salesforce CRM integrates with a variety of other tools such as Mailchimp and Gmail for easy email outreach!

Features

• Industry-standard CRM.
• Allows you to see CRMs contacts' social media profiles.
• Integrates with a variety of tools such as Mailchimp and Gmail for CRM outreach purposes.
• Keep track of your CRMs contacts, donors, and events.
• Offers an industry-standard CRM that your clients will be familiar with.
• Customizable layout and available in small business versions too!
• Does not come with analytics or unlimited storage.

6. Little Green Light

Little Green Light is one of the CRMs for creatives that are on the smaller CRM size. This CRM is perfect if you're just starting or don't need complex CRM tools!

With Little Green Light CRM, it's easy to manage your contacts and tasks - plus see what events you have coming up with its built-in calendar. This CRM is great for creatives who are looking to organize their work quickly and easily!

Little Green Light CRM also provides you with an easy way to find out who has gone through your CRMs pipeline! You can see where all of your leads are in the sales process so it's easier to pinpoint who your hottest prospects are or who is about to close a deal.

It is one of the most intuitive CRMs on the market, which is why it's perfect for creatives who are also busy with school or work plus it has an iOS app that you can use wherever you go!

You can also customize your CRM dashboard to see just the information that you need. Plus, Little Green Light CRM lets artists and nonprofits create emails from within the site, for example, to thank donors!

Features

• Perfect if you're just starting or are on a smaller CRM size.
• Allows you to customize your CRMs contacts and CRMs tasks.
• Customizable CRM dashboard to see the information that you need.
• Easily manage your contacts and tasks.
• See what events you have coming up with the built-in calendar.
• Perfect for artists, creatives, or smaller organizations.
• Quick and easy organization capabilities.
• Easy to create emails from within the site to thank donors.

8. Bloom

Bloom CRM for creatives is an extremely user-friendly CRM that comes packed with features like email templates, task management tools, and integrations.

With Bloom CRM for creatives, you can see your contacts' social media profiles so you know exactly how to reach out to them! There are also lots of other CRMs options available through this CRM for example, direct mail or CRM contests.

Bloom is a great CRM for creatives that are looking to connect with the right people in their industry. It's also a good choice if you have a team because everyone can create custom reports and see up-to-date information!

Bloom is a tool that doesn't just help you manage your CRMs contacts, but it helps with email outreach too.

You can create custom email templates to use as a template for your outreach emails so you save time and don't have to keep figuring out how to word your emails.

Bloom has the option to integrate with Google Analytics so that you can better track your website visits and see which visitors are interested in what! Also, Bloom CRM integrates with a variety of other tools such as Mailchimp and Gmail for easy email outreach.

Bloom CRMs for creatives also has integrations with a variety of other tools, which makes it easy to increase productivity. Plus, the CRM layout is very customizable so you can see just what you need to!

Features

• Comes with CRM templates, task management tools, and integrations.
• Allows you to see CRMs contacts' social media profiles.
• Lots of CRMs options are available through this CRM for example direct mail or CRM contests.
• Email templates, task management tools, and integrations.
• Helps you connect with the right people.
• Saves time by creating custom email templates to use as a template for your outreach emails.
• Option to integrate with Google Analytics so that you can track your website visits.
• Supports integration with a variety of other tools such as Mailchimp and Gmail for easy email outreach.

8. ClientVenue

ClientVenue is one of the most powerful and user-friendly Client Management Platforms on the market, and it has been used by a variety of brands to maximise the productization of their services.

1.Creates the easiest onboarding experience for your client

• Even before work on the project begins, the first impression is often the best chance for you to keep your client.
• A seamless Client Onboarding Process demonstrates your professionalism and creates an aura of knowledge around you.
• Instead of being trapped on mundane work, ClientVenue's integrated client automated onboarding process will allow you to focus more on how your organisation scales.

2. Integrates with the best known tools available on the web

• ClientVenue does an excellent job of selecting the right technologies to connect your organisation, providing clear communication and smooth integration so that you and your client are always on the same page.
• You just need to signup for any tool (for eg. Slack) and it will seamlessly link to your ClientVenue workspace.
• All you need to do is to provide ClientVenue with the unique reference code, registered website or your registered licence details and it will automatically take care of the rest.
• Also, this list is not exhaustive because as we speak ClientVenue is continuously integrating more and more essential tools such as Hubspot and LiveChat to name a few.

Overall ClientVenue includes certain vital features overlooked by others in this domain and is miles ahead in user friendliness providing you with the ideal platform to deliver your productized service.

Clientvenue is always striving to be better, and with a host of integrations on their way your experience will only improve as time goes by.

How to find out the perfect CRM for creatives?

Now that you know the best 8 CRM for creatives to manage your work, it's time to figure out which one works the best for you.

The first thing you should do before purchasing a CRM is to create a list of features that are essential to your business. What do you want your CRM to be capable of? Do you need reports? How about social media integration, or email templates?

If you put together this list beforehand then choosing the perfect CRM will be easier! Most of the CRMs for creatives on this list are monthly subscriptions so check to see if you can afford it month-by-month.

Afterward, sit down and compare each CRM option with your need list. One CRM might excel at integrations while having other missing functions - another may not have any integrations but comes with lots of templates already created for you.

It's important to note that almost all CRM systems have a free option. You can try them out for yourself before committing to any one of the options above!

Finally, don't feel pressured into choosing just one CRM system. If you're an independent artist or creative then having multiple CRMs might be the best option for you! It might seem like more work at first but it'll save you time in the long run.

With these tips, you should be well on your way to finding the perfect CRM solution for your business. Good luck!

Conclusion

Creative people are in dire need of CRMs that help them stay organized and accomplished, but not all CRMs are created equal. Which CRM is the best CRM for creatives? It's up to you!

Different CRM prtals have different features, so think about what your needs are when investing in a CRM. There is no one-size-fits-all CRM so it's important to think about what features you need before diving in!

The data you enter in these CRMs can often sync with other CRMs, so it's good to do your research beforehand. If you're building a list of contacts then it might be best to use an email marketing CRM portal that lets you import all of the contact data for you!

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