Spokal vs. Thryv

For current Wordpress users Spokal is outstanding and highly recommended. For clients who don't already have a Wordpress blog it's a bit tricky as I need to first sell the benefits of using Wordpress in order to get them on board, but in all honestly I would recommend Wordpress anyway, it just slows the process down having to design and install Wordpress before we can get started.

Thryv is not for everyone! It all depends on the needs of the individual's business. If they are wanting to scale back on the number of tools they have to use and pay for, to accomplish their business needs and those tools include a scheduler, Social Media planning/posting tool, an email marketing tool, etc. then Thryv could be for them! If they are looking for a tool to automate some of the communications with their clients, Thryv could be a fit there, too! BUT if they are a small business, solopreneur, and need to start with the entry package BEWARE! The Premium package doesn't have the basic things that the more expensive packages do. One is a customized email signature so you can have you logo, picture, etc. in your email signature. This wasn't offered at all a year ago. I asked for it to be added. Evidently others did too because this week I got an email that they had added it BUT NOT for the Premium Package. Something that is basic that EVERYONE should have access to BUT you have to pay more! It didn't make me feel like a valued customer that's for sure.

Incentivized

• Very clear interface that easily guides you through the necessary steps to post content.
• Great customer service!
• Keyword recommendations that are helpful in creating content.

• Allows me to send unlimited socail media posts and emails.
• Allows me to collect information on customer.
• Allows me to have all my customers info in one safe place.
• Creates posts for my social media 12 times a month.
• Keeps my webite up to date and helps me with updates.
• Has the most amazing customer service via chat and phone.

Incentivized

• Allowing the import of audience/customers from Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign (they are working on this as we speak)
• The unique visitors number is different in Spokal from Google Analytics. Not sure why this is.
• The blog editor is better in Wordpress, so I end up creating my posts directly on my Wordpress site rather than through Spokal. I'll try this again but I had an easier time creating the post in my Wordpress site.

• I await the day that Thryv can integrate with Xero.
• Google Messages integration would be handy.
• There have been less than a handful of days where the site crashes and I have to reload it several times to get it to work properly.

Incentivized

Best combined product I've seen so far to run a WordPress based website. When it comes to solutions that replace multiple others and even to the combined feature set, it's a no brainer to start using that solution. Spokal is one of these tools I felt to have found that I want to use every day as it saves a ton of time.

Spokal takes away some of the complexity and noise that Wordpress has. Offering a separate login and dashboard to allow a user to create blog posts, check on backlinks, see ranking keywords, social engagement and tracks visitors/ contacts. Spokal provides a lot of functionality that would typically require the purchase of several products e.g. Hootsuite, SEO Moz, SEO pressor, Hubspot. What I really like is the content calendar. I simply drag and drop of my blog posts into my calendar to post to twitter, linkedin and facebook. This is an easy way to repost evergreen content and build my following on twitter. The twitter builder is constantly looking for relevant profiles and conversations based on my defined criteria. The tool automatically likes the twitter user which drives traffic to my sight and actually helps me find followers and potential influencers. This product is ideal for people new to internet marketing or small business owners who don't want to be overwhelmed by the effort to learn, manage and run several tools or wordpress plugins. I have been with Spokal since the start and I continue to be impressed by the support and raft of new functionality being added.

It is very easy to use and the features are great for the ones we utilize. If you have any issues at all, customer service or our sales rep is great to work with and fixes what issues I have. They are always willing to help out and to follow up to make sure you don't have any more issues.

Incentivized

The guys at Spokal listen and act upon every single message I send. Nothing escapes their attention and they always seem delighted to be going out of their way for me and deliver outstanding customer service - probably the best I've ever received. That's no exageration, they show a genuine care for feedback and a practical approach to executing requests. When you see something you've suggested being implemented into the software you're using, there is no greater indicator that somebody is listening. Great guys, can't praise them enough.

Although getting through to the right person may take a while, they have the ability to take over your screen and always assist with whatever you need.

Incentivized

Know and like Hubspot. Its solid but may be cost prohibitive for some firms. It also has bit of a learning curve and 3rd party skills are not cheap if you need help from external agencies. Looked at Orbtr - this is an excellent product, also wordpress based. Looked at Leadius. A swedish company that has a very solid looking platform leaning more towards the hubspots but somewhat more affordable

I chose Thryv not just because the price was budget-friendly but because of the ease of use and ability to learn how to leverage the platform to meet my business's growing needs.

Incentivized

• More engaged Twitter following
• We procured a client because of our blogging & Spokal's platform to marketing the blog posts on social media

• Increased Social Media Presence has kept us in touch with clients
• I believe our overall package has resulted in increased web traffic. More clients are finding us through social media and web searches than any other year before.

Incentivized