Marketing automation platforms are an efficient tool for the collection, analysis and the processing of customer information. As a consequence, they are a highly relevant aspect of modern marketing, both for the practical and academic discussion. The rising demand implicates a more complex vendor land-scape, whereby the comparison and selection of marketing technology are getting increasingly difficult. This article is an analytical and conceptual paper. The research question deals with the

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... tification of indicators regarding the selection of a suitable marketing automation platform. Initially, the increasing necessity of marketing technology is pointed out. A general understanding of marketing automation as relevant subarea of marketing technology will be enabled. For this reason, a definition, relevant features as well as chances and risks are presented on the basis of a critical literature research. A holistic decision model for choosing a marketing automation solution complements the basic information and shows a selection procedure as well as the most essential selection and evaluation indicators. The specific contribution for academic discussion is twofold: Firstly, the key aspects of marketing automation are presented, and its basics are introduced. Secondly, this paper describes a framework that serves as recommendation and orientation for the selection process of marketing automation platforms and marketing technology.