Marketing seems to get more complex by the day. With email, blogging, social media, mobile, and more, many teams are pushed to the breaking point just to keep up. Luckily, there is a secret weapon that can help: Marketing automation.
What is Marketing Automation and How Does it Work?
The concept of marketing automation has been around for years. Many entrepreneurs are familiar with the most common form: Email marketing. It has long been popular because it can guide people through the sales funnel in a fast, efficient way.
Once you’ve written an email sequence, it can be deployed every time a new subscriber joins.
It’s not surprising that automation has spread to other areas of digital marketing. Automation tools give you the power to do the work once and rest assured that each new visitor, subscriber, lead, or customer gets a consistent experience.
Today’s marketing automation is so adaptive, it can deliver customized output based on dozens of factors. Users might receive different Web, email, or social media content based on any of the following:
- How they reached your website;
- Which site content they accessed;
- Where they are connecting from;
- What technologies they use;
- Whether they looked at any products.
Although a creative team still has to develop the outputs, automation software ensures they are applied at the right time and to the right audiences.
Key Benefits of Marketing Automation
Key Benefits of Marketing AutomationMarketing Automation Makes Your Business More Efficient
An automation tool extends “make once, reuse anytime” to your marketing efforts. Just like you have standardized forms, contracts, and more, automation means you no longer have to reinvent the wheel every time a prospect comes knocking.
Marketing Automation Makes Your Business More Scalable
A solopreneur might have the time to send two or three messages as people join a list or follow a social account – but what about a hundred? A thousand? Automation provides leverage that makes it possible to serve an ever-growing audience.
Marketing Automation Makes Your Business More Personal
It might seem automation is the opposite of personal – but it doesn’t have to be. As long as automated elements of your marketing carry an authentic voice and messages that resonate, people will still feel as if you’re talking directly to them.
Marketing Automation is More Cost-Effective
Automation saves money. It allows a few agile, informed pros to do the work of a small army. The combination of stable or reduced marketing costs along with greater campaign ROI is a recipe for success.
If there’s not enough hours in the day to do all your marketing team needs to do, automation may be the answer. Once you’ve gotten started, expanding and refining your customer journey only gets easier.