01 Aug Why Marketing Automation Will Transform Your Business
The way in which businesses create and manage leads is changing. Keyword blasting your way to the top of the search engines isn’t working anymore – although there is still a big role for SEO in your business but that’s for another day. And with the rise of ad-blockers traditional online advertising isn’t getting the traction it used to – again, there is still a role for this in your marketing strategy but the how is far more important than the how much.
A growing trend for lead creation is content marketing and it’s a fantastic, more organic way to generate leads. Qualifying, capturing, nurturing and converting those leads is made much easier through the use of marketing automation technology.
What is marketing automation?
In straight-talking terms, it is software designed to automate marketing actions like email, social media updates and some website functions. Doesn’t sound so revolutionary, however, that simplified description does not do it justice. True marketing automation is about energy resource and timing. The automation part saves energy that could be directed into other important tasks and the marketing part is all about timing. It’s about getting your message to the right people at the right time. It’s like a delivery driver who actually turns up on time with the right parcel.
Transformative benefits
Why marketing automation will transform your business. A pretty bold title, right? It’s completely true though. Let’s hit you with a big benefit first.
Marketing automation generates better leads. It’s great having lots of people signed up to newsletters, reading your blog or engaging with your social media channels but if they’re not ready to be converted then they aren’t quality leads. Marketing automation allows you to zone in on those people who are just far enough down the sales funnel to convert and convert them more quickly.
When you are working from a targeted list of leads you are working smarter. You can more effectively nurture your leads because your automated marketing communications is keeping interest high. This should lead to better conversion rates, increased motivation and morale via a higher energy environment from increased sales and then there’s the better ROI. That’s transformative.
Return on investment
On that nice segue, return on investment with automated marketing and lead management is pretty good. There’s the obvious benefit of increased sales but there are indirect benefits too. It can reduce marketing costs through reduced hours spent on now automated tasks but also the production of better qualified leads can help reduce recruitment and training costs as more motivated and successful sales people are less likely to need replacing. Wouldn’t you rather your marketing team spent more time creating successful campaigns than painfully labouring each task on a campaign with dwindling returns?
Another benefit is the ability to better analyse your marketing strategies through integration with your CRM. If something isn’t working you can pull the plug sooner and redirect those funds into something infinitely more productive.
Harness social media
Automating social media posts isn’t a new concept. There have been ways to schedule posts to Facebook and Twitter for a long time but often that is based on time and little else. Ooh, schedule this clever tweet for 6.30pm because that is when the commuters are on the train and checking their phones. Good in principle but it’s too simplistic to be effective.
Marketing automation can work in collaboration with your CRM to schedule posts that hit your channels at the right rime but crucially are seen by the right people.
Engaging content is what is going to fuel your lead generation but without marketing automation it’s like trying to fly a plane with no experience. The tank is full, the engine is switched on but you’ve no idea how to get that baby in the air and even if you did how are you going to land it? Marketing automation is your auto-pilot. Your marketing consultant will get your plane in their air, automation will get you where you’re going and together they’ll help you land it like a pro.
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