A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION

Transcription

1 A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION 1

2 Does marketing automation fit in your business? Are there simply not enough of you? Are you feeling not only overwhelmed at the mountain of tasks that lie before you daily, but also more than a little afraid that something is slipping through the cracks? You re not alone. Given the complexity and the sheer number of moving parts that go into marketing these days, more and more business are looking to automate their demand-generation efforts. If your business is considering marketing automation, this primer is good place to start A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION 2

3 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Common questions about marketing automation, answered. What does marketing automation mean, exactly? Marketing automation refers to software platforms and processes to automate repetitive tasks and increase overall sales efficiency. What are the core objectives of marketing automation? Marketing automation tools are designed to assist businesses in the following areas: Intelligence gathering Workflow automation Campaign creation and management Lead generation, scoring, nurturing and management Customer data organization and storage What are the key benefits of marketing automation? The most widely cited benefits include: Increased efficiency/roi Better market intelligence Wider reach/increased demand Closer alignment between marketing and sales Targeted real-time action Improved sales effectiveness Fewer missed opportunities A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION 3

4 QUOTEABLE Marketing automation platforms allow you to automate the mundane and pain-in-the-ass tasks associated with scaling your online marketing efforts. Jason Miller, Programs Manager of Social Media and Content at Marketo Who uses marketing automation software? The most common users are B2B marketers, particularly those in industries with more complex products and longer sales cycles. However, as marketing automation platforms have matured and improved over time, they have become more popular with B2C marketers as well. How is marketing automation different from simple automation? Though all marketing automation tools offer automated response functions (e.g. trigger s, drip-marketing campaigns), is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Marketing automation systems either replace or integrate ALL of the separate systems you have for , web visitor tracking, lead scoring, social media management, nurture campaigns, reporting, etc. What are the most common features of marketing automation platforms? The most common automation platforms offer/address the following: SEO marketing Landing pages Lead scoring Lead nurturing Multi-step campaigns Alerting CRM integration Segmenting Social media sharing/tracking Digital asset management A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION 4

5 What is lead scoring? Lead scoring, a feature common to most marketing automation platforms, is the process of assigning prospects points based on activities they complete, such as an open, a clickthrough or a file download. By using a points scoring system, your business can effectively assess interest level, as well as where leads are in the sales process and whether they are ready to be passed to sales. What is lead nurturing? A key component in most marketing systems, lead nurturing is the automatic delivery of customized s and supporting materials to prospects, ensuring continuous engagement with prospects that are in your marketing funnel, but not yet sales ready. What are some common/popular marketing automation tools available? There are several excellent applications on the market, and the space is seeing double-digit growth. Here are some of the bigger players: Infusionsoft ($) Hubspot ($$) Silverpop ($$) Pardot ($$$) Marketo ($$$) For a comparison matrix of the most popular marketing automation vendors, visit: Comparison of demand-generation software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION 5

6 MYTHS Three common misconceptions surrounding marketing automation. MYTH 1: Marketing automation is just a fancy term for spamming. REALITY: Marketing automation is designed to improve the quality, breadth and depth of your marketing campaigns while also making them more scalable. MYTH 2: Marketing automation is about making marketing easier. REALITY: Marketing automation is or should be about making your marketing more effective. Businesses that use automation merely as a shortcut typically aren t as successful as those who use automation as a means to create marketing that people love (to borrow a phrase from Hubspot, a marketing automation software provider). Though efficiency is a byproduct of adoption, automation systems will typically add complexity and sophistication to a business s marketing efforts. MYTH 3: Marketing automation software does my marketing for me. REALITY: Marketing software works best with business that already have defined marketing processes and workflows in place (you need something to automate). Further, given the dramatic changes in buyer behavior, the most powerful use for marketing software lies in the targeted distribution of useful content. Needless to say, if you don t have a source of good collateral to draw upon, you won t have any fuel in the tank, so to speak. QUOTEABLE With marketing automation platforms, you can create customized conversations that scale to the masses. Ironically, automation can be the driving force behind not a killer of truly personalized experiences for your customers and prospects. Jason Miller, Programs Manager of Social Media and Content at Marketo A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION 6

7 CHALLENGES Marketing automation isn t automatic. Here are five common implementation challenges: 1. Steep learning curve: implementation, integration and onboarding can be timeconsuming. 2. Lack of buy-in: resistance to changing marketing processes can slow adoption and limit efficacy. 3. Under-utilization: related to number two, without robust implementation, featurerich marketing platforms can simply become expensive marketing tools. 4. Wrong mindset: businesses that view automation tools as a way to spend less time on marketing are often disappointed with their results. 5. Lack of content: marketing automation programs have sophisticated methods of distributing marketing content but if businesses don t have fresh, relevant material (e.g. white papers, data sheets, webinars), it s akin to having a sports car with an empty fuel tank. CONCLUSION Despite the challenges, marketing automation is certainly something your business should consider, particularly if you have a product or service that has a long, complex sales cycle. With carefully chosen software and a thoughtful approach, marketing automation could prove to be a major competitive advantage for your company. We hope this short guide post has provided you with a good introduction to marketing automation. If you d like to find out more about marketing automation platforms and how they can help your business, just get in touch we re happy to answer any questions you might have. FURTHER READING Best Practices for Marketing Automation from 11 Experts Stop Hating on Marketing Automation, Try a Little Tenderness Instead A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION 7

8 QUOTEABLE If marketing automation tools are to remain useful they need to place their customers needs and best interests at the heart of their strategies. Hubspot.com A BRIEF PRIMER ON MARKETING AUTOMATION 8