Every marketer must have heard of marketing automation. But many still don’t know what it exactly means. But everyone in the industry have realized that the sales process is marketing is in its most nascent stage.
As the company grows in size marketing becomes a challenge for marketers as they cannot handle a large database of customers and market them through normal email process so it is getting difficult for marketers to maintain one on one relationship with their customers and clients specially when they have realized that the sales process in marketing is in its most nascent stage.That’s when marketers go for marketing automation.
But what is Marketing Automation?
Marketing automation refers to the technologies designed for marketing departments and organizations to more effectively market on multiple channels online (such as email, social media, websites, etc.) and automate repetitive tasks.
Marketing Automation is a platform that marketers use to plan, coordinate, manage and measure all of their marketing campaigns, both online and offline.
People often confuse Marketing Automation with Customer Relationship Management (CRM), but they are both very different things.
Marketing Automation is a subset of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that focuses on the definition, segmentation, scheduling and tracking of marketing campaigns. The use of marketing automation automate the marketing tasks that would otherwise have been performed manually by the marketing team.
The main components of marketing automation includes marketing campaigns, landing pages, lead generation, lead scoring, lead management and right analytics; in short a very effective marketing.
Marketing Campaigns
Once the draft of the campaign is ready the marketing automation tool will shoot the campaigns through emails without human intervention. Similarly, the marketer can manage other social media channels, SMSs and voice campaign calls can also be sent out as scheduled by the marketing automation tool itself.
Landing Pages
Marketing automation tool makes sure to capture customer information at the landing page. Information captured about the customer on landing page gets automatically stored in the marketing automation tool, and then can be used future campaigns. Then the tool systematically segment the captured information and makes it easy for marketers for marketing to new customers.
Lead Generation
Lead generation is the fruit of campaigns done through marketing automation tool, the marketing done is so personalized and effective that it actually make customer interested in the product, this is the benefit of marketing automation that the content reaches the right audience in the right and attractive way.
Lead Scoring
Basically, lead scoring is nothing but ranking leads to determine which ones are ready to convert immediately, which ones need further nurturing, and which ones are highly unlikely to buy. A well organised lead database can help marketer in predicting the customers buying behavior and can help in converting them with right marketing at the right time, so proper lead scoring is integral part of marketing automation because it will only lead to higher revenue.
Lead Management-
After studying lead scores, marketing automation tool will automatically filter leads so that right marketing can be done on them over emails, SMSs, social media, voice campaigns etc. This will ensure that the leads get converted and reaching them for marketing is differentiated based on how likely the lead is to buy. You don’t need to worry about selecting the right medium for marketing, the marketing automation tool will automatically study and suggest thee most effective channel and will also inform back in the database once they make a purchase.
Analytics
Marketing automation tool has a smart way and power to give real time marketing analytics. This allows the marketer to measure the effectiveness of the marketing campaigns. This gives marketer the power to create real-time segments across a host of CRM based or behavioral data across channels. Create powerful segments and run hyper targeted campaigns that increase your Customer’s Lifetime Value (CLTV).
So why to go for marketing automation?
Marketing automation will-
1. Reduce your staffing costs.
2. Increased revenue and average deal size
3. Give you more effective platform for campaigns by performing A/B testing.
4. It will also completely refine your marketing processes.
5. It will also help in targeting the potential customers across multiple channels.
6. Marketing automation is also helpful in scheduling posts and campaigns ahead of time, so it will also save the marketers time.
So, you see, marketing automation is undeniable today in the age of fast paced prompt marketing. Sign-up for FirstHive and get hold of your marketing communications.
