what is marketing automation (and why it’s your secret weapon)

Regardless of brand or industry, every CMO aspires to constantly convey the compelling ad at the perfect time to the target consumer on the right device for the best results.

But just as a lone beat is not enough to weave a captivating melody, seeing just one ad is not likely to stimulate a consumer to pay for something, switch brands, walk into a store, or book a reservation.

Rather, it is the well-thought-of combination of relevant, timely and engaging content that actually propels consumers through the total purchase process.

And to add another layer of complication, digital marketing constitutes intent-based tactics. But as a company grows bigger and bigger, it is almost impossible for a CMO to maintain 1:1 relationships with everyone. In fact, the CMO’s marketing program will get so complex that it would be impractical to manage everything via email, social media and spreadsheets. That is where marketing automation comes in.

In this article, we shall discuss what marketing automation is all about, debunk common misconceptions, and identify its main benefits.

so, what is marketing automation?

Marketing automation is a type of powerful software that mechanizes marketing processes to condense, and perhaps even eliminate repetitive tasks such as, but not limited to:

·         creation of email campaigns

·         coordination of SMS messaging

·         publication of social media posts

·         placement of online advertisements

Just like nearly every kind of technology, marketing automation constantly evolves for the better. If leveraged cleverly, it can drive more transactions, hence generate more revenue. Through marketing automation, CMOs eliminate get rid of tedious day-to-day activities so that more time can be spent on strategy and creativity.

hard facts about marketing automation

It is a common misconception that marketing automation is only useful for email, or that it is just another form of spam. Contrastingly, marketing automation is actually designed to yield more web traffic and more buyers, and foster greater retention and loyalty. Recent research findings can attest to that:

·     According to a 2018 report by Martech Today, investment in marketing automation technology will almost double by 2023, and will reach 25.1 billion USD annually.

·     Results from Demand Gen Report revealed that 91% of marketing automation users state that it is “very important” to their overall online marketing activities. More so, 74% of these marketers say that “saving time” is the key benefit they get from automation.

·     At least 79% of top-performing companies have been patronizing marketing automation for three or more years.

the value marketing automation delivers

Marketing automation can pave way for greater opportunity to engage with the right target market, which eventually translates to higher conversion rates and revenues. But how exactly can marketing automation platforms aid CMOs in achieving more with less work input?

·     Boost email open rates: Through A/B testing across all email components, this can be accomplished. And since marketing automation tools can store historical consumer data, emails can be smartly optimized in terms of subject line, content, and time of dissemination.

·     Increase sales by up-selling: Almost every newsletter sends recommendation emails from time to time. These are the emails that carry a central theme that sounds like “others also bought” or “similar customers looked at”. Marketing automation tools can in fact automate these recommendation emails, which are tailormade to match consumer buying preferences or their previous browsing history. This is a very powerful personalization feature.

·     Mechanize loyalty programs: Marketing automation platforms can log customer loyalty information and forward real-time, personalized offers and incentives through multiple channels. Loyalty programs can also help lessen customer churn, produce brand advocates, and nurture a genuine culture of retention.

symptoms: do you need marketing automation now?

·    Slow sales cycle: It is a known fact that the longer the sales cycle is, the more touchpoints marketers before a sale happens. This is most especially true once prospective customers get closer to completing a transaction.

·     Lack of real and valuable customer insights: A customer record is not enough to predict the behavior of both your existing and potential customers. Marketing automation tools can do just that. It can also provide data such as location, demographics and behavioral insights that makes data more actionable.

·     Struggle with reaching target audience: Compelling content is futile if it does not reach its intended audience. Marketing automation is designed in to make targeted communications easier and more effective. Without marketing automation, it can be awfully challenging to see and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Already experiencing these warning signs? Then it is time to think of a new gameplan. Design Prodigy can make it happen for you.

marketing automation: the ultimate communication ally

For B2C and B2B CMOs who scout for ways to organize, optimize and act smartly on their customer data, marketing automation offers such transformative power. Marketing automation capacitates marketing professionals to focus on the more important matters, instead of being stuck with daily routines. With a nonstop cycle of testing, fine-tuning, and feedback, marketing automation safeguards that workflows are always evolving for maximum impact and effectiveness. Such tools enable CMOs to take a giant leap forward in terms of efficiency, productivity, and revenue generation, whilst bringing forth more time to focus on strategy, creativity, and content.

Powered up by personalization engines, marketing automation engages prospects and customers through extremely relevant content that, in turn, converts them into loyal customers. By streamlining this procedure, CMOs are able to mimic personalized, one-to-one connections with a seemingly endless number of customers at scale.

If you’d like to have a chat about how we make this happen at Design Prodigy, send us an email at info@dp.sg. Our growth marketers look forward to hearing from you.