Marketing automation (MA) software can add to your workload, alienate important prospects, and cause you to add hundreds of dollars to the swear jar.
Or...
If you do it properly, it can deliver real, positive ROI.
So, what is the difference? PLANNING. Carefully.
We know how obvious this sounds to you – the experienced marketer – but it is so true, that sometimes it ends up being missed. Marketing Automation has a lot to offer you, so it is easy to get carried away by the benefits it can bring and skip the planning phase.
If you thought that buying a Marketing Automation means PROFIT, we are here to tell you that the way it actually goes is Plan for Implementing Marketing Automation, then buy the subscription, do the integration work and then comes PROFIT.
Start by setting expectation.
Before Marketing Automation, Marketing and Sales often had very distinct roles. MA, however, has blurred the line between the two and all to each other’s advantages.
Now, Marketing is nurturing leads, perhaps in a very thorough, long-term way, using comprehensive software platforms that track results to tell you just what is performing and what isn’t. As a result, some workload is moving from Sales to Marketing. So the first step of planning a successful MA implementation involves talking to Sales to learn how you can help and find out what is the best way to manage the new relationship.
Start small
MA software gives you a lot to work with.
But trying to implement every feature of your MA software out of the gate is more likely to result in a setback than a big win. You don’t have to do EVERYTHING now. Wait, play and discover which features suit your marketing needs first.
You can choose a single, specific audience and build your first campaign around that audience. Measure results and “listen” to their online behaviour -let your audience drive your choice of lead magnet. Next, you can build landing pages and traffic drivers to match their interests. And remember, this is your test drive of the MA tool – what you learn in the first campaign will influence all your future campaigns, so make sure you listen.
Be efficient
Bill Gates once said: "The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency." So, make sure you are automation the right processes.
Do you have more of a system for creating, distributing, and re-using content? If you don't, than you are not using your MA tool at its fullest.
For example, you could be conducting a monthly survey, which will help you with building significant content. You can distribute this content according to a lifecycle plan which can include email, blog post, social media promotion and on slide share etc, hence extending the lifecyle of that content by spin off content etc. And there are plenty of other ways in which you can re-use content. The point is that you should have a standard, repeatable system for your content. Then you can use the MA tool to amplify the impact of that content.
The leads are coming in
Marketing Automation is a wonderful thing, however it cannot work remotely to Sales so this would be a good moment to discuss with your Sales wizards about how to work together to support the company's priorities.
Marketing automation helps manage new leads, providing continuous engagement as well as nurturing casual visitors into marketing leads, sales leads and, hopefully, paying customers.
Some things to take into consideration when opening and managing the discussion.
-Do they have templates to help them handle enquiries or requests?
-Do they know how to recognize a marketing lead who is not yet ready to buy and still needs to get cosy with your content and products before pulling the trigger? Marketing can reel them in by giving them attention through email campaigns, social media, and retargeting ads whereas chasing them for a sale will probably backfire.
-Do they how to recognise a sales lead who is ready to buy? How many visits and views of your pricing and service pages makes them qualified for a follow up from Sales?
If this is the first time you're considering these questions, you're probably not ready to start using your marketing automation tool. You need to answer these questions, and many more.
Partner with an implementer/consultancy
The process of automating your marketing begins with buying into an MA solution, but it certainly doesn't end there. Even with the best plan, it can be helpful to have a skilled partner available to help you through the numerous sticky points that are part of integrating and implementing.
One other thing to consider here, although your IT department might not be the ideal candidate for implementation partner, you'll certainly want to make sure it's on board with your choice.
Some marketing automation providers
http://www.eloqua.com/
http://hubspot.com/
http://www.marketo.com/
https://www.adobe.com/uk/adobe campaign
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