Marketing automation is powerful.
Small companies with limited resources, revenue or brand loyalty can become industry influencers. Mid to large-sized companies can allocate marketing efforts through creativity, nurturing prospects through interesting and informative substance, not with spam-laced junk mail.
However, there is a fine line between effective and ineffective marketing automation. Many interpret marketing automation as a tool for the “lazy professional,” a process which converts leads into sales all with a click of a button. Marketers that fall victim to this common misconception risk not only losing time and resources, but potential business.
That’s because modern-day consumers are well-versed at identifying “mechanic” content. Once you establish a spam-like reputation among potential prospects and customers, your authoritative status as a brand, disappears.
If you’re new to marketing automation or struggling to reap the rewards of your efforts, we want to give you a different perspective on how to approach marketing automation, and the things you should and shouldn’t do:
The Yes’s and No’s of Marketing Automation
NO: Walk before you Run
When you’re first introduced to marketing automation, it can be easily misleading. Integrating current marketing materials and automating them (without hesitation) is a recipe for failure.
It’s imperative that you do not rush into marketing automation without revisiting past strategies and objectives. Take a step back and listen to your customer’s pain points and questions. Consider what marketing strategies worked and what didn’t, then move forward.
YES: Combine inbound marketing with marketing automation
If you’re currently using inbound marketing strategies, they should be integrated with marketing automation. The combination of marketing automation and inbound marketing enhances the nurturing process of lead generation. By integrating marketing automation with inbound strategies, you provide prospects and customers with information that is relevant to them, thus accelerating the lead nurturing process.
NO: Don’t send me information I’m not searching for
Pretend for a moment that you are surfing the web for shoes. You find a site that matches your lifestyle and aesthetic appeal. You click on a video that introduces you to more about the product line. Ten minutes you receive an email from the brand. Embedded in the email is a promotional catalog that’s different from the shoes you were interested in buying in. Now, wouldn’t it be nice to receive an email that was aligned with what you were actually looking for?
Just because a customer visits your site doesn’t mean they care about everything your business has to offer. Don’t send emails that serve no relevance to what was searched, but instead, motivate their initial interest.
YES: Post-purchase relationships are just as important as leads
Once a customer buys something from you, it’s imperative to establish a post-purchase relationship; marketing automation is the perfect tool to keep past clients informed with relevant information they may be interested in. Demonstrate your appreciation to their business—not through additional promotions—but with topical content to reiterate awareness of your brand.
Marketing Automation Made Even Easier
MioDatos provides marketers with a robust solution for creating, scheduling and distributing marketing materials for customers. Using the power of Synchronized Channel Marketing (SCM), MioDatos streamlines social media content, marketing emails and landing pages with seamless efficiency, giving you the tools to reach a broader scale audience without the aches and pains of trying to manually manage and share online marketing content.
– Optimize consumer awareness
– Nurture leads with content customers want to see
– Gain visibility into indirect sales funnel
– Establish consistent co-branded messaging with channel partners
– Develop stronger marketing campaigns
– Increase partner and consumer loyalty
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