There is no denying that technology has come a very long way in a relatively short amount of time. It was not long ago that everyone relied on dial-up Internet on massive slow desktop computers. The idea of the average person having a computer strong enough to run AI training, high-quality renders, cryptocurrency miners, or other intense tasks was wishful thinking or a plan. However, it is now not uncommon for everyday people to have beastly computers at home. As technology continues to advance and more advanced technology makes its way out of professional use and into consumer’s hands, more options become available for everyday use. We have hit the point where any business can realistically consider adding marketing automation to their existing arsenal of marketing methods. Starting marketing automation for the first time can be a daunting task, but it is easier to get started than you may think. However, adding new automation is not something you should do without proper research and consideration. Make sure you are not adding too much to your plate with automation, so your other marketing efforts like direct response marketing or email newsletters do not falter. Below is what you need to know about marketing automation and how you can better make your business better.
Defining Marketing Automation
Marketing automation is simply automation used for marketing purposes. Automating any task is a form of automation, but the industry in which the task operates changes the type of automation. Automated robots build cars, constantly running monitoring programs that automatically run a process if certain conditions are met. Marketing automation has its version of routine automation.
Marketing automation can encompass a wide range of everyday marketing tasks, so a human employee does not have to worry about them. You can also use automation as much or as little as you want within the scope of possibility. You must also consider the maintenance as automation is not a perfect system that will work forever, and you will still need to monitor and adjust automated tasks. How you use marketing automation should depend on your comfort level, functional needs, and ability to maintain the automation.
Uses For Marketing Automation
Marketing automation is not a yes or no addition to your business, as you can decide how much automation you want to use. How you use marketing automation often comes down to your goals, as the tool can be flexed in different directions depending on what you want to do. Automation can save time by taking over tedious tasks or being more proactive by automatically sending messages to customers to bring in more sales. If you are just getting started with automation and more technologically dependent processes, start your marketing automation journey by automating a custom greeting message, follow up on calls or emails, or add a customer’s name to outgoing emails.
However, if you are willing to put in the time to set up a system that lets automation do even more for you. Marketing automation works even better and can do much more if you connect it to your business information database. With access to the correct information, automated systems can send specific emails to customers who bought a particular product in the past 12 days or retarget customers who have not revisited your site in a while. You mustn’t take shortcuts with perimeters and conditions, though, as you do not want your automation system to send the same email to every customer in your database.
You also do not need to use marketing automation for customer-facing tasks. Automation can also be set up to monitor and only act in certain situations. One handy place to observe is social media so you can see comments, questions, activity, and more without needing to refresh the platforms all day.
Outside Help Is An Option If you do not have the resources or knowledge to run the automation entirely in-house, it may be a good idea to look for a partner or service that can help. Various software as service companies is branching out or starting up to offer automation services and maintenance. Some programs like GetResponse make managing systems reasonably straightforward, but doing it entirely by yourself can get confusing. Other options like HubSpot and Marketo are out there to try, but you can also hire a specific role to manage automation if you don’t want to deal with other software or another business.