Marketing Automation

As an example marketing automation can when using tracking codes in social media, email, advertising and webpages to track the behavior of anyone interested in a product or service to gain a measure of intent. It can record which social media group or thread they followed, which link was clicked on in an email, which ad was clicked or which search term was used to access a website. Multiple link analysis can then track buyer behavior – following links and multiple threads related to product A, but not B will show an interest only in A. This allows more accurately targeted response and the development of a nurturing program specifically targeted towards their interest and vertical market.

Marketing automation refers to the use of technology and software to automate repetitive marketing tasks and workflows.

Designed for marketing departments and organizations to more effectively market on multiple channels online such as websites, email marketing, social media management, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and analytics to streamline and optimize marketing processes.

Marketing automation can help businesses save time and resources by automating tasks such as lead generation, lead nurturing, email marketing campaigns, and social media management. It can also provide insights into customer behavior and preferences, enabling businesses to personalize their marketing efforts and improve customer engagement.

Marketing automation can help businesses improve their marketing efficiency and effectiveness (Conversion Rates and Return on Investment) by automating routine tasks, improving lead generation and lead nurturing, and providing data-driven insights to inform marketing strategies.

Marketing automation platforms are designed to perform eight key tasks:

• Development and analysis of marketing campaigns and customers
• Management of marketing campaigns
• Appropriate customer data organization and storage
• Moving contacts from leads (marketing prospects) to customers
• Lead scoring to qualify leads by measuring their engagement level
• Integration of multiple touch-points such as email and social media
• Lead management
• Campaign performance analytics (i.e. open rate or click-through rates on emails, conversion rates on landing pages)

Marketing automation and the buying journey

Marketing automation plays a crucial role in managing the entire customer buying journey – from initial interest to final purchase. A customer buying journey can be divided into several stages, and marketing automation can be used to deliver the right message to the customer at each stage, thus enhancing the overall customer experience.

Here’s how marketing automation can be used at each stage of the customer buying journey:

• Awareness stage: At this stage, the customer is not yet aware of the problem they have or the solution they need. Marketing automation can be used to deliver educational content such as blog posts, videos, and social media updates that help the customer identify their problem and potential solutions.
• Consideration stage: At this stage, the customer has identified their problem and is exploring different solutions. Marketing automation can be used to deliver targeted content such as case studies, whitepapers, and webinars that highlight the benefits of the product or service being offered.
• Decision stage: At this stage, the customer is ready to make a purchase decision. Marketing automation can be used to deliver personalized content such as product demos, free trials, and discount offers that help the customer make a purchase decision.
• Post-purchase stage: After the purchase, marketing automation can be used to deliver post-purchase content such as welcome emails, user guides, and tutorials that help the customer get the most out of their purchase.

By using marketing automation at each stage of the customer buying journey, businesses can enhance the customer experience and improve their chances of converting leads into loyal customers.

Marketing automation and digital behaviour

Marketing automation can be a powerful tool for analyzing and responding to the digital behavior of potential customers. By tracking and analyzing a customer’s digital behavior, businesses can gain insights into their interests, preferences, and needs, and use this information to deliver personalized and relevant marketing messages.

Here are a few ways in which marketing automation can be used to respond to potential customers’ digital behavior:

• Lead scoring: Marketing automation tools can be used to track a potential customer’s behavior on a website or social media platform, such as the pages they visit, the links they click, and the forms they fill out. This data can be used to assign a score to the lead, which indicates the likelihood that they will convert into a customer.
• Personalized messaging: Once a potential customer has been identified as a lead, marketing automation can be used to deliver personalized messaging based on their digital behavior. For example, if a lead has shown interest in a particular product or service, they can be sent targeted emails or social media messages highlighting the features and benefits of that product or service.
• Retargeting: If a lead has shown interest in a particular product or service but has not yet converted into a customer, marketing automation can be used to retarget them with relevant ads on social media or search engines. This can help keep the brand top-of-mind and increase the likelihood of conversion.

By using marketing automation to analyze and respond to potential customers’ digital behavior, businesses can improve their marketing efficiency and effectiveness, increase customer engagement, and drive conversions.

Marketing automation in advertising

Marketing automation can be a valuable tool for advertising, particularly for advertising campaigns across multiple channels. Ways in which marketing automation can be used in advertising:

• Ad targeting and retargeting: Marketing automation can be used to target ads to specific audiences based on their behavior and preferences, such as their browsing history or search queries. It can also be used to retarget users who have previously interacted with the business, such as those who have visited the website or abandoned a shopping cart.
• Ad creation and optimization: Marketing automation can be used to create and optimize ad creatives, such as images and copy, based on performance metrics such as click-through rates and conversion rates. This can help improve the effectiveness of the ad campaign and drive better results.
• Campaign management and optimization: Marketing automation can be used to manage and optimize ad campaigns across multiple channels, such as social media, search engines, and display networks. It can also be used to automatically adjust bids and budgets based on performance metrics, such as cost per click and return on ad spend.
• Automated reporting and analysis: Marketing automation can be used to generate automated reports and analyze campaign performance metrics, such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition. This can help businesses make data-driven decisions and optimize their advertising campaigns for better results.

Mrketing automation can help businesses streamline their advertising processes, improve campaign performance, and drive better results across multiple channels.

Omnichannel marketing automation

Omnichannel marketing automation refers to the use of technology and software to automate and optimize customer interactions across multiple channels, including email, social media, mobile apps, websites, and in-store experiences. The goal of omnichannel marketing automation is to provide a seamless and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints, regardless of the channel or device being used.

Here are some key features of omnichannel marketing automation:

• Customer data integration: Omnichannel marketing automation requires the integration of customer data from multiple sources, such as website analytics, social media monitoring, and CRM systems. This allows businesses to create a complete view of the customer and deliver personalized messaging and experiences based on their preferences and behavior.
• Cross-channel campaign management: With omnichannel marketing automation, businesses can create and manage marketing campaigns across multiple channels, such as email, social media, and mobile. These campaigns can be personalized and targeted based on the customer’s behavior and preferences, and can be triggered based on specific events or actions.
• Automated messaging: Omnichannel marketing automation can automate the delivery of messaging across multiple channels, ensuring that customers receive the right message at the right time on the right device. For example, a customer who abandons their cart on a website can receive an automated email or social media message reminding them to complete their purchase.
• Measurement and optimization: Omnichannel marketing automation allows businesses to measure and analyze the performance of their campaigns across multiple channels. This enables them to optimize their messaging and experiences to improve customer engagement and drive conversions.

Omnichannel marketing automation can help businesses create a seamless and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints, improve customer engagement, and drive revenue growth.

Marketing automation in eCommerce

Marketing automation is particularly useful for eCommerce businesses, which often have a large number of customers and need to manage complex marketing campaigns across multiple channels. Some ways in which marketing automation can be used in eCommerce:

• Personalized product recommendations: Marketing automation can be used to track a customer’s browsing and purchasing history and provide personalized product recommendations based on their preferences and behavior. This can help increase customer engagement and drive repeat purchases.
• Abandoned cart recovery: Marketing automation can be used to send targeted emails or notifications to customers who abandon their shopping cart, reminding them to complete their purchase and potentially offering a discount or other incentive.
• Customer loyalty programs: Marketing automation can be used to create and manage customer loyalty programs, such as points systems or referral programs, that reward customers for repeat purchases and referrals.
• Cross-selling and upselling: Marketing automation can be used to identify opportunities for cross-selling and upselling based on a customer’s purchasing history and preferences. This can help increase the average order value and drive revenue growth.
• Automated email campaigns: Marketing automation can be used to create and send automated email campaigns, such as welcome emails, promotional emails, and follow-up emails after a purchase. These emails can be personalized and targeted based on the customer’s behavior and preferences.

Overall, enable eCommerce businesses improve customer engagement, increase revenue, and streamline marketing processes.

Marketing automation and Artificial Intelligence

Marketing automation and AI (Artificial Intelligence) are closely related as AI can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing automation.

AI can be used to optimize marketing automation tasks such as lead scoring, customer segmentation, and personalization. By analyzing customer data, AI can help identify patterns and insights that can be used to create more targeted and personalized campaigns.

For example, AI-powered chatbots can be used to automate customer service inquiries and provide personalized recommendations based on customer preferences and behavior. AI can also be used to analyze customer data and predict customer behavior, allowing marketers to create more targeted campaigns and messaging.

In addition, AI can be used to automate and optimize the delivery of marketing messages across multiple channels, such as email, social media, and mobile devices. By using machine learning algorithms to analyze customer interactions and responses, AI can help marketers determine the optimal timing and frequency of marketing messages.

Overall, the combination of marketing automation and AI can help businesses to streamline their marketing processes, improve the accuracy and effectiveness of their campaigns, and ultimately drive growth and revenue.

B2B marketing automation platform

Gartner identified the following vendors as B2B marketing automation platform leaders:

• ActiveCampaign
• Act-On
• Adobe Marketing Cloud
• Agillic
• Autopilot
• AWeber
• ClickDimensions
• Creatio
• Eloqua
• GetResponse
• Heyloyalty
• Hubspot
• InfusionSoft
• Klaviyo
• Keap
• LeadSquared
• MailChimp
• MarketingPlatformen
• Marketo
• Omnisend
• Ontraport
• Oracle CX Marketing
• Salesforce (Pardot)
• SalesFusion
• SendinBlue
• SharpSpring