What does Marketing Automation mean for a small business?
Marketing automation enables businesses to execute campaigns, automate processes, and measure their impact.
The number of marketing channels has increased dramatically with digital media. From social to mobile, the proliferation of new channels from email to Instagram can be overwhelming. Many small businesses react by bolting on solutions. They open up a Twitter or Facebook account, dabble or send out one-off emails with no follow on strategy. Trying to organize campaigns with often ends in frustration, poor results and finger pointing to well intended users that lack the proper understanding of effective automation know how and best practices.
How can you benefit from marketing automation?
Quality content is critical. Marketing automation tools enable you to:
- refine your website content
- build effective calls to action and landing pages that create conversions
- create attractive form builders to pull in leads
Other capabilities that play a role in lead management let you:
- utilize A/B testing to understand distinctions in content and messaging performance
- score your leads passed on conversion potential
- create workflows to trigger emails and execute drip marketing based upon schedule events and timing
All of these tools should work together to help manage your multiple channels of your campaigns. Marketing automation can increase the effectiveness of lead generation, strategy remains paramount. Marketing plans that work have solid insight into your customers, their journey through the sales cycle.
Firepower is now in the hands of small business
Marketing automation has largely benefited enterprise operations with significant budgets. The introduction of more affordable robust, cloud based solutions is enabling small businesses to benefit from automation. These solutions can benefit small businesses with:
- reduced lead costs
- additional revenue
- more effective sales
- measurable marketing ROI
It is important to understand that none of these approaches produce immediate results. Do not expect to have a material impact until 6 – 12 months. If you have a decent current audience but you are not converting leads, you may need to refine your conversion methods. Proper marketing strategy is critical. But after you establish your desired outcomes and execution path, you can utilize marketing automation save time and create long term success.