Marketing Automation: How to Use it to Generate the Best Leads in 2022
Are you tired of spending hours manually generating new leads every day? Do you wish you had a system that would automatically find prospects for you?
In this article, I will teach you how to use marketing automation to generate leads for your business. It will save you tons of time and make sure you never miss another opportunity again.
I’ll also cover the top 3 reasons why marketers should use marketing automation and how you can get started with it today.
Statistics
- While they’re doing that, their competition is figuring out how to get more out of the 99.99% of the market that’s still out there.
- Marketing automation is one of the fastest-growing technologies out there, according to Forrester’s Marketing Automation Technology Forecast, 2017 to 2023.
- Marketing automation technology is expected to show a 14% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years.
- The highest growth for “through-channel marketing automation” platforms will reach 25% annually, with “lead-to-revenue automation” platforms at 19.4%.
What is Marketing Automation?
Marketing automation is a tool used to automate repetitive tasks. It allows marketers to save time and money while improving efficiency.
For example, run a business that sells products online. You could set up a marketing automation system to send emails to customers who haven’t purchased anything from you within a certain amount of time.
The system would then automatically follow up with these customers to remind them to buy your products.
There are many different types of marketing automation systems, including CRM software, email marketing platforms, landing pages, and lead management tools.
Each type has its benefits, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. For instance, CRM software helps businesses manage customer data, while email marketing platforms allow companies to create automated emails sent to specific groups of contacts.
How does Marketing Automation work?
Marketing automation works by automating repetitive tasks and processes. It allows businesses to save time and money while increasing productivity.
For example, if you run a business that sells products online, you might automate sending emails to customers who haven’t purchased anything from you yet.
Marketing automation software can also help you create automated follow-up messages based on customer behavior.
In addition to saving time, marketing automation can help you cut costs. For instance, you could set up a series of automated emails that send discounts to loyal customers every month.
Or you could automatically send thank-you notes after someone purchases a product.
There are many different types of marketing automation software available today. Some focus on specific industries, while others offer various features. The best solution depends on your needs and budget. Here are three popular options:
1. HubSpot – Hubspot offers a free version of its platform that includes basic functionality. However, HubSpot has a paid option that provides advanced features like lead scoring and intelligent personalization.
2. Marketo – Marketo is another popular choice among marketers. Its platform is designed to help companies manage multiple sales channels, including email, social media, webinars, and mobile apps.
3. Pardot – Pardot is a powerful tool with various features. It helps businesses build relationships with their leads through personalized emails, landing pages, and other forms of communication.
The most important thing about any marketing automation platform is how easy it is to use.
You don’t need to be an expert programmer or have years of experience using technology to get started. Most platforms have intuitive interfaces that simplify adding new users, tracking campaigns, and measuring results.
What’s more, there are plenty of resources for beginners. Many platforms offer step-by-step tutorials and support forums where you can ask questions.
And even though some of the top vendors may charge a monthly fee, they often include at least one free trial period so you can test out their software before committing to a long-term subscription.
Why Marketers Should Use Marketing Automation
1. Increase Sales Conversions by Sending More Emails
One of the biggest problems for small businesses is that they don’t have enough resources to do everything themselves. They often outsource some or all of their work because they don’t have the time.
But when you outsource your work, you lose control over your brand and message. You might not even know where your leads come from.
If you want to increase sales conversions, you need to be able to track each step of the way. That means knowing which channels are working best for you. And that requires tracking your leads in email campaigns and whatnot.
A good marketing automation platform will let you segment your audience into multiple lists so that you can target them individually. Then you can assign different messages to each list based on their needs. Hence, achieving your business goals in record time.
You can also use marketing automation to build relationships with your customers as well as reach potential customer(s).
When you send an email to someone who has already bought something from you, you can ask them questions about their experience. It gives you valuable information that you can use to improve your product and services.
2. Create Better Customer Experiences
Your customers expect a lot from you. If you want to keep them coming back, you need to ensure they get exactly what they want every time.
That’s why it’s important to offer personalized experiences. But this takes more than just sending targeted emails. You need to provide relevant content and offers throughout your website and social media accounts.
It includes things like blog posts, videos, webinars, and other forms of content. To make sure you’re providing great customer experiences, you’ll also need to measure how well you’re doing and if you’ve done a good job of creating great customer experiences you are on your way to increasing customer loyalty.
3. Save Time & Money
It may seem like a no-brainer, but having a marketing automation system saves you time and money.
When you hire people to handle your marketing, you’re paying them to write articles, create graphics, and manage social media profiles. These tasks take a ton of time and effort.
Instead of hiring employees to do these things, you can automate them using a marketing automation tool. A tool like HubSpot allows you to schedule posts, write articles, create graphics, etc.
4. Grow Your Business Faster
Marketing automation isn’t just about saving money. It’s also about growing your business faster.
Automating specific processes lets you scale quickly without spending too much time and energy. By reducing the amount of manual labor required, you can free up more time to focus on other business areas.
5. Get More Done
If you’ve ever worked with a marketing team before, then you know that they tend to be very busy.
They spend most of their time figuring out what works and what doesn’t. It makes it hard for them to get any real work done.
With marketing automation software, you can set rules to automatically follow up with contacts after they sign up for your mailing list or download a white paper.
These automated campaigns help you save time while increasing your productivity.
6. Improve Lead Quality
The quality of leads you receive is one of the most significant factors determining whether or not your salespeople close deals.
The best way to ensure high-quality leads is by nurturing your leads over time. That means following up with prospects regularly, even if they don’t buy right away.
A marketing automation platform helps you nurture your leads to turn them into customers.
What can marketing automation do for your business?
Personalized workflows
Marketing automation software is a powerful tool that allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks and save time. It can help streamline processes, create personalized workflows, and automate emails and other communications.
Automation can send targeted messages to specific groups of customers based on their interests and behaviors. For example, if you sell products online, you could set up automated emails to notify customers when a certain item goes on sale. Or, you could automatically send thank-you notes after someone purchases a product from your store.
There are many different types of marketing automation software available today. Some are designed specifically for small businesses, while others are geared toward larger companies.
Regardless of size, these programs allow you to manage multiple customer accounts, track leads, and perform various actions based on user behavior.
For example, if you sell t-shirts online, you might use marketing automation software to send follow-up emails to customers who haven’t purchased anything in a few months. These emails would include offers for special discounts or sales.
In addition to automating emails, marketing automation software can schedule events, send newsletters, and run promotions. You can also use it to analyze data and generate reports.
One of the most popular uses of marketing automation software is lead generation. Many programs have built-in features to collect contact information through forms, surveys, or landing pages. Once you’ve collected this data, you can nurture prospects with targeted email messages.
Marketing automation software helps you build relationships with potential customer(s) by sending them emails, text messages, and phone calls.
You can also use the program to send out custom messages based on individual interactions with your website. Once you’ve generated interest in your brand, you can convert those visitors into paying customers.
The best marketing automation software can adapt to changing needs and trends. As technology advances, new features become available. If you don’t stay current with the latest developments, you could lose out on valuable opportunities.
Streamlined processes
Marketing automation software has become increasingly popular over the past few years. It allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks, streamline processes, and save money while increasing productivity.
For example, if you run a small business, you probably spend a significant amount of time manually entering data into spreadsheets.
With marketing automation software, you can create automated workflows that allow you to enter data automatically. It saves you time and increases efficiency.
In addition, you can set up email marketing automations that send out messages based on specific triggers. For instance, you could schedule an email to remind customers to renew their subscriptions every Monday morning.
Or you could set up an automatic email that goes out whenever someone buys from your store.
Automation can also help you manage your customer relationships. Instead of sending individual emails to each person who signs up for your newsletter, you can send them a single message that includes all of the details.
It helps you maintain consistent communication and build trust with your customers.
Integrated data and analytics
It’s essential to understand how your company collects and analyzes data before investing in a marketing automation platform. The right solution will give you access to your data at any given moment.
You’ll want to know what type of data is being captured, where it’s stored, and whether it’s being analyzed.
Some platforms offer APIs that let you connect third-party applications to your system. These connections provide additional functionality and insight into your data.
By using marketing automation, marketing professionals can increase their marketing efficiency which in turn gives you a competitive advantage.
You should also look for ways to integrate your data collection and analysis tools with your CRM (customer relationship management) software.
A good marketing automation tool will make it easy to pull together all of your sales and marketing activities into one place so you can analyze performance and identify areas for improvement.
Start with a simple questionnaire if you’re not sure which data sources are most relevant to your business. Ask yourself questions like these: What information do I need? Where does my data come from? Who owns this data? Can I get it myself, or must I pay someone else?
Components of marketing automation
Marketing automation is a term used to describe software that automates certain aspects of marketing.
It’s typically used to automate lead generation, customer relationship management, and sales. Marketing automation software is usually built into CRM platforms, but it can also be standalone.
There are many different types of marketing automation software available today. Some focus on specific industries, while others offer general solutions. The most common components include:
Lead Generation – Automated emails and phone calls are sent to potential customers to generate leads.
Customer Relationship Management – CRM Marketing Software tracks interactions between companies and customers, allowing marketers to follow up with customers and provide personalized service.
Sales – A sales team receives automated alerts when deals are ready to close. It helps avert human error to convert more leads to sales.
Social Media – Social media marketing automation can help social media managers schedule tweets, Facebook posts, and other messages from within the platform.
Content Creation – Content creation tools allow marketers to create and share content without writing everything by hand. Automation software creates dynamic content for different social media platforms. These types of tools are largely used by marketing teams in organizations and marketing agencies.
Analytics – Analytics reports are generated automatically based on data collected by the system.
Some marketing automation systems are designed specifically for small businesses. Others are geared towards larger enterprises. Regardless of size, however, all marketing automation software has similar features.
For example, every tool offers a library of pre-built templates that can be customized to match your company’s branding.
The best marketing automation tools have robust reporting capabilities. These tools let you analyze performance metrics, including open rates, clickthroughs, and conversion rates. They also give you access to real-time data to monitor progress toward goals and adjust strategies accordingly.
What does marketing automation mean for the customer experience?
First off, let’s talk about what marketing automation means. Marketing automation refers to software that automates certain aspects of marketing, including lead generation, campaign management, and customer service.
It’s a tool that helps companies manage their entire marketing process from start to finish.
With that said, here are three ways that marketing automation can benefit customers:
1. Automated lead generation: When someone signs up for your free trial, for example, marketing automation systems can automatically send them a welcome email.
2. Customer support: Once a customer reaches out to you via phone or chat, marketing automation systems can route the message to the appropriate person within your company.
3. Personalization: With marketing automation, you can personalize emails based on previous interactions with your brand. For example, if a user recently purchased a product, you could send them a follow-up email asking if they’d like to receive special offers.
In addition to these benefits, marketing automation can also help you save money. According to HubSpot, the average cost per acquisition for B2C companies was $55.52 in 2016. That number drops to $29.27 for B2B companies.
So while marketing automation might seem expensive at first glance, the ROI is worth it.
Good Marketing Automation Practices
Now that we’ve talked about how marketing automation can benefit your business let’s look at some good practices for using this technology effectively.
1. Know Your Audience
Before you begin any marketing automation project, know who your target audience is. It will help you determine which campaigns work best. You’ll also be able to identify common pain points among your users.
For example, suppose most people who sign up for your free trial never convert into paying customers. In that case, you may want to focus more heavily on generating leads through social media ads.
2. Build Trust
When building trust with your audience, one of the best things you can do is use video. People are much more likely to share content that includes videos than text alone.
Another great way to build trust is by offering something valuable in exchange for an email address. For example, you could offer a discount code for contact information.
3. Measure Results
Once you launch your new marketing automation system and set it up for a marketing campaign, measure its effectiveness. If you do not see results, try adjusting your marketing strategy until you see positive changes.
4. Be Patient
If you expect immediate success, you’ll probably get frustrated when your efforts don’t produce results right away. Instead, keep your expectations realistic. Don’t set yourself up for failure by expecting too much too soon.
Top 3 reasons why marketers should use marketing automation
The following are the top three reasons marketers should use automated marketing tools.
1. They increase conversions.
According to Google, online conversion rates have increased by over 50% since 2010. In other words, there has been a massive shift towards digital channels as a means of converting prospects into sales.
This trend shows no signs of slowing down, so you need to adapt and automate your marketing processes if you want to stay competitive.
2. They reduce costs.
According to Hubspot, businesses spend around 2/3 of their budget on advertising and 1/3 on customer service. By automating many parts of your marketing process, you can reduce your overall spending and improve efficiency.
3. They increase productivity.
Automated marketing tools allow you to scale your marketing efforts without hiring additional staff. As a result, you can spend more time focusing on high-value activities like developing relationships with clients or improving your product.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is marketing automation the same as CRM?
Marketing automation is a relatively new term. It’s been around for about 10 years, but it wasn’t until the past few years that people started to really understand what it was and how it could be used effectively.
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. The idea behind this type of software is to help companies manage all aspects of their interactions with customers, from prospecting to customer support.
So while CRM is focused on managing customer data, marketing automation focuses on generating leads through email campaigns, landing pages, etc.
What is the difference between marketing automation and social media management?
Social Media Management (SMM) refers to the practice of monitoring and engaging with users on various social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. SMM helps companies to monitor brand mentions, respond to comments and questions, and even create content.
Social media management is an important part of any business strategy because it allows brands to connect with potential customers directly, which increases visibility and awareness.
However, it doesn't necessarily mean that you need to hire someone full-time to do this job. You can outsource this task to a third-party agency or freelancer who will handle everything for you.
What is B2B marketing automation?
B2B marketing automation is a subset of marketing automation that targets small and medium-sized businesses. It uses similar techniques and technology to attract prospects, nurture them, convert them into buyers, and track their behavior after they've purchased.
As a rule, B2B marketing automation solutions are designed to work with salespeople rather than individual marketers. This means that you'll have access to detailed reports and analytics that show exactly where your leads come from, how qualified they are, and how likely they are to buy.
What are the benefits of marketing automation?
There are several key advantages to using marketing automation. They include:
1. Increased ROI
When you use marketing automation, you get better results at a lower cost. That's because most of the heavy lifting is done by the software itself.
You don't have to pay for expensive advertising, design templates, or other resources that may not produce much value. Instead, you focus on creating high quality content that attracts prospective clients.
The software then sends targeted messages to those prospects based on their interests and behaviors. When they click on one of these emails, they're taken to a pre-designed landing page that contains more information about your product or service.
This process continues until the prospect buys something. At that point, you can follow up with them via email or phone call to close the sale.
2. Better lead nurturing
Lead generation is hard work. Prospects often ignore your offers, unsubscribe from your list, or simply forget about you when they aren't ready to make a purchase. Marketing automation makes it easier to keep in touch with your best leads so that you can continue to build rapport and trust over time.
Lead nurturing also helps you identify new opportunities before they become too expensive to pursue. The software automatically generates personalized emails based on each prospect's actions and interactions with your company.
3. Improved customer experience
Marketing automation provides a consistent user experience across all channels. Your website looks great no matter what device people are viewing it on. Emails look professional regardless of whether they're sent through Gmail or Outlook. And if a customer signs up for your free trial but never actually purchases anything, you still know how to reach them.
4. Enhanced data analysis
Marketing automation gives you access to tons of data about your customers and prospects. With tools like Google Analytics, you can see which pages on your site generate the most traffic and find out where your visitors are coming from.
You can even segment your audience by demographics, location, interest, purchasing history, and many other factors. From there, you can send different types of messages to each group to increase conversion rates.
5. Less stress
With marketing automation, you don't need to worry about sending mass emails to hundreds or thousands of contacts every day. You only send messages to people who have shown an interest in your business.
And since you've already created a relationship with them, you can be sure that they'll open your message and read it. So you can spend less time worrying about getting responses and more time focusing on growing your business.
The Bottom Line:
In conclusion, Marketing Automation has become a powerful tool for marketers today. But if you haven’t started using it yet, now’s the perfect time to jump into the fray.
With the right tools and strategies, you can automate many of the tasks you currently perform manually, freeing up valuable time to spend doing what you enjoy.
And when you combine automation with lead nurturing, you can generate leads faster than ever before. It is the future of marketing, and it’s here today.