Cindy Del Rio, Negosentro.com | Everywhere you look nowadays you can see some kind of a solution for marketing automation. Don’t get us wrong, it can be a powerful business strategy when used properly, and it will most definitely affect the future of marketing, but you still need to pay close attention to all of its features.
Various studies from SiriusDecisions and Garnet Research indicate that more than half of all B2B companies have implemented marketing automation and by the end of 2020, more than 85% of the customer relationship would be carried away without any human interaction.
With that said, you shouldn’t rush to automate marketing at any cost. With online marketing spreading incredibly fast, everybody wants a piece of the market. There is a lot to be learned and simply having the tools doesn’t mean you have to use them. Before starting this process, have a look at these 5 common mistakes of marketing automation.
Automating Bad Processes
In order for automation to work, your marketing mix must be fully operational before even thinking of starting the process. Common mistakes are trying to program processes that are nonexistent and automating bad habits that haven’t shown results in their previous form.
In order to generate strong leads and manage to do a full mapping of the “Buyer’s Journey” you will have to understand your key audiences. You will have to understand which content keeps them with you, and once you do, you will be able to implement the results in the automation process. In order to achieve the maximum potential of marketing automation, you need to do quite a lot of strategic and metrics research to understand how to make a truly enticing calls-to-action.
No Clear Reason for Using Marketing Automation
You’ve heard it’s great, and you’ve seen a lot of other people using it, so why wouldn’t you use it as well? Well, without a concrete plan of action and developed strategy for using the tools marketing automation provides you may end up in more trouble than you think.
In order for marketing automation to pay off, the process has to be well orchestrated and planned ahead. It requires a clean strategy and a solid business plan it can follow, otherwise, your “solution” will end up costing you.
Simply Assuming Marketing Automation Will Drive Leads
A lot of people can get really surprised by the features and potential benefits of marketing automation, but one major misconception about it is that it will resolve all your lead generating problems.
As SEO Services Perth experts point out – relying solely on marketing automation without any strategy for expanding the contact list will soon leave you out of the target audience. So, keep in mind that while marketing automation can help you out with a better understanding of the data and with nurturing and activating of leads, a solution for generating them is necessary in order for it to work.
Not Producing Fresh Content on Time
If you think of marketing automation as an engine, then the content is the fuel for that engine. Without fresh content, your marketing automation can’t achieve its maximum potential.
When it comes to engagement the old and overused maxim – Content is king is very true. You need enticing content to generate leads, and in order for marketing automation to help boost your business. Always think of it in a form of valuable information you can provide to your visitors to make them engage with you. Independent overseeing of the content will also help as a fresh set of eyes can help prepare it for the marketing automation from an objective stand point.
Using Marketing Automation as a Strictly Marketing Tool
Limiting marketing automation to a strict marketing silo can be very counter-productive. There are various benefits all teams can enjoy from this strategy, and proper integration with your CRM can make it even more beneficial. Because of this, the entire B2B organization needs to be involved.
This way various barriers between different segments of your business are broken down, and this collaboration makes integration of marketing automation runs extremely smooth and as planned. Without the entire company – marketing automation can only be an expensive email tool for limited use.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things to keep in mind when thinking of upgrading your business. Whether it’s your physical or online part of the business, there are always some tools that can help you out. Marketing automation is one of those tools, but make sure you use it smartly and plan ahead to achieve best possible results.
