How Marketing Automation Platforms Solve Common Marketing Challenges
Today, marketers are under constant pressure to do more with less. We’re expected to increase revenue and get results with less time and resources. Thankfully, marketing automation platforms are here to help. Automation platforms handle activities that would otherwise be tedious to carry out manually.
For example, these platforms feature email marketing, landing pages, nurture campaigns. And, they even include things like web forms, analytics, surveys, social marketing and more. As a result, they increase leads, drive conversions, and ultimately generate more revenue. Let’s take a look at how marketing automation platforms are empowering markers by streamlining these tasks.
1. Marketing automation platforms help increase conversions
Not everyone is ready to buy your product or service right now. Sales cycles take time. In some cases, it can take months or even years to move a customer through the purchase funnel. So, even though a potential customer might not be ready to buy right now, they still are a potential customer or future conversion.
What makes automation platforms so powerful is that they can nurture these leads. Regardless of how lengthy the sales cycle is, you can create custom funnels to move people closer to buying. And, to do this effectively, you’ll want to create content that is unique to each stage in the buying process. Marketing automation tools will help you serve up the information that is most relevant to your customers at any given time.
This helps businesses save time and money. They’re able to use marketing automation to follow up with soft leads, so their sales team can focus on hot leads. As a result, the sales team operates more efficiently and effectively.
2. Marketing automation platforms keep customers engaged
Automation platforms can send all types of messages to customers. Yes, we usually think of marketing messages as promotional discounts or offers. But, automation doesn’t isn’t always used for marketing. It can help keep customers engaged with your brand. You can send important updates and service information. Or, any information that’s simply created to enhance their experience with your business.
Businesses that take this approach are able to drive deeper relationships with their customers. What’s more, it drives brand loyalty and trust. Creating value for your customers that isn’t directly tied to a sale will have significant returns in the long-run.
3. Marketing automation tools decrease inefficiencies
Again, in marketing and business, time is precious. Inefficiencies in marketing are directly tied to less revenue and profit. If your sales or marketing team is spending time on tedious manual work, they’re not spending their time as best as they could.
Marketing automation software helps avoid repeating steps and manual data entry. It can automatically push out communications so that your team doesn’t have to. Essentially, all you have to do is identify the targets and come up with a basic communication funnel. Then, automation will handle the rest.
Also, marketing automation platforms will give you the insight you need to refine your strategies. The first step to decreasing inefficiencies is finding them. So, automation tools give you the analytics you need to find the areas that might need some more attention.
4. Marketing automation platforms help align sales and marketing
The marketing and sales departments also become more productive by aligning their efforts. By sharing information, they can design more effective workflows. Also, they can identify the leads with the most purchase potential. As a result, both teams are more successful in pursuing high-quality leads.
In addition, the two teams can collaborate more effectively on campaigns. This way, they ensure that prospects get the right message and the right attention at the right time. They can start to gather and share data on what content is most important for which types of leads. This is really important in breaking down the marketing and sales silos that often occur.
5. Most importantly, these platforms generate more revenue
Everything we’ve discussed so far has an impact on your bottom line. According to recent studies, 77% of CMOs at top-performing companies say their most compelling reason for implementing marketing automation is to grow revenue. Research also states that marketing automation drives a 14.5% increase in sales productivity and a 12.2% reduction in marketing overhead.
Those numbers are hard to ignore if you’re not already using a marketing automation tool. If you’re in the market for automation software, you’ll want to make sure you partner with trusted experts. Our team at Routee will give you the tools you need to generate more revenue and save valuable time.
Learn about Routee’s marketing automation platform here. Or, get in touch with us, today to get started.