“I can’t
imagine my life without marketing automation. It’s a no brainer. To me, the
fact that so many companies don’t have it is amazing."
− Holly Condon, VP Business
Development, Papersave
Marketing professionals more
often than not tend to be a little unorganized when it comes to planning,
designing, and implementing their marketing strategies. It may be due to
approaching deadlines or near-to-impossible targets. With the help of marketing
automation software, they can become more organized.
Marketing automation is the
process that works as a supporting system for the marketers and marketing
managers to achieve their work related objectives.
There are two components of marketing automation −
● Hardware − Computing devices (Computers,
laptops, tablets, etc.), networking devices (modems, routers, firewalls, etc.)
● Software − The solution that offer smooth
management of marketing practices.
There are large number of marketing automation software applications available to date. Some of them are as follows −
● Asset management − It enables the business to identify and
track the tangible or intangible assets the customers purchase, rent, license,
or download.
● Campaign management − It enables businesses to plan, design,
test, and implement a multichannel communication as well as track its progress
and learn from its outcome. It also enables to create product awareness among
customers, influence their behavior, and
motivate them to purchase the product or visit the business website. This
software provides the following key elements
○ Setting the workflow − It organizes the tasks with respect to
their priorities.
○ Segmentation and Targeting − Entire customer base is divided into
groups such that the marketers can serve each group in the best way.
○ Personalization − The messages and offers are customized
individually.
○ Execution − The campaign can be executed
simultaneously through multiple communication channels such as television,
telephone, Email, mobile messages.
○ Measurement − It aids in measuring the success of the
campaign. The outcomes are referred in future campaigns.
○ Reporting − Reports help to assess marketing efforts
and progress.
● Customer Segmentation − This application categorizes the
customers into relevant groups so that there are strong links between the
members of the same groups and they are served to more customized offers.
● Direct mail campaign
management − It involves sending offers to the
customers by post. Though it is traditional way, it is still in practice.
● Email Campaign management − It enables sending offer Emails on
permission of the customers. Email campaigns give insight of Click Through Rate (CTR) and conversion rate.
● Marketing Performance
Management − It helps to evaluate the performance of
campaigns, offers, marketing channels, marketing processes, and strategies. It
helps to measure customer satisfaction, churn rate, and migration.
● Marketing Resource
Management − It enables marketers to handle the
resources, assets, and processes effectively. It includes modules for digital
asset management, time management, event planning, etc.
● Document management − It ensures all marketing documents are
safe, up-to-date and sharable among marketing staff when required.
● Reporting − This functionality enables periodic
report generation for the purpose of assessment and tracking progress.
The other examples of
marketing automation software are product lifecycle management, partner
marketing, and telemarketing.
The benefits of implementing marketing automation are −
● Enhanced marketing
processes − More streamlined and cost-efficient
processes, which can be followed by even a novice marketer.
● Greater reachability to
audience − Hundreds and thousands advertises can be
shown using multiple channels, which increases marketing productivity.
● Effective Closed Loop
Marketing (CLM) − The marketing strategy that is based on
“Plan-Implement-Assess-Learn and Change” stages is called closed loop
marketing. MA ensures effective implementation of CLM.
● Improved marketing
knowledge − Reporting facility increases marketer’s
insight into customers, campaigns, market trends, etc.
● Increased customer experience − MA ensures sending no spam mails. On the
contrary, it sends the customers only appropriate offers at right times.
● Instant response − Without being a part of annual campaign
plan, the marketers can respond to an opportunity immediately.