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Marketing Automation

Marketing Automation

There are certain tasks that we all wish were automatic. Marketers are used to having their calendars full of tasks that seem pretty repetitive, like sending email campaigns, posting on social media, gathering analytical reports, finding qualified leads, etc. All these tasks are essential for a business, but sometimes they take too much time and distract marketers from high-priority tasks. 
Hence, marketing automation platforms were developed, helping marketers to automate tasks and save time. A marketing automation strategy has become an essential part of any marketer, and the industry continues to grow, as it is expected to be worth 25 billion by 20231. 

What is Marketing Automation? 

Neil Patel2 defines marketing automation as "the act of using software to create and implement applications to automate repetitive tasks, such as email marketing, ad campaigns, tracking, and much more." HubSpot3, one of the most famous marketing software, defines marketing automation "as software that handles routine marketing tasks without the need for human action4."

In simpler words, marketing automation refers to the process of using software and the available technology to automate repetitive tasks. For example, marketers use these types of software to automate campaigns and activities that can go through the entire customer's journey. This software can help a business save time and money and focus on tasks like marketing strategy, content creation, KPIs, design, etc. 

How does Marketing Automation work? 

Marketing automation software is used by many businesses to streamline the processes involved in creating, managing, and publishing content across multiple channels. Marketing automation aims to increase efficiency so that marketers can spend more time on valuable tasks like creating content. Marketing automation has become popular because it allows businesses to create automated campaigns triggered based on a series of specific events.

Marketing automation software gathers customer data and sends personalised and specific content to possible leads based on the behavioural data and customer's journey. For example, suppose your customer was on your website and added some products to their shopping cart but abandoned the cart after some time. In that case, you can streamline the process of sending a personalised email with a special offer with email marketing automation software.  

Where can you use Marketing Automation Software? 

There are several tasks in marketing that can be automated, being email marketing automation one of the most common tasks that marketers choose to automate; however, there are many more tasks that can be automated, such as: 

  • Lead Generation
  • Lead Nurturing 
  • Retargeting Ads
  • Scheduling Social Media Posts
  • Customer Retention 
  • Loyalty Programs
  • A/B Testing
  • Data analysis and reports 

Benefits of Marketing Automation 

The most apparent benefit of marketing automation tools is that it saves time for a business by reducing repetitive tasks. Creating a personalised workflow based on your customers' journeys and the information that was gathered beforehand is another benefit that marketing automation brings onboard. It will allow you to understand better your customer and the different steps that can lead them to a successful and positive experience in your business. These workflows push relevant content to qualified leads and build relationships with your customers. 

In a marketing automation platform, you can integrate data and analytics to understand better your customers and how your campaigns and content have performed. This process enables you to improve your customer experience, as well as how you target your audience and possible prospects. In addition, having these analytical reports will help marketers reduce campaign errors. Overall, automation platforms enable marketers to be more efficient.

There are many marketing automation tools to choose from, depending on the tasks you want to automate. 

Marketing automation platforms have become essentials tool for any business conducting many marketing activities. It saves companies time and money and ensures that marketing initiatives are carried out accordingly. If you have the right software, managing all your marketing activities becomes easy and convenient. As a result, they can grow a business significantly and provide long-lasting results.

Sources

1 Guttmann, A. “ U.S. marketing automation software market share 2021.” Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/449568/marketing-automation-solutions-market-share-usa/ . Accessed 10 August 2022.

2 Patel, Neil. “Marketing Automation: What is it, Examples & Tools [2022].” Neil Patel, https://neilpatel.com/blog/marketing-automation-tools/ . Accessed 11 August 2022.

3 “Our Story.” HubSpot, https://www.hubspot.com/our-story .Accessed 11 August 2022.

4 “HubSpot Marketing | What is Marketing Automation?” HubSpot, https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing/marketing-automation-information . Accessed 11 August 2022.