What is Marketing Automation
Marketing automation is a blanket term used to describe the software and tools you can use to automate marketing tasks. Marketing automation is a piece of software that makes it possible for your sales and marketing teams to manage leads and customers more efficiently. Some people think it’s just segmentation or lead scoring, and others include email marketing and web analytics and A/B testing as part of it. I think everyone can agree that, whatever it is, marketing automation is a fast-growing and vital part of your software tool kit. It helps customers stay in touch with your brand by having a workflow set up for them whenever they interact with you.
Why do Marketers need Marketing Automation
Every business needs to have the ability to handle their digital presence in a way that’s easy for them to target their audiences with messaging they’re most likely going to respond to. That means setting up funnels that bring the right people to the top of your funnel and having a flow set up to qualify those leads before deciding which ones are ready to talk to a salesperson.
The good news is that marketing automation means you can automate much of this process, so everything works without a hitch. Instead of hiring an expensive team or department to take care of it, marketing automation gives you the tools at a fraction of the cost.
What tools do Marketers use to reach out to prospects
Marketing automation software is available in lots of different flavors. You can go for full CRM integration, enterprise-level packages, or really simple solutions that gives you just enough features to get started. Some of the most common marketing automation tools include:
- Hubspot: It’s really popular and used by a lot of small and medium businesses.
- Marketo: A good choice for those looking for a sleek user interface, it’s perfect for complicated processes.
- Eloqua: This one is considered as one of the top players in the field and is used by big brands, including Coca-Cola.
- Pardot: It’s rated well for it’s ease of use and offers a free trial to get you started.
- Marketing Cloud: This is a full-scale marketing automation suite. It covers everything from social media to email and analytics.
There are lots of other options available, and it can be hard to know which one is right for you. If you’re already using Salesforce or SugarCRM, then it might make sense to look for a tool that integrates with one of those. Otherwise, there are lots of good choices available, including Infusionsoft, Act-On, and many more. One thing to remember is that tools often come with different levels of features, so be sure that you get one that fits your business needs.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the basics, it’s time to learn how to use marketing automation more efficiently in your organization. If this is new for you, hopefully, I’ve cleared up some of the confusion around what marketing automation entails or at least given you enough information so you can make an informed decision about your business.
