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Marketing automation has long been promising a kind of magic-the use of technology to achieve the right leads and customers at the right time with the right message, with better reports and better yields. But in the wrong hands and with the wrong strategy, marketing automation does not lead to magic. It leads to chaos.
Chaos can comment in different ways: invalid data, communication errors, lack of leads. A company tried to learn his platform himself, but moved Leads to the end of the campaigns and skipped all emails that should actually be sent.
Another had to receive new instances of his marketing automation platform because it was so chaotic that it was unusable. Chaos can arise from a lack of concentration and a lack of understanding of who handles what and ultimately sell their leads and customers.
You don't want that. You want the magic. Here you will find out how you bring it.
Understand how magic works
To talk about where we stand, we have to start at the beginning. Everything changes over time, and standstill is synonymous with insignificance. The magic of Houdini's incredible attempts to escape in forced jackets has developed into airplanes that appear on stage out of nowhere. The same applies to marketing automation.
What started as a tool for providing emails has developed into an extremely powerful discipline that is cross-channel, uses data, persecutes behaviors, evaluates leads, connects, connects, personalized, adapts, targets … The list continues and continues. So if you just think you have a nice email tool, do not operate marketing automation, you miss an opportunity-and you pay for this privilege.
You may be asking yourself now: “What do I do” and “How do I start?” First you have to understand what marketing automation can do for you and eliminate obstacles for use. As a starting point, your company should consider all channels and eliminate all silos between groups, especially sales and marketing. In this way you can understand the entire need for marketing automation tools and make the right trip for your leads and customers, from the first interaction with your brand and beyond.
The correct automation platform is determined by your sales and marketing requirements: data integration, channels, lead rating and the dynamic content that are important to you.
You should explore both industry -specific solutions and general tools that match the special features of your company. Before you make your final decision, you should narrow them down to two convincing options with which you carry out trial versions or demos to get a real insight into the tools. If this feels overwhelming, you are not alone! You can also choose to work with an external agency or an external consultant, as these remain aggnostic in your recommendations.
Create your potion
If you want to create magic, you need a potion. In the world of marketing automation, data is the wand. Bad data inputs are synonymous with poor data outputs. If bad data drive your marketing automation efforts forward, you certainly face challenges. One The company did not ensure that its data was adjusted and sent a message with the note “Daughter killed in the event of a car accident” as part of the name field. You don't want that to happen to you.
If you have just acquired a CRM system or a marketing automation platform, it is absolutely necessary to carry out a data check or cleanup before simply using these tools. Make sure that precise data is charged that are formatted and assigned as desired.
If you have already crossed this point, don't worry, it's not too late yet. As soon as your systems run, you should continue to use data adjustment processes such as sunetting programs and audits. Set up regular data audits to ensure that you comply with the data and email laws and that your data flow properly through your systems. You should also be strict with system access and only give those processing functions that can make changes to data or assets while the rest can only display.
Pull a rabbit out of your hat
You are now ready to learn magic, right? The answer is perhaps a big one. Because to conjure up a rabbit out of the hat, you need a magician: a marketing automation expert.
Many companies fail here. Either you hire someone who has experience with your respective systems, or let your current marketing team try to familiarize yourself with the platform. So you have someone who understands the software, but not the marketing ecosystem, or someone who understands marketing, but do not know how to bring it to life via the platform. Since marketing automation is an art, you need someone who understands the special features of the platform you have chosen as well as the strategy and best practice of the discipline and channels of marketing automation. If you only have one or the other, your customer experience will falter.
Give them the old shine
You are now armed with your potion and have the right parts to conjure up a rabbit out of your hat, but you cannot yet make magic. What an experience would it be for consumers without a little sensation?
The brand experience begins with the first brand interaction of a consumer. According to the PWC, 59 % of people will go away in the USA after several bad experiences and 17 % after just a bad experience, even if they love a company or product. It is even more interesting that 65 % of US customers feel a positive experience with a brand as a more influential feeling than great advertising, and 73 % of customers state that the experience is an important factor in their purchase decisions.
Experience is everything! You cannot simply create a variety of communication means that are not connected to your leads and customers. You can expect the right message with the right channel, at the right time and tailored to you. Disney, for example, has been operating experience marketing for years and marketing automation has improved. As soon as you have booked a trip, you will receive mail with your bracelets, emails with travel plans and when you arrive, you will be picked up at the airport with your Magical Express. With every step you experience the same personalized and brand -related message and the same feeling, regardless of the channel.
Take the time to create a plan. Customer Lifecycle or Journey mapping is a great way to develop your strategy by understanding how your leads and customers move to buy and continue to loyalty. This allows you to record what any of your departments or channels are doing. The more time and thoughts you invest in this phase of the process, the better experiences you will ultimately have for your leads and customers. So don't save here.
So now you have your potion, can conjure up a rabbit out of your hat and know how important it is to blind a little. They are ready and have the right tools, talents and strategies. The stage is ready, the audience is sitting. Now it's time to conjure up something.
Are you looking for magical support?
Did you know that 63 % of companies that use marketing automation outsource them in whole or in part? (Ascend2) It is okay to not fully understand the marketing automation platform you have, or the strategy that is behind the creation of amazing experiences. Laughlin Constable offers the specialist knowledge you need, be it personnel uphill service services for onboarding, setting up or training, help in strategy development or full-service planning and execution from start to finish. Our team was in the trenches and understands the existing challenges and opportunities. Visit our website to learn more about how we can further develop your brand from one day to the next.
Author: Jenny Maglio, Laughlin Constable
As a 15-year-old, award-winning veteran in email marketing and marketing automation, Jenny worked on thousands of emails and is certified by the leading automation platforms in the industry. Your pronounced ability to both develop and implement the email experience through marketing automation has led to an excellent ROI for customers. Jenny is currently heading a team of Marketing Automation All-Stars at the Full Service Agency Laughlin Constable.
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
