In the new age of marketing, we can target and capitalize on data a lot better than before. Marketers have made all this possible by using tools to automate repetitive and predictable marketing processes. It is a great way to generate more leads and save more time. Marketing automation has quickly taken a permanent seat at the table.
Marketers are using it in many ways, e.g., an agency wants to let their customers know about the latest Cox cable deals. They can set up an automated emailing tool. It is easy but very efficient.
How Can We Use Marketing Automation?
Marketers are using automation tools for many processes. You can accomplish a lot in a short time, even if it took longer before. Some of the ways marketing automation is useful are as follows:
Email Marketing
The most widely used way of marketing automation is email marketing. It can be a tedious process if there is a long list of email recipients, and you have to do it manually. Meanwhile, it can be as easy as the touch of a button with marketing automation.
Marketers can set up lists for updates, new deals, welcome messages, etc. You can program the available tools to send all those emails as required.
SMS Marketing
While this may not be the best way to approach your audience, it can still work. Automated servers with a databank of customer contact numbers send out messages. You can use the same lists or add new ones and send thousands of messages simultaneously.
Feedback Updates and Surveys
You can also use automated tools and custom mobile app development softwares to develop surveys for customer feedback. It is common practice in a lot of restaurants. Every time you dine in, you will receive a survey on your phone asking about the service. It is a great way for marketers to get reviews and stay connected with the customer base.
Latest Updates and Deals
If you have an automated setup, sending updates can be a piece of cake. You can use this to let customers know about all new launches, updates in services, or sales.
Scheduled Posting
Marketing agencies have many clients, and all have active social media accounts. Instead of making posts every day, they schedule them once or twice a week. The scheduled posts automatically get posted on a specific date and time. It saves time, and there is no chance of missing out on a post.
Lead Generation
Suppose you are arranging an online seminar. You can ask all your attendees to fill out a registration form online that asks for their email IDs. Once you have the data, the rest is on the automation tool. It will start by sending a thank you or welcome email. Later on, the email updates become continual and automated. All your attendees could become forgotten leads if you didn’t use automated marketing.
Chat Bots
We have all talked to a bot at least once while contacting a business. A large number of queries generated by customers are more or less the same. Setting up a chatbot can help in filtering out FAQs. The bot already has the answers to those questions, and you need lesser human beings on the customer care end.
Trigger Emails
Customers receive trigger emails right after a specific action. You might have received an email right after you finished a free software trial. Another example can be after you put some things in your cart but don’t end up buying them. Often, they can generate trigger reactions from customers and help you make a sale.
Is Marketing Automation Right for You?
It sounds like a lot of fluff, but is it actually beneficial for you? Automation may sound like something only bigger corporations can benefit from. In fact, it is equally helpful for small businesses as well. No matter how small your setup is, automation can help you with your customers. It is well-tailored to help small businesses with minimal time and resources.
If you are a small business owner, you might be worried about the cost. Even if you don’t have a seemingly endless marketing budget, it can be right for you. A lot of the automation tools in the market are fairly simple and inexpensive to set up. With the right kind of tools, your small business can rocket to the big leagues.
The Future of Marketing Automation
There are still times when marketing automation fails to bring in results. You can be using the wrong tool for the results you desire. The timing and frequency of automated emails, or messages, might be bad. Your audience could feel disconnected from your methods. Therefore, there is a huge learning curve for automated marketing in the world.
In the future, we can expect automated marketing to become safe and secure for data handling procedures. It can personalize contact for each one of your customers. Similarly, integrated machine learning can help make things more relevant. It is great right now, but it will get better.