Is Marketing Automation Software Right for Your Business?

A frequent mistake a lot of people make is thinking that marketing automation software is essentially a tool for email marketing. While it’s factual that its origins are form there, what we’re referring to is a totally different sort of creature.

According to Wikipedia, Marketing automation refers to software platforms designed for marketing departments and organizations to automate repetitive tasks. Marketing departments, consultants and part-time marketing employees benefit by specifying criteria and outcomes for tasks and processes that are then interpreted, stored and executed by software, which increases efficiency and reduces human error. Originally focused on email marketing automation, marketing automation refers to a broad range of automation and analytic tools for marketing.

So how does this benefit your small business?

Since some 93% of B2B buyers are using the search engines to begin their buying process, it was clear that to be successful businesses required a way to streamline the inbound marketing process, and make it simpler to manage, at the same time reducing the resources and time required for day-to-day marketing activities. Marketing automation software makes this happen, allowing you to manage every part of the lead generation pathway. Good software of this type will attract visitors to your site, and lead them down the path of the buying process with offers and follow-up emails. It can also segment your leads as to source, product interests or any specific parameters.

The way this works is the system relies on a complex series of rules to trigger action items; that can be either more content, an offer, or follow-up email message. This offers the visitor precisely what they are looking for and frees up your staff for other tasks. One particularly important thing to note is that if you choose to opt for a marketing automation software, there will have to be a commitment keeping the content funnel filled, as this is what it operates on.

If your small business is fighting to keep up with all that you are tasked with, or if you are looking to bring your business to another level, then you may want to take a hard look at marketing automation software.