Marketing automation is a game-changer. It fully or partially automates marketing across all channels. You can use automation tools to take marketing to a whole new level. It is estimated that the marketing automation software market will cross $6.4 billion by 2024. Statistics show that a whopping 75% of all companies use some kind of marketing automation.
Why?
Because it works exceptionally well.
If you aren’t on the automation bandwagon yet and still skeptical, keep reading to find answers to your questions on what is marketing automation, how it works, and why you should care?
What is Marketing Automation?
Marketing automation refers to the use of tools and software to automate marketing activities. Automating repetitive marketing tasks such as social media posting and sending a weekly newsletter to your subscribers. You can automate a whole lot of marketing tasks including lead generation, audience segmentation, sales funnel, social media, etc.
Here is an example of an automation workflow:
The best thing about marketing automation is that it needs minimal supervision. You don’t have to monitor the automation tool on a daily or weekly basis. It keeps working based on the selected workflow.
For example, if you have set up a birthday email for your subscribers, you just have to create a template once and it will keep working. Your subscribers will receive birthday wishes without any interruption:
It is a set-and-forget way to do marketing in the real sense.
What Marketing Tasks Can Be Automated?
Ideally, you can automate any marketing task that is repetitive, routine, and time-consuming. In other words, non-cognitive tasks can be automated without a second thought. Cognitive marketing tasks that involve mental processing must never be automated.
For example, it won’t make sense to automate marketing strategy development or defining marketing goals. You can use tools to assist in such cognitive tasks but you shouldn’t automate them.
On the other hand, non-cognitive tasks that require no mental processing and are routine tasks are the ones you should be automating. For example, scheduling and publishing social media posts and sharing new blog posts on social media accounts automatically are routine tasks that can be easily automated.
So, all such marketing tasks that don’t involve any mental processing and ones that can be handled by a tool or software can be automated.
Zapier, for instance, is one of the most popular marketing automation tools that connects apps and automates workflows. Here is an example:
This automation workflow will save all the attachments in your Google Drive. Great, this is a perfect example of a repetitive task. What you do with the saved attachments is a cognitive task that you have to do manually.
This is what marketing automation is all about. Helping you automate repetitive routine tasks so that you can focus on cognitive non-routine tasks. So that you can utilize your time smartly.
Default Automated Marketing Tasks
On the other hand, several marketing tasks are automated by default. For example, email marketing. You can’t run an autoresponder that sends emails to new subscribers on day 3, 5, and 10th. It has to be automated.
Similarly, omnichannel marketing can’t be done manually. You have to use automation tools.
It all comes down to the nature of the marketing task and the availability of the automated tools. If you think automating a specific task will save time, go for it.
Why Automate Marketing
What is the need for marketing automation? Can’t you just do marketing manually without relying on tools and software?
Short answer: No.
Why?
For all the reasons listed below. Marketing automation brings a lot of benefits and amazing features to the table:
1. Save Time
The number one reason why you must use marketing automation is that it saves time. When I say it saves time, I mean a lot of time. According to a survey, 74% of marketers say that the biggest benefit of marketing automation is that it saves time.
Let me give you an example.
Imagine you have an email list of 5,000 subscribers. You want to send them a weekly newsletter that’s personalized and greets the subscriber with his/her name. You’ll need lots of team members to do this task every week manually.
An email marketing tool will do it automatically with precision every week.
End result?
You’ll save time.
And this isn’t just limited to an email marketing tool. The whole idea of marketing automation and using sophisticated tools is to save time and make tasks less complicated.
2. Cost-Effective
Automation is cost-effective. Investment in an automated tool is the best marketing spend ever. Not only does it save time (the most expensive resource you have), but it also optimizes marketing spend.
Statistics show that advertising automation can save businesses up to $130K a year in costs and 84% of cloud automation leaders have been able to reduce operating costs significantly.
3. Efficient Use of Resources
Human resource is the most crucial resource that you have and marketing automation helps you use your workforce efficiently.
Your marketing team won’t be spending time on routine tasks that can be easily done by a tool. Instead, it will work on creative and cognitive tasks that require active decision-making and problem-solving. This is the biggest benefit of marketing automation.
4. Scalability
Marketing automation is fully scalable. It grows with your business.
All the marketing tools come with different subscription plans that are suitable for businesses of all sizes. This scalability feature makes marketing automation ideal for small businesses.
In case the tools you are using aren’t scalable, you can always switch to other marketing tools.
5. Marketing and Sales Alignment
A single marketing automation software can bring both marketing and sales teams on the same page. Marketing automation increases sales productivity by 14.5% and reduces marketing overhead by 12.2%:
Aligned marketing and sales teams increase marketing revenue by 209% and both teams are 67% more efficient at closing deals.
Only one automation tool is all your company needs to align both teams.
Final Words
Understanding what is marketing automation isn’t enough. It is a beginning. Once you know the benefits of marketing automation and how it can push your business to new heights, you need to start using it.
Where to begin?
Start exploring marketing tools that are available in the market. Build your martech stack. And continue growing it.
Featured Image: Pexels
