It is a misconception that marketing automation will instantly increase the profits of companies and free up working time for marketers. But, as everywhere, there are no “magic pills” in business. Automation has ceased to be an independent system capable of developing strategies for generating leads. They do not know how to have a dialogue with customers and develop sales.

However, the use of such – a big leap forward. For automation to bring business a significant effect, you need to approach the issue comprehensively. In this article we will consider the most common myths about marketing automation, because in the world of marketing they have a right to exist.

Marketing automation – what is it

Transferring routine tasks and processes from a marketer to specially designed software is called marketing automation. It is suitable for absolutely any type of business, because everywhere there is a large number of actions that the robot can handle, thus freeing up the forces of a specialist to solve non-trivial tasks.

Automation has the following advantages:

• The time spent on personalizing interaction with consumers is reduced.

• It is possible to fine-tune advertising using arrays of collected information.

• The load of current employees decreases, there are opportunities to optimize the staff.

• Marketing becomes coordinated with other departments: often marketing functions are automated together with the functions of the sales department.

• User engagement is analyzed in real time.

• Close control is established over the passage of customers through the funnel of sales.

• Weaknesses in the implemented marketing strategy are highlighted.

Please note: marketing automation – a set of interrelated actions in the business management system, which includes many categories: mailings, launching advertising campaigns, tracking consumer actions, using pop-ups, SEO-analysis, parsing and posting. For example, automating only the sending of e-mails is not the same as automating marketing, it is only a separate function.

Today, marketing automation platforms have become widespread, providing all the necessary options in one place.

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10 most popular myths

1. Marketing automation is just automatic mailing

Yes, the marketing automation system can make mailings. However, its capabilities do not end there and are not limited to the automation of a single action. Automated systems, in addition to mailings, are able to collect data for analysis, conduct analytics, publish content on a schedule and monitor advertising campaigns.

It is worth explaining how well-tuned mailing automation works. First, the service tracks all channels associated with the sales funnel. Mailing lists are triggered after triggers – certain actions of customers. Note that this feature has nothing to do with spam – with unwanted correspondence. Effective automation is focused on personalizing offers so that customers receive only relevant information.

2. It is necessary to adjust and forget once

No robot can function effectively for a long time without human supervision. Automation increases the number of routine processes per unit time, but frees the manager from self-supervision. At a certain level of configuration, the system will collect data, generate reports and compile tables. However, only a person can analyze and draw conclusions. The system will be able to adjust the running advertising campaign or generate a new one. For these purposes, the company needs a competent marketer, the range of its competencies will be slightly expanded, as its task will include in-depth analytics and control.

3. Used only in email

As we have said, email is only a small part of marketing automation. A distinctive feature of modern marketing is omnichannel, so it is important to use all channels to attract customers. The first acquaintance with the brand often occurs through advertising on social networks, a potential customer in search of detailed information visits the company’s website, and at this stage its activity may end. The task of automated marketing is to detect activity and bring the customer to sales by connecting other channels: email, push or sms messages.

4. Only big business needs automation

Until recently, this myth was true. The automation software developed was prohibitively expensive for small and medium-sized businesses: only large corporations could afford such costs. Given the high cost of innovation paid off in firms with a large volume of tasks.

Today, the market for marketing automation software has changed significantly: decent offers of companies of all sizes have begun to appear. Cloud technologies will help to cope with the difficulties of implementation (unfortunately, they are not the most reliable). Experience has shown that implementing CDP in a small business is much easier than in a large one: fewer elements are involved in automation, less data needs to be processed and fewer employees are trained. In this automation provides a real opportunity for business growth.

5. With automation, marketing becomes impersonal

“Impersonal and soulless” marketing – this is how opponents of the use of CDP respond to automation, explaining their position by the fact that the mass ceases to take into account the individual needs of customers. It’s time to debunk this myth: automation tools, when used properly, only increase the personalization of advertising processes. The system can do what a living person can’t do: track all the movements of the ice and bring them into a full picture. It remains to make the right settings, and each recipient will receive only relevant timely proposals through the very communication channels that he uses more often – the robot knows everyone by name and thoroughly studies the habits.

6. This is a fleeting fashion trend

And will it pass soon? Is that so? According to statistics, 51% of companies have already implemented marketing automation in their business. Our reality is based on global information flows. Some of this is just information noise, and some is real prospects. By all parameters, marketing automation belongs to the latter. It allows you to respond faster, take into account more variables, make more movements per unit time.

Without the ability to automate, it is difficult for marketers to “keep their hands on the pulse” of the market, they are drowning in routine with the business in which they work. There is a critical lack of time in the crazy rhythm, in addition to the need to develop – to learn new tools, to acquire new competencies. Unequivocally, this trend has been with us for a long time.

7. The business will become stronger, because in the process of automation all its current problems will be solved

Automation will really speed up and structure all marketing business processes. Only current mistakes and problems it will not solve, does not level in a mysterious way, because in the process of automation business processes are transferred to the system “as is”. In order to identify and solve marketing problems, you need to do serious preparatory work.

You can compare the business with automation and to it with a more modern car: the new model will come from point A to point B faster, but provided that the driver is an experienced driver. You need to learn a simple truth: marketing strategy first. Defining CA, working on content, personally interacting with customers – still remains a human job, not a job.

8. Automation is appropriate only before the sales stage

Bringing ice to sales is an important task, but no less important is the after-sales activity: to reorient the customer to the category of regular customers, to maintain a high level of involvement and loyalty. Automation can also help with all of these issues. The system will not forget to congratulate the customer on his birthday, send him a special offer, remind him of an important event and announce a novelty. In this case, all its actions will be relevant (confirmed by analysis of the collected information about the consumer). No calls, no messages will remain unanswered. As a result, loyal consumers become real advocates of the brand.

9. Serious technical skills required

Automated systems are difficult to develop, it is the prerogative of competent professionals. In terms of use, modern CDPs are simplified as much as possible so that users are comfortable working with them. This requirement is imposed primarily on the market. Often, the use of marketing automation systems does not require any technical skills or their minimum set. What can not be said about marketing competencies.

Try CDP Altcraft Platform – a marketing automation platform that has all the necessary features to work. At the stage of application there is a friendly team, difficulties in the process of use are promptly solved by competent specialists. The interface is simple and intuitive.

10. More suitable for B2C companies

According to statistics, 58% of companies working in the field of B2B plan to use marketing automation. Routine actions that can be transferred to work are in any type of business, be it B2C, B2B or services. Automation service does not make any difference in interaction with a business client or an individual. On the contrary, in the field of B2B, the stage of “ice warming” takes much more effort and time than in B2C, so automation platforms there are very rescuing marketers.

Conclusion

In this article, we debunked 10 basic myths about automation, which have no place in modern marketing. It should be clearly understood that marketing strategy should play a leading role. The automation system takes over most routine processes and processes, but can remain uncontrolled, so it eliminates the presence of a marketer, although it modifies its functions. Automation is not a fleeting whim of large corporations, but a long-term perspective that benefits everyone: large, medium and small businesses, B2B and B2C.