Marketing Automation, Get Your Head in the Game

Many industries, including health and life sciences, the public sector, financial services, and other companies are scrambling to get their marketing automation game on. But why make this play? When you bring data sources together to create targeted segments and adjust a customer experience based on real-time data from other sources – such as your customer relationship management (CRM) or other internal systems – it elevates the digital experience consumers have grown to expect. Tying in email, SMS, web forms, and advertising data allows businesses and organizations to be personalized, which always yields the best results.

A common issue with automation is companies have many contact lists, and they can't segment easily to create a list of, for example, "people who like golf and bought our latest backpack in the last month" to send a specific message to just that target audience about a new product that happens to match their new golf backpack. 

That means marketing automation is about being able to create specific segments dynamically as customer interaction changes too! Automation can help you be more personalized with what you send and ultimately increase sales because you are sending marketing content that really means connects to the audience.  Many businesses are wanting to move away from sending all customers in lists the same messages with general email blasts and free your marketers to create more generalized content, reaching masses rather than speaking to specific targets.

Here are Three Common Ways Companies Get Started with Marketing Automation.  

1. Create a Customer Journey. Welcoming and onboarding a new customer is a great way to leverage marketing automation. As they complete tasks – such as signing into your self-service site, placing their first order, setting up automated billing, etc. – send personalized updates through the journey, sharing relevant tips and information along the way. Onboarding customers can apply to any new product or service and is a fantastic way to create a truly personalized customer experience.

2. Market to Referral Partners. Drip campaigns on your latest promos are a great way to be top-of-mind to your customers. This option can apply to many types of businesses and is sometimes a preferred starting point because it is typically the simplest. Also, layering on advertising is a good next step for this target segment.

3. Create Opt-In Opportunities. Starting with a promo or giveaway and requesting opt-in at the end of the form is an easy way to get started in building out your contact list. Make it “phygital” (blending digital experiences with physical ones) by having these promotions advertised in your offices, events, social, and website.

Teamwork truly makes the dream work, but marketing automation still requires marketers and marketing strategies to knock it out of the park. As more companies jump into the trend, it’s amazing how they continue to scale and deliver better results in a short period of time. This high level of automation also gives businesses the edge to stay one step ahead of evolving customer needs in the digital age.

Ready to automate your marketing? Check out Pacific Point on AppExchange to get started today! 

About the author: Deena Tearney is the Founder and CEO of Pacific Point, a Salesforce Consulting Firm. Her passion is mentoring youth to pursue careers in tech.