The benefits of marketing automation cannot be underestimated. When done correctly, you can even win new leads while you sleep!
A weary digital marketer prepares for bed. Bone tired from another challenging day. They slip between the sheets, embracing the comfort of their bed. Turn out the light. Close their eyes and drift away into a deep and peaceful sleep.
Their working day has long finished. Laptop powered off. Sitting idle and quiet in a dark office.
But while the digital marketer rests soundly, recharging their batteries, something incredible is happening…
The digital marketer is continuing to win new business for their organisation. Attracting new customers into the organisation’s sales pipeline. Securing new sales leads.
And all while they sleep. Dreaming. Oblivious.
How?
Marketing automation workflows.
The perfect bedfellow for your email campaigns. But what are they?
What is Marketing Automation?
Marketing automation does exactly what it says on the tin. It is the process of using software to setup and automate day-to-day marketing activities. These ‘workflows’ can trigger at key moments within your online customer journey.
For example, when a visitor interacts with a form on a website, the workflow kicks in and they are automatically added to a mailing list and the CRM platform, assigned as a new lead, and then sent marketing-focused emails. All without any human intervention.
There are many leading marketing automation providers in the marketplace, including Zapier.
Digital marketers are busy people. Juggling many projects, skills, and tasks daily. From crafting the perfect copy to entice new customers to editing video footage like a ninja.
Deadlines can mount up. Campaigns and social content need to launch. Sales targets grow and won’t go away.
The one commodity digital marketers can’t afford to waste is time.
That is why marketing automations are so powerful. They free digital marketers up to focus on what they do best.
What can they do?
Once a workflow has been setup and tested, it becomes a true workhorse for you. Your Ford Transit van. Working day and night. So, you don’t have to.
Set and forget. With no human intervention required. Even during the night.
Marketing automations can send welcome, confirmation, and next step emails to customers. They can segment your audience based on their actions, behaviours, or product preferences.
Automations help to smooth out the online customer experience. Scheduling follow-up emails or content that resonates with recipients. Based on previous decisions or purchases they might have made. This can also help with upselling new products or services.
Segmentation ensures your customers never receive communications that miss the mark. Irrelevant communications can turn your customers off. Encouraging them to click on that unsubscribe link. Every digital marketer’s nightmare.
Marketing automations can listen out for customer behaviours on your website. Deploying emails to subscribers. Taking action. For example, when customers abandon their shopping carts. Automated emails, at the right time, can encourage the close on that sale. To rescue that deal in jeopardy.
Automations can also underpin your organisation’s CRM. Auto-generating leads for your sales team based on online customer behaviours. Assigning new deals to the right salesperson, at the right time. This could be from online form submissions or marketing email engagement.
These automations can even have a positive impact on your campaign open rates too. They really are a digital marketer’s best friend.
So, if you are wide awake late into the night, worrying about where your next lead will come from. Worry no longer. Embrace the benefits of marketing automation workflows.
Drift off into a peaceful (and productive) slumber.
Written by Joel Reed. Read more of my blogs and discover the projects I have worked on.