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5 Ways Marketing Automation Changes…Uh…Marketing

Will she be like a walking, talking infographic?

That’s my question about Kristen Kaighn, Senior Product Manager at Marketo.

Ms. Kaighn will be in Rochester on Wednesday, March 18, discussing the marketing funnel and how to grow leads, loyalty and sales through automation. Register here. 

If you’re familiar with Marketo, you know they can be a tremendous source for valuable, current marketing information about the sales cycle. And Marketo often delivers those insights in fantastic infographics you believe and share just because they look so cool and technical.

This is your chance to hear from one of Marketo’s big thinkers about the marketing automation strategies that are working for their clients, and how you can leverage those ideas for own initiatives. In the meantime, here are five ways marketing automation is changing how you win in today’s highly digital marketplace.

  • Really smart targeting and personalization.

Anyone who buys from Amazon understands the power and value of personalization. Marketing Automation (MA) gives you the ability to use those same strategies as you reach out to customers and prospects. If increasing relevance and decreasing the spam factor are priorities for your organization, a smart MA platform and implementation may be the answers. Keep in mind, a great deal of human strategy and communication development need to happen before you press the “go” button.

  • Money-saving “robots” that execute your marketing commands.

Once you do the upfront thinking, Marketing Automation can save your marketing team a significant time and money, or free up time and money for more intense, deeper-level marketing initiatives. You can time your email releases. Run multiple A/B tests. Automated triggered responses. Export highly detailed reports. The possibilities of these powerful platforms are mind-boggling.

Of course, you need knowledgeable, proactive humans at the controls. In fact, many well-intentioned marketing directors have invested in MA software only to determine their marketing team was not built to fully leverage it. Fortunately, there are experts you can turn to for ramp-up or ongoing assistance with Marketo and other platforms.

  • Fantastic feedback.

What’s better than getting feedback directly from customers? With Marketing Automation, you’re essentially running a digital focus group whenever you run a program. Response rates tell you what’s work and what’s not. Click-through analysis can help you optimize your next message for increased engagement and sales. And there’s no need for one-glass or a tray of cookies to get that valuable information.

  • Scalable failure.

Here’s a change that can work for or against you. Because MA technologies give you the ability test, test, test, in a high-speed, relatively low-cost way, it’s should be easy to determine what’s not going to work with a very small group of contacts, and then not do it. On the other hand, because MA makes it easy to blast email to thousands, even millions of people, you run the risk of a colossal black eye. It’s important to be cautious and test your way to success. Again, if you don’t have a team with the experience or bandwidth to make the most of your MA, ask for help.

  • The channel your content has been waiting for.

There’s lots of talk about content marketing, but most of it seems to be about the content. If your team is busy writing white papers, designing infographics, shooting videos and snapping pictures, a Marketing Automation strategy may be the best way to distribute all that content to the people who want to devour it. Not to mention, you’ll quickly learn which types of content your best prospects like most. You don’t have to put the content on pause. Just bring it to the masses (or the important few) in a targeted, automated way. If the content is good, the leads will be, too.

Ready to learn more about marketing automation and Marketo? Join your friends from Roberts for insights from Kristen Kaighn, Senior Product Manager at Marketo, on Wednesday, March 18. Register now.