Industry projections indicate that over the next few years, the number of businesses investing in marketing automation will nearly double. Today, many business owners have their fingers on the pulse of technology and are leveraging marketing automation to
achieve a competitive edge.
However, some people are still holding onto myths and misconceptions about automated marketing that are simply not true or skewed in some way. In this article, we’ll demystify the myths about marketing automation and highlight some benefits that come with it.
Myth #1: Marketing Automation Is for Big Businesses
After its emergence in the 1980s, marketing automation was reserved for the powerful, well-established businesses.
Today, many small and medium-sized enterprises have switched to marketing automation and are utilizing a wide range of services available. More and more software providers are entering the market, offering businesses of all sizes plenty of software options that match their budgets.
Myth #2: It Only Works for Email Marketing
Another common myth about marketing automation is that it only works for email marketing. While email marketing is very common, and certainly one of the stronger channels for automation, it’s not the only channel available for marketers.
The advancement of technology has given rise to a wide range of
marketing automation tools that cater to many different channels. There are tools for social media marketing, pay-per-click campaigns, lead generation, third-party platform integrations, etc.
Myth #3: Marketing Automation Is Expensive
This myth is anchored by the fact that marketing automation was originally meant for big, financially stable companies.
But times have changed.
As many players entered the marketplace, more diverse services were availed and as the competition hinged, prices dropped—making automated services affordable even to small businesses. Today many software providers are offering affordable pricing plans with an extended free trial period.
Myth #4: Marketing Automation Is Too Impersonal
When many people hear the word “automation,” they think any messages delivered via such platforms will be cold and impersonal.
Picture those automated email responses—most people don’t even read them. But automation need not be cold and impersonal.
Marketing automation allows you to
track your sales leads’ behavior and determine which messages are relevant to the recipient. When you have such info, you can personalize your messages/emails to create a tailored experience.
Benefits of Marketing Automation
Those who look beyond the myths have reaped the benefits of marketing automation. When used correctly, automated marketing can help your business grow by driving more traffic to your website, which ultimately leads to more sales.
Paired with other marketing strategies like personalization, marketing automation can increase customer engagement through sharing content and messages that are highly relevant. This, in turn, helps you to attract quality leads and turn them into loyal customers.
Automation can also help you save time managing your social media marketing–be it your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or
Instagram marketing campaign. Better still, most marketing automation programs allow you to manage all your social media marketing campaigns from one dashboard and post to multiple accounts in one go.
Most importantly, automation helps you to reduce staffing costs. Marketing automation eliminates the need to employ staff to perform repetitive marketing tasks. This not only helps to cut staff costs but also allows you to streamline your team so they can focus on more impactful tasks.
Now that you know the benefits that come with marketing automation, why not find the right technology to invest in.
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