From marketing automation to marketing operations

Today it is common to relate Marketing Automation to email marketing. Of course, that's a big part of it, but Marketing Automation is much more than that.At Leadfront, we tend to use the term Marketing Operations instead. By that we mean taking care of the big picture, creating an ecosystem where marketing channels build each other and where you can report on true ROI (i.e., not just clicks, for example).Another way to look at it is that Marketing Automation is based on one or a few tools that tie activities together, whereas Marketing Operations is a holistic strategy that is completely independent of tools.We see that many marketing departments have problems when they have to tie technology and strategy together, i.e., move from Automation to Operations. Unfortunately for them, until you succeed in this combination, you will not be able to get the maximum ROI from their marketing channels.It is not easy to take the step to marketing operations, the journey is long and requires a plan.Where in the journey are you?

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Strategic work

The heart of Marketing Operations is the MA system. If you don't already have a system, it's important to choose one that suits your organisation and the challenges you face. There are many systems available today, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the right system requires a proper analysis of the target group, buying behaviour and also what the internal marketing and sales work looks like, or should look like.The second part of the strategy work is the processes. You need to map existing processes and develop new ones that effectively take an unknown lead to existing and repeat customers.

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Implementation

The next step is implementation. There are actually two different implementations. In the first part, the systems will have to communicate with each other and work together. The second part is the implementation of the processes between sales and marketing. The latter is a longer work that, unfortunately, will not happen overnight.

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Further development

Once the system is in place and the processes are slowly settling in, the real work begins. In the further development phase, you need someone who works with the system on a daily basis. This is to develop best practice and develop the processes that have been put in place. Every week you will find new parts that need to be changed and optimised, for example, how do you handle new leads, is there a process for handling existing customers, how can you work to shorten the sales process?

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Optimization

The optimisation phase is a natural continuation of the further development phase. Here, after working in the system for a longer period of time, you have the opportunity for deeper analysis. But also segmentation and personalisation of the communication. All the time and effort you invested in the earlier stages will be returned to you in this one.This was a brief description of a comprehensive piece of work. In the future, we will go through the different parts in more detail to give you a better idea of how you can take the step to marketing operations.Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter below to get our latest insights. You can also choose to contact us or follow us on LinkedIn.