What is Marketing Automation?

In today's digital reality, we expect nothing less than relevant information and offers tailored to our specific needs and interests. But manually tailoring the message to each person takes an incredible amount of time and requires enormous resources. And that's where Marketing Automation comes in!

Marketing Automation plays a key role in streamlining the processing of leads that can then be passed on to the sales organisation. With a Marketing Automation strategy, companies can easily and efficiently evaluate where customers are in the decision-making process. And based on customer behaviour and interaction, automatically deliver tailored messages that progressively process and, most importantly, deepen the relationship with both potential and existing customers.

Automation saves precious time. Marketing can automatically deliver relevant messages with greater precision and then send more qualified leads to sales.

Marketing Automation can be seen as the central point that controls the customer's buying process and at the same time establishes a close cooperation between the sales organisation and the marketing department.

More than a tool!

A big misconception about Marketing Automation is that it's a ready-made tool with an on/off button. But that's not really the case. Rather, it's a strategy that companies use to save resources and manage existing and potential customers in a smarter and more efficient way.

So you can't buy Marketing Automation, just as you can't buy more sales or customer satisfaction.

We're not saying you don't need a Marketing Automation tool! We're saying it can't replace your creative thinking and strategy for creating rewarding customer relationships. But it can replace manual and repetitive tasks that marketers and salespeople otherwise have to spend time and resources on.

What can be automated?

Many people associate Marketing Automation with the identification and generation of leads via digital channels, such as a website. But it's so much more. In fact, there are virtually unlimited applications. Almost anything that can be automated can also fall under the umbrella of Marketing Automation. Exactly what the automation flow looks like can differ enormously from company to company, as it depends on the company's main strategy and goals, the target audience and their needs.

Here are some examples of flows and activities that can be automated:

• Reminders
• Follow-up after downloads of e.g. whitepapers or reports
• Loyalty program
• Events
• Messages for e-commerce such as flow linked to an abandoned shopping cart
• Follow-up of a specific activity
• Follow-up of a specific inactivity
• Introductory programme
• Winback program
• Birthday greetings
• Training
• Re-engagement program
• Lead nurturing
• Identification of ready-to-buy leads (Marketing Qualified Leads)
• Chatbots

To succeed with your strategy, you need to have a clear idea of what to automate and why. This planning will lay the foundations for future efficiency!

So what is Marketing Automation?

It is an approach that uses a technological tool to streamline, personalise, optimise and automate communication with customers and prospects.

We'll be happy to tell you more and help you get started with a strategy or evaluate and streamline your existing process.