Rocket Ship or a Boat? Boxes to Tick When You Pick a System for Marketing Automation
The World Wide Web is buzzing on about the hard-to-beat effects of marketing automation. However, in the midst of all that buzz, marketers run the risk of being swayed by the glitz and glam of an overly advanced system – and experience failure to launch.
So, how do you find your perfect match in an ocean of options? We’ll guide you through 5 factors to consider when entering the promised land of marketing automation.
Decide What You Want and Need to Automate
Whether you’re a marketer for a small business, a massive enterprise, B2B, B2C or somewhere in between; you value optimisation and automation. You want effective flows that boost that golden sense of relevance with less manual effort.
But in order to achieve the sought after results, you need to figure out what you aim to automate. Is the goal to:
- Create great lead management?
- Streamline the process between marketing and sales?
- Transform the customer journey from linear to circular?
- Create an omnichannel customer experience through customer data and automation?
- Ease your e-commerce business?
- Optimise your event management?
The number of potential pain points to address are numerous, so brainstorm to pinpoint your top priority of automation features.
Establish Your Goals
In order to become a true marketing automation voyager, you need to base your decisions in a clear strategy and even clearer goals. Take a look at your business strategy. Establish what you want to accomplish. And decide who’s in charge of the strategy, the data and the content that greases the wheels of the machine.
Remember: even though the right system for marketing automation will increase your ROI and reduce your manual labour, the success comes down to the people who manoeuvre the machine – not the horsepower of the machine itself.
Take Stock of Your Resources
Before you set out to find your perfect system, you need to figure out what you have in place and how it might effect the implementation. In essence: you need to map out the resources you have in terms of budget and existing data structures. Our expert explains the inner-workings of the preparation process:
“Look at the structures and data in place. Make an inventory of what you need so you’re cost-efficient… That way, you won’t buy a rocket ship if you need a boat”
Do You Have Brain Power Behind the Horsepower?
There are many rocket ships out there. Shiny, alluring and complex systems that promise uncompromised success. But the number of astronauts that can make the mammoth machines soar to the skies are a dime in a dozen.
Albeit, a system for marketing automation revs up the digital-marketing engine, but you need brilliant marketers, data-wizards, and clear-set strategies to act as a GPS. In other words: your new and shiny Lamborghini of a system won’t arrive at your destination unless you have the right people to operate the vehicle.
But what does this mean? Well, if you’re a company with limited resources or minimal experience with marketing automation, you should aim for the safe and reliable Volvo and work your way up.
Need a Helping Hand From an Expert?
No matter if you work with pure data or creative marketing; a helping hand is always needed to get the system up and running (and revving!). As a result, you should consider what level of professional support you need. Ask yourself questions such as:
- Is local support important?
- Does the vendor offer expert training sessions?
- Do you require free support and training?
In Summary…
A system for marketing automation should suit your needs, wants and desires. By finding your perfect match, you’ll turn marketing automation from rocket science into actionable reality.
Want to take the next step in your automated journey? Snag a copy (or two!) of our marketing automation handbooks for B2B or B2C!
