Imagine being a kid again and selling lemonade on a table outside your home. At first, you stand outside, waving at people and asking them to “come buy my lemonade!” But after a few hours of waiting and shouting you eventually you get tired, and less lemonade is sold. What if there was a smarter way to sell more lemonade without standing there all day?
That’s where Marketing Automation can help by acting as your super smart lemonade-digital selling assistant, who can help send the right message in the right context to the precise people at the right time - saving time without doing everything on your own, where you still manage and oversee, but it (digital assistant) does most of the work for you.
Why Is Marketing Automation Important for Businesses?
Marketing Automation is semi-digital, automated marketing with human input. People set the rules and boundaries. Various technologies and software are then used to manage the required marketing activities, reducing manual effort. Marketing Automation is critical for businesses that want to:
- Find the right customer
- Re-engage with their customers, keeping them interested and retaining them
It helps brands communicate with people effectively without wasting time. By making online marketing easier and sending messages that are relevant to the end user, businesses can encourage more people to buy their products or services and grow. The goal is to enhance efficiency by reducing manual effort, delivering a more personalised experience for your prospect or customer.
Back to the lemonade analogy: If someone previously purchased lemonade from company 'X' on a hot day, they could send a personalised message the next time it's sunny, saying, "Hey, it's hot today! Want some lemonade?" If a customer says they'll come back later, you can remind them with an email: "Don't forget! Your lemonade is waiting!" You can also offer special deals, like telling people who love strawberry lemonade to try a new berry flavour for free.
Instead of just talking to people walking by you can send emails, texts, or even show ads on their phones, so more people find your stand. And if someone buys one cup, you can offer a great deal, like "Buy two, get one free," to encourage them to buy more or introduce them to other products you offer. It's like having a lemonade-selling helper that makes sure people don't forget about your delicious drinks.
Using Technology to Deliver Personalised Experiences
Marketing Automation works best when businesses use smart technology. There are tools that enable first-party data collection from their customers, such as name, email, mobile number, age, gender, interests, and purchase history.
For example, Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) help sort people into similar "groups/cohorts", so that the group can receive relevant and tailored messaging. Meanwhile, Customer Relationship Managers (CRMs) help businesses remember their customers and send them personalised messages. Email and text tools send messages automatically, so businesses don't have to do it one by one. Ads on Google and Facebook help show the right products to the right people. Plus, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning make everything even smarter by predicting what people might want next.
When a business collects information about its customers, Marketing Automation helps send the right messages at the right time, consistently. If a business has a website, a mobile application, or software to send email communications, it can use technology to ensure people see things they like. With the various communication channels within a business "toolkit", they can personalise content based on the medium (e.g., email, website, in-app).
Automated messages can send reminders if someone forgets to check out and complete the purchase, or to someone that hasn’t engaged or returned within a specific period. Paid adverts (messaging which appears outside a business’s owned environment(s)) help reach existing or new consumers. If someone visits a website but doesn't buy anything, the business can show them the product they viewed but didn't purchase (e.g., "Hey, did you like this product? Get 10% off if you purchase today!").
Final Thoughts
Businesses should be made aware of the importance of Marketing Automation and the smart way data and technology can help fuel their creative messaging. If your business (or lemonade stand 😊) wants to be the best in town, you need to use all the tools at your disposal, including reminders, special deals, and ads, so that you can sell more!
Better adoption of Marketing Automation will encourage consumers to return and help your business grow.