The Importance of Marketing Automation in 2016
A few years ago, it would have been difficult to predict what a strong impact marketing automation would have across organizations of almost every size. The one thing most marketers can be sure about is that its growth will only continue in 2016. So, what does this mean for businesses that are already strategizing for 2016? Simply thinking about putting a plan into motion is no longer enough—actionable steps for automating your marketing outreach needs to be a top priority.
Marketing Automation Is Best For Your Bottom Line
According to TFM&A’s “The 2015 Marketing Technology Report,” 61 percent of those surveyed admitted they are not using marketing automation at all. While marketing teams have traditionally focused their time and money on customer acquisition, that focus is rapidly shifting in 2016. A new report from Gleanster and Act-On, Rethinking the Role of Marketing, reveals that top performing marketing teams are taking full control of the customer lifecycle – everything from customer acquisition, to the more lucrative customer retention and expansion.
In fact, top-performing B2B firms that use marketing automation are now spending 48% of their time and 52% of their budget on customer retention and expansion. And it’s working. These companies are beating their revenue goals and have higher levels of customer satisfaction.
Using a marketing automation platform makes it easier to schedule emails, segment contacts, automate social media posting, manage your content, and track the lifecycle of customers in your marketing funnel. This automation trend also highlights the growth of convergence, which allows you to stay lean, focused, and as profitable as possible without compromising on quality.
With even more focus on marketing to deliver results, marketing managers and CMOs should be taking stock of their team’s skills, noting the gaps and defining a robust automation strategy to help sales through engaging prospects, qualifying leads, and shortening the overall sales cycle.
Content Is Still King
But remember, content marketing will still be “king”. Content marketing is not a new trend, however it will remain an important aspect of your automated strategy in 2016. Content is what will funnel your prospects in the sales pipeline and what will drive your automated campaigns. After all, if not content, what else will you be sending your leads?
The same rules that applied in 2015 will apply in the new year as well: Content needs to be unique, informative, engaging, targeted and personalized. It needs to be sent to the right people at the right time. It needs to answer their questions and it needs to keep them interested in your business and your brand.
Are you interested in the effectiveness of Marketing Automation? Whether you’re just needing some advice or a complete campaign, our experienced team can help. Visit our Capabilities page to see how Propel Business Solutions can enhance your brand and drive new business in 2016.