Tips for Successful Marketing Automation Integration

When it comes to technology for a business, you either move with it or be left behind. There are no in-betweens. Technology keeps evolving constantly and the early adopters always have an edge. So if you are still stuck in the old ways of marketing, now is the time to make a change!

Marketing Automation is a hugely powerful tool and an enabling software and can be defined as a software allowing businesses to automate, streamline and measure marketing tasks and workflows for improved ROI and better operational efficiency. Marketing automation is a game changer and by adopting marketing automation tool, you can take your marketing to a whole new level and gain a competitive edge. Want to know when you are ready to take a plunge into the world of marketing automation? Here is a blog post to help you. Check out some of the best tips for successful marketing automation integration.

Define Your Goals
First things first, you need to define your goals and objectives. After all, if you don’t know what you want to achieve, how will you achieve that? Use the SMART methodology, that is, create specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goal. For instance, if your company is unable to create more leads and your aim is to increase the leads, the goal should have a specific percentage of leads you are looking for in a specific time frame. For instance, you may want 100% increase in the leads but it may not be achievable and going for such a figure won’t be a good idea as it will only lead to disappointment. Au contraire, choosing a very easily attainable goal would lead to under-productivity. So, narrow down on a specific goal which is difficult to achieve but is still attainable, put a time-frame to it and get going.

Create a Plan

People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan – John Beckley.
After you have created your goals, now is the time to create a plan to implement and strategize how you are going to achieve your goals. Take an inventory of what you have in place and what kind of planning would be required to achieve the goals. Just signing the contract with a marketing automation provider is not enough. Just like you wouldn’t build a house without having a blue-print first, you need to first take a stock of whatever resources you have, understand what you need in order to maximize those resources and then go for the marketing automation software. Bring your team on-board and create a detailed diagram to relay the big picture to your work-force. Have a workflow process in place for handling and managing leads as they come into your database. You need to document everything from the moment your lead enters your sales funnel until s/he becomes your customer. Understand how interested your leads are in your products/services, decide on how often they will be contacted, where they are in the buying cycle and other details.

While creating a plan, include these things to your list:

1. Give access to admin and select users to use the tool.
2. Plan with the sales team to determine lead qualification.
3. Create a content marketing plan.
4. Add tracking code, such as visitor tracking code to your website.
5. Add landing pages.
6. Optionally, you can sync your Marketing Automation platform and CRM to manage leads.

These are but a few essential items to be added in the checklist. Based on the marketing automation that you opt for and the industry that you cater to, you can create your own plan accordingly.

Consider What it will Take to Implement it
Aim to take the full advantage of marketing automation software. Learn what it takes to implement, run and manage the system and ensure that your organization is taking full benefit of the tool. There are so many different kinds of marketing automation software available in the market. Choose the one that meets your needs and not the one which only meets your budget. At the same time, you should also have the right resources to support the system. You can also think of hiring a consultant to help with the planning, implementation, and execution. We at Carmatec, help you leverage the most out of your Marketo investment, whether you want to improve your existing Marketo program or integrate Marketing Automation. Know how we can help you here.

Start Small and Get Familiar with the Platform before Diving in
We advise you to start small and get familiar with the platform before starting multiple campaigns, setting multiple channels and landing pages. Start a simple campaign to ensure that the tracking and analytics are set up and working. Once you become familiar with all the features, you can go all out. When you understand the platform completely then you will be able to track the data properly.

Agency Partners can Help
Qualified agency partner can assist you while implementing and planning by providing guidance and expert advice. Agency partners can also assist you with content creation, campaign development and ongoing strategy. You can consult partner agencies while choosing marketing automation vendor, they will help you in the implementation stage until execution, tracking and reporting. With rich expertise in all facets of Marketo, we offer you a wide range of services to help you implement a comprehensive strategy to help you communicate with your prospects and your customers at the right time, through right channels.

Remember that even though an amazing tool, marketing automation is still only a tool and the result would largely depend on how you leverage the tool. These tips are sure to help you make the most of your marketing automation software.