Five Marketing Automation Myths And Why They Are Wrong

This is an interesting discussion on using automation in your marketing campaigns and whether this is something you should be considering. Automation obviously reduces manual effort or increases the output from less resource, the same as other manufacturing automation techniques.

Automation is a hot-button word that elicits a wide variety of emotions in people, such as feelings of curiosity, confusion and even fear. The promise of automation can be seen in classic 1960s cartoons, where beloved robotic maids perform pesky household chores with impressive efficiency. One can also cynically view automation through the lens of popular 1980s and 1990s science-fiction movies in which advanced technology, once designed to improve our lives, eventually turns against all of mankind.

marketing automationToday, the term is often on the tongues of economists discussing changing employment markets, as more and more human jobs become obsolete due to various technological innovations and advancements. At the very least, some may see automation as something that is surely helpful to human endeavors but also impersonal, cold and ultimately indifferent to the wants and needs of individuals.

I have experienced this sentiment in one form or another firsthand from clients when I begin discussions of how marketing automation can improve their businesses. Obviously, my clients aren’t actually worried about unstoppable, sunglasses-wearing Androids sent from the future to destroy us. Rather, they believe that marketing automation solutions aren’t for them. Of course, this is not true. The reality is, marketing automation significantly improves interactions with customers and clients in ways traditional digital marketing struggled to achieve in the past. Nonetheless, I have encountered enough pushback over the last several years that I feel it’s time to officially dispel a few myths I’ve dealt with regarding marketing automation.

Before we get started, allow me to quickly explain what marketing automation is. Marketing automation is software or hosted online platforms designed to automate certain marketing processes and tasks. It’s related to customer relationship management systems, and it works by organizing, categorizing and scoring the quality of your customers’ interactions and communications with your company. In other words, marketing automation makes marketing campaigns more efficient, effective and functional.

Myth No. 1: Marketing automation is not a necessary addition to my marketing campaign.

Naturally, not all businesses have the same needs. However, if a company engages in email marketing or mass communication of any kind, especially B2B, then marketing automation is an absolute must. Each industry speaks its own language. As such, no one email blast alone can effectively reach a diversified clientele. Marketing automation allows businesses to organize their clients together by industry, geography and more categorical similarities so marketing campaigns and other communications can be geared toward their clients’ unique needs.

Quite frankly, this added element of personalization significantly reduces the chances of clients immediately discarding an email as junk or spam because, let’s face it, they are otherwise being bombarded by spam in their daily business cycle. Imagine increasing the probability of a client opening your email and, dare I say, actually clicking on your links. How is this not necessary?

This article first appearered on https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/11/29/five-marketing-automation-myths-and-why-they-are-wrong/#ca1a38718c95

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