It's a question asked by many, because, let's be honest, the whole process seems pretty daunting to start with.
Last week, we explained a brief summary of what marketing automation actually is.
However, marketing automation can take some of the load off.
"Marketing automation refers to software that automates your marketing for you. The software is designed to help you prioritize and execute your marketing tasks in a more streamlined and efficient way."
Source: HubSpot
This week we want to explain how the process can be effectively embraced by your organisation.
How to successfully implement Marketing Automation
Of course, there is a whole school of thought around how best to implement automation for your organisation, including understanding the theory, as well as putting it into practice.
However, for an idea of how automation works, we've put together the framework of a workflow and we will explain the process leading up to this point, as well!
Company: A company that sells white goods, such as freezers/washing machines.
Goal: Increase new leads by 30% (from 6,000 per year to 7,800) by December 31st, 2017. (Find out more about SMART goals)
Step 1: Review and amend all promotional channels, with this goal in mind.
Adapt your message, overhaul your approach to marketing - are you marketing in the right place, at the right time? Inbound is all about the message that you deliver and waiting for an answer, rather than demanding one of a customer.
Step 2: Overhaul your website and adopt lead generation techniques
Is your website accurately marketing your company and providing opportunity to gather leads? There is a whole thought process behind how your site architecture should be when building lead generation opportunities into your site.
You will need to set up workflows, landing pages, forms and blog content, as well as downloadable content.
Step 3: A contact has downloaded an ebook, woo! Send them an email!
STOP! You can automate these emails so that everybody who downloads an ebook, requests a consultation or interacts with your website in some way automatically 'feels the love'.
A common email workflow works like this:
Email A) Schedule an email for everyone that fills in the form "15 Reasons You Need to Consider the Eco-Friendliness of Your Washing Machine", which sends a direct link to the ebook they've asked for. This helps a customer find the ebook at a later date or gives them the ebook, in case there is a problem with your 'Thank You page'. Thank you pages are where you complete the offer, provide a link to download the ebook or similar.
Email B) A few days later send a 'Thank you' email, letting them know the key points from the ebook that they should have picked up and suggest another great 'Awareness' level piece of content. Perhaps, '6 Reasons It's Time to Invest in a New Washing Machine' would be a great 'twin' piece of content.
Email C) Around a week after the first email you should be sending an email with next level content - Consideration stage content. This is the next step in the process, your customer knows what their problem is and now has a name for it - so they're looking for a solution - be the solution. Why not send a link to your 'How a Lifetime Warranty Can Banish Washing Machine Breakdown Worries' webinar?
Email D) So the person has actively clicked the links in your latest emails and has watched the webinar, so now is the chance to offer them Solution stage content - yes, you're the solution. Consider a free consultation or an obvious next step that reflects their activity in the workflow, but also gets them directly talking to you for the first time.
What next?
Automation works to take the pain out of your attempts to engage customers, by making it a more wholesome, strategic process, therefore increasing your % rates of success.
This is very much a basic example of how automation works but gives you an idea of how it can revitalise and streamline your marketing activities while increasing your ROI.
In the coming days we will be uploading more content about marketing automation, how it works and best practices.
If you have any questions about marketing automation and how inbound might look for your company - get in touch with Johnny Woods at Thrive - 0845 838 7517 / hello@thriveability.co.uk.
