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Editorial

9 Ways Marketing Automation Will Grow Your Business in 2023

6 minute read
Jordan Brannon avatar
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There’s a lot of buzz around automation right now, and if marketers aren’t automating already, they are missing out.

The Gist

  • Blueprint your way to success. Have a marketing blueprint to guide your automating processes for better engagement and ROI.
  • Get on the automation train. Automate your workflows with machine-learning tools for data analysis and personalized recommendations.
  • Don’t be a fuddy-duddy. Embrace the learning curve and be open-minded to new marketing automation solutions.

New year, new chance to improve your marketing strategies. There’s a lot of buzz around automation right now, and if you aren’t automating already, you are missing out on streamlined processes to connect with your audience. Still, CMOs will have a few challenges to overcome to make the most of automating tools. Put yourself in a position to chase growth and success with these strategies.

1. You Need a Marketing Blueprint

Before you begin, make sure you have a marketing blueprint. Marketing automation is a wonderful tool, but it can’t do everything. The biggest gap in its capabilities is strategic planning.

You need a roadmap for how you’re presenting new products, focusing on the customer and ultimately driving ROI. Otherwise, you’re going to have an endless carousel of emotionless posting that sends your engagement on a nosedive.

Your blueprint doesn’t have to be perfect right now. Your marketing plan can and should evolve over time — but you do need a place to start.

2. Automate Your Marketing Workflows

A lot goes into creating a marketing strategy, and you may not have enough time to dive into all the numbers as much as you want. If you find yourself trying to prioritize whether you should focus on forecasting trends or automating complex workflows, AI can be the answer.

Machine-learning app development tools help you tackle multiple priorities at once so you can maximize the use of your data. Some of the benefits include:

  • Analyze large amounts of data.
  • Offer personalized recommendations for customers.
  • Adapt to current marketing conditions.
  • Improve customer service.

If something feels like it’s slowing you down unnecessarily, it probably is. Identify some process automation apps that you can implement in your business.

3. Embrace the Marketing Automation Learning Curve

There are too many marketing automation tools available to list here, and that alone can be a challenge. You may hire an employee who is very familiar with marketing automation in general and has plenty of experience with other tools. Still, they have never used the ones you prefer. That isn’t bad, but you should be prepared for a bit of a learning curve.

One of the biggest reasons CMOs reject new ideas is because they seem too hard. Don’t let that be you. Maintain a curious, open-minded attitude to find new solutions.

4. Maximize the Time You Save from Marketing Automation

One of the most significant benefits of utilizing marketing automation is how much time it saves. Implementing automation will free up your schedule in one area so you can concentrate on other projects you may have delayed or can’t be automated.

But here’s the mistake many business leaders make: They take the extra time from automation and fill it with pointless meetings or poorly designed brainstorming sessions.

Instead, be strategic with how you manage your day so you aren’t wasting your extra time.

Related Article: Turbocharge Your Marketing Strategy With Email Automation

Learning Opportunities

5. Tweak Your Marketing Automations

If you are drawn to automation because of the time factor, it could be especially tempting to think you can leave it alone and never touch it again. Do not fall for that trap!

Generational and emotional differences will change over time, and marketing trends will continue to shift rapidly. The processes you have now may not work six months, a year, or three years from now. You must continue to monitor your automated workflows so you can make adjustments when needed.

6. Combine Interactivity, Engagement and Marketing Automation

You still need to engage your audience. Consider content that requires more from them than just clicking a button.

Quizzes can impact your SEO and email strategies at the same time. You can use them to quickly funnel your audience into an email automation funnel that is relevant to them. 

For example, a company with a new skincare line can offer customers a quiz to determine their skin type. Based on the results, the company can put customers into a funnel that only sends content relevant to someone with that skin type.

Quizzes aren’t your only option for interactive content. You can also try the following:

  • Interactive videos.
  • Polls.
  • Interactive infographics.
  • Industry-relevant calculators.
  • Webinars.
  • Interactive maps.
  • Games.

7. Segment Your Content

Personalized content will help your customers feel like you’re paying attention to them, increasing brand loyalty, but it can get lost in the focus on segmentation. It is essential to know the difference between personalization and segmentation. A great strategy will make use of both.

Make sure you are still doing some occasional A/B testing. This simple test can quickly tell you if your strategy is still working or could be better.

Related Article: Marketing Automation vs. Customer Journey Orchestration

8. Boost Lead Generation

Adding automation is the perfect moment to collaborate with the sales department and save them some time. Once they have connected with a potential lead, they’ll need to follow up multiple times. You can help with automated introductory and follow-up emails that trigger based on where they are in the sales process and even notify them about upcoming events.

Remember, this should be a collaboration with your sales team. Work with them to include the correct information and tone, and don’t forget to use personalization options. You don’t want to lose a lead just because the email didn’t greet the potential customer by name.

9. Plan in Advance

Do you have an event or new service launch coming up? That can be a chaotic time for your business, and automation can be a significant asset that will make your life easier. Ask yourself these essential questions:

  • Pre-Launch: When should the announcement go out, and how often should you send reminders pre-launch?
  • Launch: The big day has arrived! Know ahead of time how you’re going to make your big splash.
  • Post-Launch: Marketing doesn’t end after launch. Share some updates so no one wants to miss the next event, or keep the excitement going for a new product or service.

As you update your marketing tools and strategies for 2023, approach those challenges with excitement and an eagerness to learn. While any learning curve may temporarily slow you down, you will quickly begin to experience the benefits of automation tools that are designed to make your marketing efforts faster and easier.

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About the Author

Jordan Brannon

Jordan Brannon is President and Co-founder of Coalition Technologies, a leading US digital agency. For the last decade, Jordan has led Coalition's team of experts as they drive outstanding outcomes to hundreds of businesses through SEO, SEM, paid social, email marketing and web design. Connect with Jordan Brannon:

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