Here's how you can seamlessly integrate automation tools into Marketing Operations.

Don't focus initially on repetitive tasks; focus instead on the tasks you aren't doing but need to do. Identifying repetitive tasks is helpful, but sometimes you should automate the tasks you aren’t doing at all. Here are five questions that can change your automation approach: What task would you tackle if you had an extra hour daily? (That’s your first automation target.) Which marketing task frustrates you the most? (If it’s annoying you, it’s hurting your results.) What creative idea have you never executed? (Automation could help bring that idea to life.) If you could clone yourself, what would you delegate? (That’s a key automation opportunity.) What metric would soar if you could focus on it constantly?

In my experience, I didn't approach automation for the sake of it, we proposed automation when evaluating the needs of a campaign, workflow or process. Once you identify this is a potential automation opportunity, then I would do a mock up of the campaign/workflow/process, and see what the automation will need to solve, then I can evaluate which tools I can use for automation. You should keep your IT and legal colleagues in the loop, as IT will have several guidelines regarding use of third party applications. Legal will review the contract before you enter an agreement with a third party company, and help you understand the legal implications. For example, what would this mean from a data protection point of view?

Totally I can relate to it, let me share my experience. I had to give certificates to over 50 participants. Manually creating each certificate was time consuming. It took me 5 minutes to search for a better solution. I decided to learn about automation tools. I found that Canva could generate certificates in bulk. Using Canva, I created all 50 certificates in just a minute. This automation saved me a lot of time and effort. The process was seamless and efficient. Now, I can handle similar tasks much faster.

There should be a budget forecast first, so you have an idea which range of tools are affordable under your budget. Once I realized that the automation tool that fulfills my business needs is out of budget, i proposed a second and third option that were out of budget but with an overview of features needed by the business. Keep in mind, there might be a campaign or workflow that this automation will solve, so you can justify your budget by gains in sales if the automation is helping you automate leads or transactions, but if it is a customer service related automation, look at productivity gains.

Choose Compatible Tools: Select marketing automation tools that seamlessly integrate with your existing software stack, including CRM systems, content management systems (CMS), social media platforms, and analytics tools

A few years ago, I decided it was time to integrate a comprehensive marketing automation tool. However, I knew that diving headfirst without a clear plan could lead to significant disruptions and resistance from the team. I sat down with everyone, found out the bottlenecks in productivity and what they wanted from it. Then as a team we listed all the possible applications, our 'MUST HAVE' list, our 'LIKE TO HAVE' list and then went out to market to see what best suited our needs. Then I got everyone involved in selecting the shortlist. That way, whilst we didn't get the perfect tool, we got one that was the closest to it, and everyone was involved in the process rather than it being forced on them.

Imagine handing your team a shiny new tool but finding out it collects dust because no one knows how to use it. That's the reality of poor training. To avoid this, turn your training sessions into engaging experiences, not just dry lectures. Make learning fun and interactive, and highlight how these tools will save time and boost results. A team that understands automation will not just use the tools, but also master them and improve marketing efforts significantly.

Regular Monitoring and Adjustments: Marketing automation isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Continuously monitor performance, adjust settings, and optimize workflows based on real-time insights.

Marketing automation requires consistent oversight and refinement. To maximise its effectiveness, it's super important to regularly track performance, fine-tune settings, and enhance workflows using real-time data and insights. Adopting a dynamic approach like this ensures your automation efforts remain aligned with your evolving goals as well as market conditions.

Don't assume your automation tools can run on their own without attention. To truly benefit from them, you need to regularly adjust and improve your processes. Think of it like caring for a garden: remove what's not working, support what is, and be open to changing tools as your needs evolve. Continuous improvement is key to making your automation work effectively for you.