Avoiding the pitfalls of Marketing automation tools.

In the following article I point out three key hurdles that dramatically inhibit today’s medium size companies and in particular, publicly traded companies. These hurdles or pitfalls are keeping executives from reaching their full marketing and investor engagement potential. Note the issues I’ll point out are centered on marketing automation specifically. These automation issues can be something you face regardless of which automation platform you’re using. This article is skewed towards investor marketing practices but the solutions can be applied to lead generation of retail businesses as well. I hope this article helps you make more money!

Summary;

1. Lower Than Expected Platform Utility
2. Lack of Consistency Pertaining To Viable Content 
3. Complex Integration Of Platforms And A Over Dependence On Email For Investor Engagement. 

Marketing automation refers to utilization of software and technology platforms to effectively manage and execute multi-channel marketing (mobile, web, social media, content, email, SEO) and automate repetitive tasks. Studies that came out in 2016/2017 paint a clear picture showing that marketing automation technology has and will earn a lasting role in a majority of companies and by this content based automation and audience targeting is already SOP for many. Directly, CRM-related software is now the number one pitched business software which means if I can help you to avoid some short falls then you can thank me later.  

Forbes reported once that something like 63% of all companies that are outgrowing their competitors use one or more automation tools. That means that these forward looking executives know that to expand your brand, public company stock symbol, you need to drive traffic 24 hours a day and that takes automation of content distribution. I heard that 78% of high-performing marketing firms stated that automation tools have helped them increase revenue. I think you can all agree that having a continuous flow of content helps with brand recognition, right? 

90% of Fortune 500 companies are using marketing automation platforms like: HubSpot, Makesbridge and Market right now so how do you take advantage of your automation systems to their full potential?! First I believe we need to understand where you might get hung up so you can create a credible strategy. 

Again, in this article I'm going to share three solutions to common problems that companies are faced with and in particular, companies that already have an automation platform in place.  

1.  Lower than expected utility: The number one problem for medium size companies and typically for the number one problem for most publicly traded companies is utilizing their marketing software tools because of an inability to utilize all features offered on that platform. A number of platforms can't provide proper training for business owners and so the platform loses utility and perceived performance. Likewise, executives don’t often schedule the time to fully learn the product wither. 

The solution; Tutorials people. Find them and watch them. Easy. Another solution is to hire a consulting firm to work with key executives and departments in your company. Using an expert during a process change and automation changeover can eliminate both of the above issues. Typically a consultant will schedule time with each executive individually and often guarantee a smooth transition. Lastly, executives should take time every week to view software, platform and process video tutorials which are readily available. 

1. Lack of Viable Content; Content is the foundation to creating a world class digital footprint which in turn helps to close new business. A brand or Symbol depends on content and your automation tools won't work without it. The second problem I’ll point out is the amount of time it takes to create viable content. There’s only 24 hours in the day, I hear ya. 

The Solution; Some companies will use content farms, industry RSS feeds which are both fine and could be a good start for some of you but to truly inspire the actionable results when generating leads, companies absolutely need a dedicated content writer. Companies don't have to hire someone, in fact no one knows your company like you do but the content must be quality so hire someone you can work with. If your company is still growing then its OK to consider a media firm that can manage your platform and produce content… at least until you get the hang of it. They simply write for you and the rest is done through your platform. Easy enough. 

1. Complex Integration Of Platforms and Processes;  Don't get stuck with old habits. By this I mean that it is fairly complicated to automate your marketing process specific to email distribution in addition to social media and blogs . One long and ubiquitous email sent everyone on your list simply doesn't work anymore. Email campaigns today require segmentation of the list, demographic specific tailoring of each piece of content and of course ideal scheduling to ensure the highest conversion rates.  

The Solution; Artificial intelligence technology that uniquely tailors messages to your list segments. A strong media agency should be able to walk you through the integration of you are platforms to a centralized marketing automation tool including email and list segmentation and A.I. data analysis and audience identification. 

The conclusion is that just integrating an automated marketing platform is only half the battle. Don't get stuck in old habits and for the sake of your brand, remember to generate quality content to establish those lead funnels. If you need help then ask me, I want you to succeed.