Five steps to set up marketing automation

Marketing automation is the process of using software to automate your customer communication. It can sound complicated but it’s actually surprisingly easy to get started. This five step guide will get you set up.

If you’ve been paying attention (and even if you haven’t!), you’ve probably heard plenty about the benefits of marketing automation for small businesses and soloists. While marketing automation is a great strategy for the time-strapped small business owner, it’s one of those tasks that can seem incredibly overwhelming in the beginning.

So how do you actually get started with marketing automation? There is a bit of work involved in getting any strategy set up but once it’s up and running, automation will save you a lot of time on your marketing and can help you bring in leads even while you’re asleep!

The best marketing automation strategies work by sending predetermined emails at specific intervals to new subscribers or those who have opted in to receive a piece of content or made an enquiry through your website. These emails should contain relevant and useful content that will appeal to your target customers and make them more likely to contact you or buy from you in the future.

Having spent time helping numerous clients set up their marketing automation, I can tell you that investing time in the beginning can really pay off in the long term.

"While marketing automation is a great strategy for the time-strapped small business owner, it’s one of those tasks that can seem incredibly overwhelming in the beginning."

Here are the steps I recommend to setting up a great marketing automation sequence.

1. Map out your workflows

Email automation sequences are based on workflows where one action leads to another. By mapping these out on paper before you get started you’ll have a clearer idea of what your email automation needs to achieve and the stages involved in getting it there.

2. Create segments

Think about your customers or clients – are there a few different groups you want to target? Sending the same content to everyone is probably not going to get great results as it won’t be relevant to them all and those who find it irrelevant may then be turned off your business as a whole. It’s a good idea to create a couple of different email lists based on the demographics of your audience and then create separate workflows for each.

3. Plan your content

Once you’ve decided on your segments you need to create the content you’re going to send them. This can be as simple as a welcome email and a bit about what your business does or as complex as a 24-step email course.

4. Find a good marketing automation platform

There are some great low cost marketing automation tools out there that you can use to send your emails, from generic email providers like MailChimp and Aweber to more in-depth automation platforms.

5. Implement your strategy

Once you have all the elements in place you can get on with the fun part and implement your email automation strategy. After your marketing automation is up and running, don’t forget to track the results regularly so you can identify any issues and make the changes necessary.

Marketing automation can be a great tool for any soloist who wants to grow their business with the least amount of time and stress. By getting the steps in place from the start you can get your marketing automation working for you right from day one.

Do you use email automation for your business? Any tips on getting started?

https://www.flyingsolo.com.au/marketing/steps-to-set-up-marketing-automation

Jo Macdermott is a well known thought leader when it comes to all things Marketing. Jo is the Founder of Next Marketing, a well established Marketing Agency based in Melbourne. Jo is looking to connect with Marketing Managers, Entrepreneurs (in funded start ups) and Small and Medium Sized Businesses (with a marketing budget). Need some marketing help? With a commercial bent? Get in touch with Jo here