Marketing automation is the use of technology and software to streamline and automate repetitive marketing tasks and workflows. This can include
things like email marketing, social media management, lead generation, and customer segmentation.
B2B Marketing Automation
Overview
The demand for marketing automation tools is strong and is expected to grow at 15% annually, reaching $6.4 billion by 2025. This is based on the value that businesses derive from being able to target and engage with their audience more effectively while freeing up time and resources for other important tasks.
For marketing executives in B2B companies, these tools are not only tactical but help drive revenue and increase marketing ROI. Marketing automation can help companies achieve these goals by responding to prospects at all stages of the sales funnel - especially when it comes to the decision-making stage. Likewise, replacing expensive marketing manpower performing repetitive manual tasks with automated triggered responses reduces marketing expenses and produces better results.
According to a study by Aberdeen Group, companies using marketing automation see a 53% higher conversion rate from marketing responses to marketing-qualified leads. Overall, the data suggests that marketing automation can have a significant positive impact on the ROI of B2B digital marketing campaigns, by increasing lead generation, sales opportunities, conversion rates, and sales-pipeline contribution.
It’s important to take into account that marketing automation tools can be complex and require a significant investment of time and resources before achieving the desired results. It is also important to provide training for marketing, sales and IT staff to ensure these tools can be used in the most effective manner possible. If internal resources do not have the time or skillset to set up and maintain the automation sequences, then it is advisable to partner with a digital marketing services agency with the expertise to achieve the best possible results.
Benefits
ROI
For marketing executives in B2B companies, these tools are not only tactical but help drive revenue and increase marketing ROI. Marketing automation can help companies achieve these goals by responding to prospects at all stages of the sales funnel - especially when it comes to the decision-making stage. Likewise, replacing expensive marketing manpower performing repetitive manual tasks with automated triggered responses reduces marketing expenses and produces better results.
Personalization
Personalization is key to B2B marketing but becomes difficult to scale for tens of thousands of customers. Marketing automation can help businesses achieve a high level of personalization with effective targeted, personalized messaging that resonates with the audiences at all stages of their sales journey.
Applications
B2B marketing automation provides numerous benefits for businesses, including the ability to streamline lead scoring and nurturing, run effective email campaigns and drip marketing, create targeted segmentation and personalization, and enhance event marketing efforts.
Lead scoring and nurturing - Marketing automation tools allow businesses to score leads based on their engagement level, behavior, and other factors. This enables sales teams to prioritize their outreach efforts and focus on the most promising leads. Additionally, lead nurturing campaigns can be automated to send personalized content and communications that move leads further down the sales funnel.
Email campaigns and drip marketing - Email marketing is a powerful tool for B2B businesses, but it can be time-consuming and difficult to manage at scale. Marketing automation platforms can streamline email campaigns and drip marketing efforts by automating the process of sending targeted messages to specific segments of a company's audience.
Segmentation and personalization - B2B marketing automation enables businesses to create targeted segments of their audience based on factors like industry, job title, or behavior. This allows for more effective personalization of marketing messages, which can increase engagement and conversion rates.
Event marketing - B2B companies often rely on events as a key component of their marketing strategy. Marketing automation can help to streamline event promotion and follow-up, from registration and attendance tracking to post-event surveys and lead nurturing campaigns.
Overall, B2B marketing automation applications provide businesses with a range of powerful tools for optimizing their marketing efforts and driving growth.
Examples
Here are some specific examples of B2B marketing automation and how they can be used to optimize marketing efforts and drive growth.
- Trigger follow-up workflows after leads visit high-intent web pages (e.g. product page, pricing page).
- Create educational workflows to send to your new customers — included educational resources may include videos, how-to articles, and knowledge base articles about how they can accomplish basic tasks.
- Nurture leads with content that shows you're a thought leader in the industry and is also tailored to their specific needs and goals. This will help you show your prospects that you're the right solution for them.
- Set up rewards for loyal brand advocates — for example, send a discount code to a customer after they successfully refer a new customer or complete a certain number of purchases.
- Set up email campaigns with lead nurturing so you can better understand which campaigns work best among your audience while also having the ability to manage a higher volume of leads.
By investing in the right marketing automation tools and strategies, businesses can stay ahead of the competition, build stronger relationships with their audience, and increase revenues while keeping a lid on marketing expenses.
Tools
Marketing automation is essential for modern B2B businesses looking to streamline their marketing workflows and optimize their campaigns. However, effective marketing automation requires the right tools and technologies to be put in place.
|
Category |
Description |
Examples |
|
Customer Relationship Management |
These systems enable businesses to manage and track their interactions with customers and prospects, as well as automate key tasks like lead scoring and nurturing. |
Salesforce |
|
Marketing |
These platforms allow businesses to automate their marketing workflows and gain valuable insights into audience behavior and preferences. |
Marketo |
|
Email |
This software enables businesses to send targeted, personalized messages to their audience at scale, as well as automate tasks like list management and segmentation. |
Mailchimp |
|
Social |
These tools allow businesses to automate social media posts, track engagement, and gain insights into their social media audience. |
Hootsuite |
Case Studies
Perhaps the best way to demonstrate the value of marketing automation in a tangible way is to look at some statistics and customer stories about the effects of marketing automation on digital marketing performance.
According to a recent Ascend2 survey, 78% of marketing professionals say that marketing automation is most responsible for improving revenue contribution, while a report by Salesforce found that marketers who use marketing automation software see a 34% increase in lead generation and a 20% increase in sales opportunities.
Here are a couple of case studies that illustrate how marketing automation can improve business retails.
IEX Increases Marketing ROI With HubSpot
After the IEX sales and marketing have been automated using the HubSpot CRM platform, ROI has increased with one business unit seeing a 50% increase in organic leads and a 300% increase in marketing qualified leads. IEX continues to grow its marketing funnel through HubSpot tools and has seen 2x growth month-over-month for sales-qualified leads in some areas of their business.
Note: This chart represents general campaign trends and not the actual results.
PwC Transforms CRM Upgrade Into Improved Customer Experience
PwC recommended and implemented Salesforce for a client which included marketing automation resulting in improved operational efficiency across the board, accelerated sales and drove leads for joint partner opportunities. Results included a 25% increase in lead conversion, a 10-15% time reduction in the end-to-end quote-to-order process, 25% time savings through improved case automation and case routing and a 60% reduction in back office overhead.
Note: This chart represents general campaign trends and not the actual results.
Challenges
While B2B marketing automation can offer significant benefits for businesses, it is not without its drawbacks. Here are five potential drawbacks to keep in mind when implementing automated B2B marketing:
- One of the main challenges is that automation tools can be expensive and require a significant investment of time and resources to implement effectively. Additionally, relying too heavily on automation can lead to a loss of personalization and engagement with the audience.
- Overwhelming prospects with too much content: One potential issue with B2B marketing automation is the risk of overwhelming prospects with too much content. Automated campaigns may result in too many emails or messages being sent, leading to prospects feeling bombarded and potentially causing them to disengage.
- Consistency of branding/messaging: Another potential issue with B2B marketing automation is maintaining consistency of branding and messaging across all channels. With automated campaigns running across multiple channels, there is a risk of inconsistencies in messaging or tone that could damage the brand image.
- Integration with existing systems: B2B marketing automation tools may not always integrate seamlessly with existing systems, which can lead to inefficiencies and increased workload for marketers. It’s important to select tools that can be easily integrated into a company's tech stack and stay away from those that don't integrate well.
- Reducing sales rep motivation/interaction: Finally, there is a risk that B2B marketing automation could reduce sales rep motivation and interaction with prospects. With automated campaigns handling many tasks that were previously handled by sales reps, there is a risk that reps may become less engaged with the sales process.
Overall, businesses need to carefully consider the potential drawbacks of B2B marketing automation and take steps to mitigate any risks. By doing so, they can reap the benefits of automation while avoiding the pitfalls that can arise from improper implementation.
Summary
B2B marketing automation is a powerful tool that enables businesses to streamline their marketing efforts and improve efficiency. By automating tasks such as lead scoring, nurturing, and email campaigns, businesses can save time and resources, while also delivering more personalized and effective marketing messages to their target audience.
To maximize the benefits of B2B marketing automation, businesses should invest in the right tools and ensure they are integrated with existing systems, while also maintaining consistency of branding and messaging across all channels.
Contact KeyScouts today to make sure you are making the most of B2B marketing automation to enhance marketing results, boost customer engagement, and drive growth.
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