For marketing departments in B2B companies, the development of marketing automation software is a gift straight from the heavens. Designed to organize campaigns and automate repetitive tasks, marketing automation software has simplified the lives of marketing executives and employees, allowing them to efficiently handle tasks and move leads to sales. Today, software solutions offer a variety of features, ranging from lead generation, email marketing, and data analytics.
Marketing automation software is designed to help individuals and companies with the variety of tasks within online marketing. A number of different software is available in the market, ranging from HubSpot, Marketo, and Eloqua, each with their unique features and qualities. However, it may be difficult to understand which system to choose. By understanding needs and what exactly the system has to offer, companies can determine which software best matches their requirements.
What can Marketing Automation Software Do for You?
There is a number of marketing automation software available, ranging from systems for small businesses to fully developed systems for larger companies. Depending on the type of system, there are a variety of features available for marketing departments. Comprehensive systems generally offer diverse features, designed to help individuals throughout the marketing process. These features include, but are not limited to:
Email Delivery:? One common problem for email marketers is the issue of email delivery, or whether the message is actually received by the recipient. Emails can get lost in the process or sent to the spam filter, with no way of knowing if was opened. However, the majority of marketing automation software includes email marketing features, allowing the user to set up email campaigns. In addition, certain software is also able to track the success and deliverability rates, providing valuable data for future campaigns.
Lead Generation: ?Lead generation is a marketing process used to drive consumer interest to a website and convert interest into leads. There are a number of different ways through which leads can be generated, whether through email marketing campaigns, landing pages or list acquisition. Marketing automation software makes this process easier, by generating and collecting leads by source.
Lead Nurturing:? Not every acquired lead is immediately ready to purchase a product or service. Generally, companies will need to run leads through a nurturing campaign, providing them with useful information and content. However, setting up complex lead nurturing campaigns can be complicated, and individuals can easily lose track of whether the lead is in the sales funnel. Marketing automation software can provide the business with lead nurturing campaigns, with the ability to determine when leads are ready to move to Sales.
Why Choose Marketing Automation Software?
There are a number of reasons why a company will consider adopting marketing automation software. However, this decision is not one to be made lightly. Before choosing marketing automation software, it is critical to consider all options prior to making a purchasing decision.
First of all, the department head should determine whether the costs of the software fit within his or her budget. Marketing automation software can be quite expensive, ranging from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. However, the price of the software will greatly depend on the company’s use, number of users, and requirements. There are a number of software solutions for smaller companies, as well as solutions that focus on a single feature. But in general, comprehensive marketing automation software will have a higher price tag for its various features. Therefore, carefully consider these various factors, and whether the need is well worth the cost.
Another major consideration involves time: does your company have the time to implement software and train employees? Though a fair amount of marketing automation software boasts user-friendly features, companies will still need to invest time in training employees on how to use the system. Companies will also need to ensure that Sales and Marketing departments are on the same page, in order to effectively use marketing automation software.
Marketing automation can be a tremendous time-saver, allowing businesses to perform operations efficiently and quickly. However, the hefty price tag can bring about the question of whether the investment is justified. But for companies with a need to save time, the features, services, and overall value is worth the price.
Photo by Sonny Abesamis @ Flickr CC
Rachel Hyun Kim is a writer on topics ranging from payroll processing services to VoIP phones. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including telemarketing for small business owners and entrepreneurs at Resource Nation.