Increasing the quality of your leads with marketing automation

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Increasing the quality of your leads with marketing automation

In this blog post, we delve into the importance of marketing automation. The sales landscape is changing at a rapid pace. The ways in which customers can make purchases are diverse and complex. People buy more frequently, in more varied places, and are less loyal to sellers. They buy what they want, whenever they want, and through channels that provide the best user experience.

Comparison sites make offerings more transparent, and potential customers are constantly exposed to product information and promotions via influencers, online reviews, countless ads during YouTube and Spotify use, and more. Even when you manage to capture their attention, consumers remain highly critical and will compare options.

This makes it crucial to know these potential customers, understand what they want, and guide them through their purchasing process. Marketing automation, also known as lead nurturing or marketing automation, can make a significant difference in this challenge.

However, it’s important to have a solid lead generation funnel and a steady influx of new leads before starting with marketing automation. Otherwise, your target audience will be too limited or quickly exhausted.

What exactly is marketing automation?

To engage potential customers and guide them through the customer journey, increasing efforts are required. Doing this manually is almost impossible. This is precisely why marketing automation has become so important. Marketing automation uses automated systems that take action based on specific triggers, both in the marketing funnel and the sales funnel. The goal is to increase conversions.

An example of marketing automation is the automatic sending of a welcome email when a potential customer creates an account at an online store, or a reminder email when they add products to their digital shopping cart but don’t complete the purchase. This can go even further, such as sending a product advice email days or weeks after a purchase.

At first glance, marketing automation might seem like a cold approach, while it often requires a personal and human touch to maintain the attention of potential customers.

The challenge, however, is to manually process all actions and respond at the right moment. When you realize that just a few minutes or hours can make a world of difference, automation becomes a logical choice.

Through marketing automation, you can engage your potential customers at exactly the right time, significantly reducing the chance that they turn to a competitor. A personalized customer experience, stronger connection with the company, cost savings, and greater brand awareness are just a few of the additional benefits that marketing automation brings. Moreover, marketing automation generates high-quality leads across every sector. But how do you get started?

Getting Started with marketing automation in 4 Steps

Marketing automation begins with the customer journey, which shapes the funnel used to guide potential customers. At the top of the funnel, you address general questions—often by adding a blog to your website. Further down the funnel, a personalized approach becomes more critical, and marketing automation plays a defining role. These four essential steps will help you kickstart your marketing automation efforts.

1. Define your marketing automation strategy

Before starting with marketing automation, it’s essential to ask yourself a few key questions. The answers will shape your strategy:

  • Who do you want to reach?
  • How will you engage this audience?
  • What action do you want this audience to take?

Based on different target groups, you will need to formulate distinct strategies, tactics, and objectives. The more specific the segmentation, the more effective marketing automation becomes.

2. Segment your leads

Effective segmentation is crucial for two main reasons. First, actionable insights can only be derived if the right distinctions are made. Second, deep segmentation enables a more personalized approach while allowing for thorough evaluation and adjustment. Not surprisingly, strong segmentation often leads to higher conversion rates.

There are several ways to segment your database, such as by gender, age, or interests. However, the most effective segmentation for marketing automation focuses on two aspects: shared needs and the stage of the purchase cycle in which your (potential) customers find themselves.

You will likely need to create multiple subdivisions. For instance, you might start by separating business and individual customers, as their needs and expectations differ. Then, you can further divide individual customers based on their specific requirements. Some may need detailed product information, while others are more interested in promotional discounts.

3. Set up workflows for each segment

After segmentation, begin designing the automation process. Different segments will receive tailored activation or follow-up emails. Create separate workflows for each segment, including customized content, call-to-actions, and personalized follow-up strategies. The goal is to guide potential customers through the funnel without appearing overly pushy.

4. Analyze, evaluate, and optimize your Marketing Automation

You may notice a conversion increase in some segments, while others might not respond well to the workflow. Therefore, it’s essential to evaluate the results, adjust objectives, and refine your approach based on predefined criteria.

Additionally, analyze high-performing segments to keep up with evolving needs. By regularly evaluating and adjusting, you maintain control and proactively respond to changing trends.

Marketing Automation for a loyal customer base

Existing customers often generate the majority of a company’s revenue, making it essential to encourage repeat purchases and foster loyalty.

Turning a customer into a loyal advocate requires thoughtful follow-up and care. Marketing automation can play a pivotal role in this process. For instance, you can use automation to collect feedback about your product or service. This not only provides valuable insights into customer satisfaction but also shows customers that their opinions are valued.

Staying top-of-mind with personalized newsletters is another effective strategy. By leveraging dynamic content, you can tailor these newsletters to meet the specific needs and preferences of your customers, ensuring they remain engaged with your brand.

In summary, marketing automation is a crucial element of any robust marketing strategy. Need assistance with implementing marketing automation? Our email experts are here to help!