Marketing Automation: How to Do It and What Are the Best Tools on the Market - The Best Lead Generation Content by Leadster

We always hear about marketing automation tools , but many still don’t really know what this tactic is about and how to do it.

It is also known that marketing automation has its due importance in the digital world, after all, it is through it that companies reach leads on a large scale and in a personalized way.

With this in mind, Leadster prepared this complete article to help you carry out marketing automation and learn about the best tools on the market.

Let’s go!

What is Marketing Automation?

We can define marketing automation as a way of acting in a personalized and scalable way with those who interact on the different channels of your company .

With marketing automation, it is possible to automate, measure and simplify marketing work actions , in addition to segmenting and nurturing leads, increasing operational efficiency, as well as the evolution of leads in the sales funnel quickly.

The objective is to: understand as much as possible the Lead’s interest and their purchasing stage, providing all the necessary information in an automated way.

Why is Marketing Automation Essential?

According to research carried out by Forrester, a company that provides market research services, marketing automation platforms through channels can achieve , by this year , growth of 25% .

Among lead-to-revenue automation platforms – those that also focus on revenue – growth can reach 19.4% .

With these few numbers, it can be said that marketing automation is growing in the market.

This is because, without this strategy, your company will just be counting on the luck of people taking the bait and being ready to buy your product or service .

When to Invest in Marketing Automation?

To find out if it is the right time for your company to invest in marketing automation, ask yourself:

Are you generating a steady flow of new, qualified leads ?
Do Marketing and Sales agree on which topics should be addressed in both areas ?
Do you have a content strategy mapped out for your customer journey ?
Do you track the behavior of your leads across all marketing channels ?
Do you have a proven lead nurturing strategy that you want to scale ?

If your answers are positive, then it’s time for your business to start thinking about marketing automation and what ways it can help your company.

What is a Marketing Automation Tool and what does it do?

An automation tool is software whose objective is to centralize information and routines in the sales and marketing process .

In other words, the software gathers data, defines automation rules, analyzes leads, covers content creation resources and integrates with other tools , all of this providing more efficiency and scalability for the business.

In addition to the benefits already mentioned, we can list what an automation tool does:

Automation Flows – sequence of pre-defined automatic actions. We have nutrition flow, cart abandonment flow, activation flow, upsell/cross sell flow, referral flow, among others.
Lead attribution – the process of tracking the lead’s path throughout the funnel, only in this way is it possible to know the exact moment to approach them.
E-mail Marketing – automatic sending of emails , whether about offers, remarketing, updates, etc.
Base segmentation – it is through segmentation that emails can reach interested audiences. Segmentation can be done by position, area of activity, budget, stage in the funnel, among others.
Lead Generation – to capture your leads, you can create lead capture forms, pop-ups and landing pages.
Lead monitoring – create your own Lead Tracking and Lead Scoring , so your company can monitor leads and qualify them.
A/B tests – A/B tests allow comparison between campaigns, analyzing results to define which option performs best.
Integration with CRM – CRM is another essential software in the commercial process, it helps manage leads and organize the sales pipeline .
Reports – with reports you will be able to monitor all established metrics and indicators in a much more dynamic and organized way.

Characteristics and Components of Marketing Automation

We’ve already talked about what a marketing automation tool does, but let’s now explore its components:

Central marketing database – home to detailed prospect and customer interactions and behaviors. With a database you can segment, niche and detail your leads as much as you want.
Engagement machine – we can define this point as the beginning of all user interaction actions, as you will be able to create, manage and automate engagement marketing processes, as well as online conversations.
Analysis – in the marketing automation tool you will be able to analyze all your indicators, making it possible to diagnose what worked.
MarTech – the software allows integration with the most diverse tools, meaning you will have effective, collaborative and scalable marketing applications to help you achieve your goals.

In addition to the components of marketing automation, we also have some of its main features, such as the autoresponder function and workflow – work process in the areas of marketing and sales – complete .

Differences and Similarities between Marketing Automation, CRM, Inbound and E-mail Marketing

As we have already said throughout the text, there are several tools and strategies in digital marketing, which can end up causing some confusion when differentiating them.

With this in mind, here we have separated the main differences and similarities between marketing automation, CRM, Inbound Marketing and E-mail marketing .

Marketing Automation and CRM

A common point between marketing automation and customer relationship management (CRM) is that they both aim to control lead- and customer-facing practices .

But, its main difference is the moment in which the leads are .

While CRM is focused on sales , focusing on the bottom of the funnel , marketing automation targets the top of the funnel , focusing its actions on nurturing leads.

Marketing Automation and Inbound Marketing

Just like in marketing automation, the inbound strategy also targets the top of the funnel, that is, your actions aim to attract and nurture leads until they are ready to buy .

However, while inbound marketing is focused on producing content, automation focuses on how to deliver that content and reach the lead.

Marketing Automation and Email Marketing

Email marketing is also used within automation to nurture leads already captured .

Therefore, it can be said that these techniques complement each other, even if performed in different ways.

While email marketing focuses on sporadic campaigns, automation is a sequence of actions to take the lead to the next stage of the funnel.

Why does Marketing Automation has better results than just E-mail Marketing?

Through marketing automation, you can personalize your campaigns more quickly, meaning the nurturing process becomes much more efficient, as the lead feels more informed.

Even if the number of visitors does not increase, with specific actions for each type of customer, your company’s conversion rate will increase.

What Can You Use Marketing Automation For?

Ok, so far we’ve already explained the importance of marketing automation, its features and benefits, but how can you put it into practice?

That’s what we’re going to find out now, check it out!

Automate Lead Generation and Segmentation

Marketing automation software itself often offers ready-made reports and dashboards for you to analyze your leads.

This allows you to further optimize the lead qualification process , characterizing each potential customer according to the information collected and facilitating the process of getting in touch when necessary.

Automate and Personalize Relationships with Contacts in your Base

The automation tool allows you to create and forward specific texts for each customer .

This measure makes the user pay attention to the content sent, in addition to improving the relationship and bringing the lead closer to the purchase.

Check out some possible actions:

Automate sending emails to birthday people with a discount coupon;
Automate sending SMS to contacts who haven’t purchased from you in a while; It is
Automate an educational flow about your brand and products as a welcome for new leads.

Offer a Sequence of Content Related to the Lead’s Interest

As the automation tool itself will allow your company to know the characteristics of each lead and their interests, you can use this information to create and automate the sending of personalized content to the needs of each potential customer .

Nurturing Leads Who Aren’t Ready to Buy

Don’t abandon leads that haven’t appeared on your platform for a while , but also don’t pressure them to close the purchase , after all, you don’t know why they haven’t closed the deal yet.

Instead, take advantage of the moment to nurture them, send personalized content that makes sense with the lead’s moment and interest.

Perform User Onboarding in your Software or Platform

We know that the customer journey does not end with closing the deal , it is often necessary to onboard this user.

So, don’t waste time, carry out this process using the automation tool.

Create Post-Sales Actions

Customer acquisition is not the only responsibility of marketing automation, post-sales actions are just as important.

It is through them that you strengthen your relationship with your customer and also take the opportunity to offer other products, updates and news.

To achieve this, your company can create the following flows:

Activation Flows – how the customer should activate and use the product/service;
Retention Flows – be aware of doubts and feedback, to prevent possible cancellation;
Flows for Upsell/Cross-sell – always show your customer that there is the possibility of upgrading the service/product purchased; It is
Referral Flows – nothing better than a referral for your product, with this tactic you can attract several new customers.

Common Problems That Can Be Solved with Marketing Automation

Digital marketing encompasses several actions, strategies, objectives and metrics that can be easily solved with marketing automation.
Let’s go to them!

“I need to do more with less” – time is scarce and demands are increasing, so marketers often find themselves overwhelmed – a situation that can be resolved by implementing automation software, as the tool frees up busy schedules with automated tasks.
“I don’t know how to map or optimize the user journey” – how to capture, track, manage and score leads that reach the sales funnel? A job that previously required a lot of time and attention can be easily organized with automation software that does all the “manual” work in moments.
“My leads are not converting or advancing in the funnel” – what to do with the visitor who arrived on your platform, but did not convert or remains without any progress? With marketing automation, you’ll nurture prospects with relevant, essential information across multiple channels until they’re ready to buy.
“My leads are disqualified” – there is no point in converting visitors into leads if they are disqualified and will not advance to a sale. Automation helps your business better understand your leads and buyers. It will be possible to personalize each buyer’s journey.
“I waste a lot of time on repetitive tasks” – there are many activities for little time and few professionals. Marketing automation, by meeting recurring demands, allows professionals to focus on strategic actions that bring even more return to the company.

7 direct advantages offered by Marketing Automation

If you are still not convinced of the importance of marketing automation, here are 7 advantages of using it. Check out!

Higher Conversion Rate and More Funnel Efficiency

Marketing automation allows the data collected to be clearer and more objective , making the ideal customer to be found much more easily and thus, the sending of nutrition content , based on the interests and moment of the lead, is done at the right time .

Both aspects allow the chances of sales to increase, as communication is aligned and content is personalized.

Improved Performance of Marketing Campaigns

With marketing automation you will have in your hands the analysis of the results of your actions and marketing campaigns , that is, your actions will be based on data, reducing the risk of negative results and, consequently, improving performance.

Furthermore, you will be able to make better use of the leads gained through your marketing campaigns (advertisements, events, etc.).

Sales Cycle Reduction

Since the software carries out the process of capturing, qualifying and nurturing leads , when the potential customer reaches the hands of the sales team the work will be much less, as the user will be prepared for a possible purchase.

Increase in Average Ticket and Revenue Growth

The more qualified your lead is, the greater the chances of closing a deal .

If your leads are more mature about their interests, bigger tickets will be generated, this is the role of marketing automation.

And, with bigger tickets, revenue also grows .

Less Manual Work and More Productivity

By taking manual work out of the hands of your marketing and sales team, more time will be left for strategic and priority actions for the entire company to be carried out , increasing the productivity of the entire business, as processes are automated and optimized.

Leads that are More Prepared and More Likely to Buy

If the lead already understands their needs, what the alternatives are to solve the problem and how the products or services work , when the time comes to talk to the seller, the dialogue will happen in a more fluid and objective way , and the chances of closing a deal sales will be greater.

More Product Success and Improved Customer Retention

If the lead already understands more about the product, the likelihood of having doubts decreases and the chances of being able to carry out the implementation process alone increase , meaning their experience with your service will be a success.

Other than that, don’t forget to carry out good after-sales, don’t lose the customer!

Marketing Strategy with one of the Best ROI

Return on Investment (ROI) is one of the main indicators of digital marketing and, with the implementation of automation software, you will have results, such as:

Reduction in administrative expenses , saving, on average, 3.4% of investments, with most companies saving between 1.5% and 5.2% (Lido).
Contribution to rapid revenue growth. Companies that adhere to this tool achieve 28% better sales productivity, in addition to 33% higher revenue growth, compared to other companies (MarTech Alliance).
Saves time and money. With well-done nutrition automation, the result can reach 50% more customers with a 33% lower cost per lead (Madison Logic).

Marketing Automation in the B2B and B2C market

Remember to customize your automation according to your market.

If your company operates in the B2B market, invest in a close relationship between companies , as this market has greater complexity in its products and decision-making processes.

If you are in the B2C market, focus on an accelerated approach, investing in users’ imagination and converting them quickly .

How to Choose the Right Automation Tool?

After all these points, it is more than clear how important a marketing automation tool is to a company’s success.

Therefore, for you to make the right choice of tool, below are some essential points that must be present in the software:

Complete Segmentation Criteria;
Dynamic Lists;
Lead Tracking;
Lead Scoring; It is
Lead Interaction Features.

What is the Best Marketing Automation Tool?

There are several marketing automation software on the market, here we highlight the three that stand out. Check out!

Lahar (Ramper Marketing) – software focused on lead nurturing, email and SMS automation;
RD Station – considered the most used marketing automation tool in Brazil; It is
Active Campaign – serves e-commerce, B2B companies and B2C companies.

But, you don’t need to stick to just these three, as there are several options for marketing automation tools!

How to do Marketing Automation in 8 steps

After all this information, it’s common to not know where to start your marketing automation, so check out the step-by-step guide below!

1. Define your Success Strategy and Metrics

This is the starting point, through this definition you will be able to continue your automation actions .

Therefore, have well-defined objectives and well-designed strategies.

2. Choose the Right Tool

Don’t leave the operational work to your marketing team, automate the process !

So, ask yourself: which of the tools on the market will meet your demands?

3. Segment Your Contacts

Characterize each of your contacts, use the data they provide as a way to segment them in your database.

4. Establish Entry Triggers

Entry triggers are the first step in lead nurturing, you can do this through an interaction, access to a blog article or even downloading material .

5. Define Flow Interactions

How will you talk and maintain a relationship with the lead?

You can use email, social networks or customize each step it takes.

6. Develop Content

Create specific content for each stage of the purchasing process , so the lead will always have material to rely on.

7. Activate Flow

Implement all created flows, remember to define your rules and frequency of interaction .

8. Track Metrics and Make Continuous Improvements

Monitor established metrics and indicators and, through them, make periodic improvements to your automation flow.

Good Practices in Marketing Automation

Even though automation tools are already complete and generate great results for companies, there are some practices that will boost your numbers even further. Let’s go to them!

Hire tools for campaign creation, optimized implementation and management ;
Invest in segmentation and targeting tools integrated into CRMs to create, filter and niche users ;
Use lead evaluation and modeling tools ;
Hire design professionals ;
Manage process flows and content creation ;
Have support for dynamic content ;
Use optimization tools;
Integrate with the sharing of lead marketing activities ; It is
Generate reports that provide insights for campaigns, emails, account analysis, and revenue attribution .

Marketing Automation FAQ

To conclude our strategic marketing automation content in the best way, let’s now look at frequently asked questions on the subject!

What is the concept of Marketing Automation?

Marketing automation is a tool created to automate marketing tasks such as:

Email marketing campaigns;
Lead generation;
Data control; It is
Segmentation.

What is sales automation? Are the same thing?

Sales automation is a group of strategies applied by a company, aiming to make sales processes more efficient .

Sales and marketing automation have their differences.

The first is used after the contacts are already with the sales team , helping to speed up negotiations and facilitate the process; the second , in turn, takes advantage of technology to assist the team in capturing and nurturing leads until the moment they are ready to be passed on to sales.

How to do Marketing Automation on Instagram and Social Networks?

Social media marketing automation requires:

Post scheduling;
Implementation of Chatbots;
Social listening; It is
Analysis reports.

Furthermore, there are tools specialized in this type of automation, some of them are: MLabs , Hootsuite , Buzz Monitor.

Now you are prepared to safely choose marketing automation software to improve your results!

Imagine being able to integrate it with a tool to increase your lead generation.

With Leadster, this is possible. See our free demo and understand more!