Is Marketing Automation Software Worth The Money?

For every business process there is a software application claiming to make it easier, cheaper and more efficient. Each platform costs money and may or may not sit well with other software you use. So it is with marketing automation – and you reach a stage where you have to ask “is it worth the money?”

In this case we strongly believe that yes, marketing automation is most definitely worth the investment, especially for businesses that:

• Struggle with timing and productivity
• Struggle delegating work
• Struggle generating and nurturing leads
• Struggle to prioritise workflows
• Have a complicated or lengthy sales process

Marketing automation software saves time, increases leads and boosts conversions – in other words, it reduces costs and increases profits. Let’s look at each factor in turn:

Marketing Automation Saves Time

Marketing automation software automates dozens of workflows that used to be dependent on manual input.  Imagine the time saved automating manually repetitive tasks such as inputting lead information, sending emails, logging communications, segmenting your database and following up prospects. This translates directly into reduced marketing costs and a better margin from customer acquisition. Use the savings to streamline your team, redeploy talent elsewhere or increase capacity.

Marketing Automation Boosts Lead Generation

Marketing automation software improves lead generation by unifying and streamlining the process. Lead generation is a delicate balance of marketing strategies, each separate but dependent on the others for success. Doing this manually involves coordinating content creation, social media marketing, PPC, organic SEO and analytics. It’s like spinning plates.

Not only does marketing automation software save time, but it also makes the process more efficient, ensuring no lead slips through the gaps or goes cold while waiting for a salesperson to respond. From a unified dashboard, you can see which marketing channels are performing best and introduce new tools into your arsenal.

Use automation to expand the number of landing pages, set up custom email sequences or prompt communication through pop-up web windows and auto-downloadable content. Not only does marketing automation provide more opportunities for lead generation but it also closes the crucial gap between enquiry and response that costs so many lost business opportunities.

Marketing Automation Boosts Conversion Rates

Software can help boost customer conversions by personalising your emails based on the needs of your industry and buyer personas. Communication sequences can be set up to auto-respond to different behavioural triggers. For example, a prospect might receive Sequence A in response to submitting a form request from a sensitive page of your website, such as case studies or prices, or Sequence B might be triggered if you haven’t heard from a prospect in a while.

Personalised emails can incorporate location or buyer persona-specific offers and include dynamic content that only displays material relevant to pages they’ve viewed on your website. You can do this manually, in theory - but it’s labour-intensive and doesn’t allow the immediate action triggers provided by marketing automation software. This can be as simple as sending a welcome and thank you note when a customer signs up to your marketing programme, to a personalised reminder when a prospect leaves an empty shopping cart.

Calculating Value For Money

Getting value for money from your marketing automation software depends on the figures involved and how quickly you recoup your costs. There are plenty of tools on the market; some are better than others and some are pricier. The time needed to make a positive ROI depends on your initial and ongoing costs, and how this compares to your sales process and product/service value.

There are undoubtedly some marketing automation strategies that are better investments than others. At JDR we use a range of advanced marketing automation platforms to fit our customer’s requirements and budget. Before you invest a penny, take advantage of our free inbound marketing audit, which will identify what you can automate and the actions most likely to bring success.

For more information feel free to contact us: 01332 343281 / info@jdrgroup.co.uk.

Website: https://www.jdrgroup.co.uk/

Image source: Unsplash