Saturday 23 May 2015

Clear Understanding Of The Marketing Automation Systems

By Tammie Caldwell


When talking of marketing automation, one normally refers to software platforms and technologies that are geared towards assisting the marketing teams and the organizations at large increase their effectiveness in promoting their products in various online platforms. Products may be promoted by email, through websites and social media platforms. The platforms take over repetitive online functions from being operated by human beings. They require a command that triggers action when the required task is achieved online hence the importance of the Marketing Automation systems.

The process starts when marking individuals or the department involved in marketing specifies what outcome they would like to have from any process or task that touches on marketing. The software picks up the commands, makes a quick interpretation, and implements them as needed. It is efficient and not prone to error as humans are. In the recent past, such systems have been used to analyze behavior online and its effect on overall results. Cloud hosting enables clients to use the platform as a service.

There are three categories of marketing automation. The first involves collecting relevant information to assist in realizing the marketing goals. This is called marketing intelligence. This platform makes use of tracking codes on webpages, social media, and emails to enable the marketing team track behaviors of visitors interested in the product or the service that the company is marketing. The team also gains a measure of intent.

A good example of tracking is recording when one clicks a link in the email, capturing what search terms visitors use when accessing the website, detecting what forum thread is attracting many visitors and getting to know what social media group is attracting many visitors. The retailing team uses this feedback to develop plans that match the prospects interest.

There are marketing automation platforms whose main aim is to move prospects down a retailing funnel. This turns prospects to hot prospects that are ready for sales proposals. The platforms score clients as they interact with the brand online and slowly create interest in the products until prospects become clients.

Commonly used sales cycles include (B2B) Business-to-business, B2C (Business-to consumer and B2G (Business-to-government). In essence, this is a mix of typical email marketing enjoined with structured business processes. This helps avoid following clients that have no intention to buy from the company and follow those that have shown interest in the products and services that the company is promoting.

Finally, workflow automation is concerned with the internal bit of the sales cycle. When worked manually, this component tends to delay the whole buying process. Such activities as formulating a marketing calendar, internal collaboration, planning and budgeting can be automated with much ease.

The rules that these programs follow are set by a CRM administrator. On their part, the platforms trigger other process to be implemented by other programs or by the sales team. These may be sending newsletter, emails, and uploading some marketing files. Marketing automation makes retailing faster and is less prone to human error.




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