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What is Marketing Automation and why do you need to get started?

Digital marketing today is all about delivering the right content, at the right time, to the right person. Try to apply this aspect to all the email contacts in your database that you need to communicate with – each one in their own preferred way. Not to mention social media, with over 200 networks and billions of users worldwide, which is a full-time job to maintain on its own. Don't forget to also deal with your daily meetings and tasks. Not the easiest thing to do, right? 

What if there was a way to both save time, become more structured and also reduce the risk of human error? As you might have figured out by now, there’s actually a way of doing so. It’s called Marketing Automation. Chances are, as a marketer, you’ve heard about it before. But what is it really and what is in it for you?


"Companies using marketing automation 

convert 53 % more leads to marketing

qualified leads than non-users"

– Forrester Research, ”The Forrester Wave Lead-To-Revenue Management Platform Vendors” (2014)


Why your business needs Marketing Automation

As the name (and what you’ve just read) implies, Marketing Automation is a way to automate, optimize and measure your repetitive marketing efforts and processes. In order to utilize Marketing Automation, you need a Marketing Automation system in place.  Marketing Automation lets you connect multiple touch points and marketing channels, including the following:

  • Social Media Marketing
  • Email Marketing
  • Lead Generation
  • Lead Nurturing
  • Metrics and Analytics
  • Management Activities

 

MA-funnel-1

 

Furthermore, a Marketing Automation system can be used to create converting landing pages, followed up by automatically sent email campaigns, based on what workflows you choose to set up. The software will help you segment leads and send personalized messages based on pre-set rules and your different buyer personas. 

One of the main purposes of Marketing Automation is to nurture your leads long-term and provide content of value tailored for where they are in the buyer’s journey. With a Marketing Automation system on your hand, you will pretty much be the spider in the world wide web (pun absolutely intended).

 

What you need to know before getting started

As you’ve probably figured out by now, Marketing Automation is a great way to increase the efficiency of a company’s marketing strategy. However, there are a few pitfalls that you should watch out for when it comes to Marketing Automation. 

One thing to avoid is to push generic and irrelevant content in email blasts. This will only leave your prospect with the feeling of being spammed. Marketing Automation should help save time to send highly targeted and tailored content to a segmented audience, not make you send a mass email with useless content, just because you can. You want to provide your prospects with the right content, which is why Marketing Automation should be used for nurturing rather than selling. 

Someone who's not that well versed in the world of Marketing Automation might think that a Marketing Automation system doesn't differ much from an Email Service Provider (ESP), like MailChimp. However, there are substantial differences. For instance, ESPs sends emails and offer modest email analytics, whereas Marketing Automation systems can track exactly where and when contacts have traveled through a website, score these behaviors, and automatically send out relevant, targeted content based on those behaviors. A Marketing Automation system also provides an end-to-end picture of the customer journey, from the first interaction to conversion and beyond.

The list below shows some of the most distinct differences between Marketing Automation systems (MA) and Email Service Providers (ESP):

 

ESP-MApng

 

Finding the perfect Marketing Automation system for you

As more people realize the perks of Marketing Automation, there are several MA systems to choose from today; Hubspot, Marketo, and SharpSpring, to name a few. Finding the right solution to help nurture and engage prospects is in many ways crucial, as a wrong turn can be a costly and time-consuming story. When comparing various Marketing Automation systems, you shouldn’t just analyze their features and price, but also make sure that the software is meeting your own unique needs.

Why SharpSpring is one of our favorite Marketing Automation system

At Brightvision we’ve tried a few different tools and systems. A favorite of ours is SharpSpring – one of the most flexible full-service Marketing Automation systems on the market. SharpSpring offers native and 3rd party CRM integration, fully integrated call tracking and universal CMS compatibility, in addition to integration with hundreds of applications. SharpSpring makes it easy to compare data side by side to get a full picture of end-to-end ROI.

 

Some of the features you'll find in SharpSpring:

 

Sharp-list 

 

Another reason why SharpSping is our go-to MA system is because it's easy to use. We know that you don’t have hours upon hours to learn a new system, and even if you did, we’re sure you can think of better ways to spend them. SharpSpring also offers dedicated support, including quick answers, extensive self-help resources and a responsive development team, which will spare you the struggle of having to figure things out on your own.

One of the things that we value most with SharpSpring is that they offer month-to-month contracts. This means that you’re able to try it out without having to think about long-term commitments. Because let’s face it, the marketing world (and your customers) can easily shift from one day to another which makes agility crucial. 

Additionally, depending on the pricing structure you choose, the price for a SharpSpring license is usually less than one-third compared to other MA systems. Yet it’s a tool powerful enough to be trusted by thousands of businesses worldwide. This makes SharpSpring the perfect Marketing Automation software both for small companies with a limited marketing budget, and big businesses that are ready to take their lead generation to the next level. 

5 reasons why we love SharpSpring:

  • Full Marketing Automation service: Comprehensive end-to-end solution
  • User friendly:  Intuitive to use and compatible with everything
  • Dedicated support: Quick answers as well as extensive self-help resources 
  • Month-to-month contract:  Don't worry about long term commitments
  • Cost-effective: Fraction of what competitors charge

 

... Also, SharpSpring will help you:

 Brightvision_Marketing Automation

 

Certified Platinum Partner

At Brightvision, we are proud to have reached platinum-level certification in SharpSpring’s partner certification program, through which SharpSpring empowers partners to become experts in Marketing Automation. Becoming a Platinum partner means that we are demonstrating an excellent level of expertise in Marketing Automation. The certification also shows that we are well-equipped to help clients generate qualified leads and optimize the ROI of marketing campaigns, which we are very proud of. 

Sharpspring_platinum

 

Get started with Marketing Automation today

A Marketing Automation system can take much burden off your shoulders and handle many of the things that you used to spend hours doing. But of course, you can’t expect it to replace all your work. For instance, you’ll still need to produce relevant content, as you can’t automate marketing without having anything to send to your prospects. However, with a Marketing Automation system on your hand, you’ll both have more time to actually come up with great content and to follow up on those qualified leads.  

Would you like to know more? Get in touch with Brightvision today and let us guide you!

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