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Kevin Brady 8/10/22 2:55 PM 5 min read

Marketing Automation and Workflows: An Overview for Businesses

94% of employees perform mind-numbing repetitive tasks. Whether it's data entry or repeating a process over and over, some tasks must be constantly repeated. 
That's where marketing automation comes in. In the tech world, there's a popular saying: if you do it twice, you need to create automation for it. It's a solid rule of thumb, especially if you're managing lots of different workflows. 
Investing in marketing automation and workflow management is one of the most important things you can do for your business. That's why we've assembled a guide to help you out. Let's get started!

What is Marketing Automation?

Marketing revolves around constant digital communication. Whether you're sending emails or posting social media updates, there's always a new communication that needs to be sent. 

However, this process can be quite repetitive. That's why marketing automation is crucial. Here's how it works. 

Workflow automation in marketing relies on if/then statements. If XYZ happens, then it triggers a secondary task. The path these cascading dominoes take is often influenced by actions taken by humans.

Here's an example. Say that someone visits your website and fills out a form. With the information collected from this form, this visitor is enrolled in a drip campaign. 

The first email is sent. Based on the action that the lead takes, they could contact a representative. This creates a ticket within the CRM system, which prompts an employee to reach out in return. 

All of these steps were taken automatically until the employee intervened at the end. In the past, someone might have to manually input that visitor into a drip campaign. Then, they would have had to reach out, create the ticket, and create a reminder to contact them again. 

Workflow automation saves time, money, resources, and emotional energy. They help employees be more productive, and spend their energy on tasks that really matter. 

Types of Marketing Automation

In marketing, automation is used to streamline repetitive tasks involving social, email, ad campaigns, and more. However, there are lots of different types of automation. 

Email marketing is common. So is text marketing, which is a powerful way to connect with potential leads in a one-on-one fashion. 

Social media, display ads, geofencing, A/B testing, and customer data platforms are other workflow tools for marketing automation. 

One of the most popular marketing automation tools available is HubSpot. There are lots of advantages to using HubSpot as a full-stack marketing automation platform. 

With HubSpot, you'll be able to run your blog, website, social media, and ads.  You'll also be able to absorb customer data through your CRM in order to leverage personalization for your ads and communications. 

You'll also be able to convert visitors into customers by creating landing pages, ABM, ROI tracking, and email. 

3 Best Ways to Automate Your Marketing Practices

When considering your workflow management, it's important to pick the practices with the highest ROI to start with. We recommend starting with email automation marketing. 

When it comes to business automation, email is king. It saves time and is more efficient in creating leads, which is the whole purpose of workflow software. 

Social media marketing is another area that would benefit from workflow tools. Many social posts are created the same way each time. Once unique content is created, you can utilize workflow automation to plan out campaigns, create a social calendar, and more. 

This will help you create a consistent cadence of valuable social posts that build brand awareness and drive consumers. 

Another valuable use of workflows is CRM automation marketing. If you're successful, then you're interacting with an onslaught of customers every day. CRM automation marketing allows you to automate the relationship between the customers and the business. 

Of course, there are a lot of workflow tools out there. Which one will work best for you?

How does Highway 9 Implement Marketing Automation

Selecting the best marketing automation tools is crucial. When you use Highway 9, you can nurture workflows that turn leads into sales. If a marketing automation tool isn't paying for itself, then something is wrong. 

You'll also be able to automate social media posts that support campaigns. In a marketing atmosphere that relies on a constant flow of content, you'll need to keep up. That's what our automation tool can do for you. 

You'll also be able to leverage a chatbot that supplies leads to your sales team. This will reduce stress and pressure on your sales team, while still providing top-notch, around-the-clock service. 

With Highway 9 services, you'll be able to relate marketing automation to sales and marketing alignment. It's important to drive revenue at each stage of the marketing funnel.

When you're marketing goods and services, people expect immediate service. In the age of the Internet and social media, an instant response is golden. That's why automation matters. 

Building Relationships with Customers

From the first interaction with a customer, you're building a relationship. You're creating expectations about the level of service and care they can expect to receive. 

In the above scenario, when someone fills out a form, they immediately get an invite to schedule an appointment. This automation is sending signals to customers, that you value their time, and that you've acknowledged their contact. 

This customer-first approach is what Highway 9 is laser-focused on. If you can't serve your customers, you can't function as a business. When you implement marketing automation, you'll be able to build an effective sales and marketing alignment strategy.
 
When sales and marketing work in individual siloes, the process isn't organic. Sales are doing their best without quality leads or knowledge of the promotional content. Marketing is doing its best without knowing the business side of things. Merging the two will produce a boost in revenue and customer satisfaction.

Creating an effective sales and marketing alignment strategy will imbue your content with worth and money-making potential. 

Adopting Marketing Automation

When you adopt marketing automation, you'll be able to craft an aligned sales and marketing strategy, serve customers better, and develop your brand. If you're looking for the right marketing automation tools, we've got you covered.

Contact us today

 

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Kevin Brady

Highway 9 Consulting | President