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Do All Marketing Teams Need a Marketing Automation Platform?
With so many use cases, it’s hard to imagine that most marketing teams wouldn’t benefit from automating at least some of their processes.
While Marketing Automation Platforms (MAPs) aren’t the newest addition to marketers’ tech stacks, they remain central to the strategies of both B2B and B2C businesses, particularly in the ecommerce sector. MAPs help companies automate and streamline their efforts, offering features like automating repetitive tasks and workflows.
Real-time, Personalized, Omnichannel Experiences
Marketers are increasingly leveraging MAPs to deliver real-time, personalized, omnichannel experiences through advanced audience segmentation. A survey by LXA revealed that these efforts are among marketers’ top priorities.
MAPs and Account-Based Marketing (ABM)
In the B2B sector, where marketing automation first took hold, ABM practices are gaining ground. A survey from Momentum ITSMA and the ABM Leadership Alliance found that 40-60% of ABM programs are now using MAPs to enhance their strategies. Will Nicholls, Chief Customer Officer at Momentum ITSMA, emphasized that companies are prioritizing tech investments to automate processes and improve platform efficiency while maintaining the principles of ABM.
Why Marketing Automation Is Essential
With the rise of channels and devices, it has become increasingly difficult to deliver the right message to prospects at the right time. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted interactions online, increasing inbox competition and the need for relevant, timely communication.
In the B2B space, buyers are doing more independent research before reaching out to sales teams. To stay competitive, marketers must be creative, targeted, and aligned with sales goals, gaining visibility into buyer behaviors.
Here are key benefits of a MAP that make it an attractive option in today’s market:
- Increased Marketing Efficiency: By automating time-consuming tasks like content management, campaign scheduling, and lead nurturing, MAPs save time and boost productivity. AI and machine learning, which are expected to grow in sophistication, will further enhance efficiency by automating personalized content creation and audience segmentation.
- Higher-Quality Leads: MAPs can analyze demographic, firmographic, and behavioral data, combined with lead scoring, to identify and generate more qualified leads. AI can enhance this process, identifying patterns that humans may miss.
- Multichannel Prospect Behavior Insights: Today’s MAPs provide a unified view of prospects by integrating social media, mobile, and other channels. This enables a comprehensive understanding of individual and group behaviors, particularly valuable in ABM strategies.
- Improved Sales and Marketing Alignment: MAPs help bridge the gap between marketing and sales by ensuring both teams work with sales-ready leads. With shared lead-scoring criteria, marketing can focus on nurturing early-stage leads, while sales can concentrate on closing high-quality prospects.
- Boosted Lead Conversion and ROI: Studies have shown that implementing marketing automation can increase conversions and improve ROI. Forrester reports a 10% increase in pipeline contribution for B2B marketers using automation, while Nucleus Research notes a 15% boost in sales productivity and a 12% reduction in marketing overhead.
In a competitive and evolving market, marketing automation platforms are essential for driving efficiency, improving lead quality, and aligning marketing efforts with sales goals, ultimately leading to better results and higher ROI.