Confused by Marketing Automation?

I talk to a lot of people about what I do. And one of those things is what I call marketing and business system automation. Often, I just get a confused look. People nod and then the topic never gets discussed again. What I’ve come to understand is that many people just don’t understand what automation means.

When they hear automation, they think of machine automation, they think of production automation, or factory automation. But there’s a whole realm of digital automation, with software that you can implement in your business, that can have a huge impact. So whether it’s, “marketing automation”, or “business automation”, digital automation is when you use software to integrate your various business platforms.

In short, it is a strategy to reduce the manual interactions of many of the elements in your business to make your more effective and allow you to do what you do best.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you have a webform on your on your website so a visitor can contact you for assistance or information. An automation could be built using a tool that would be triggered when that webform had been completed. So rather than that webform just sending you an email with that information, where you have constantly check your email for inquiries, It can automatically add that contact into your CRM or email marketing program. The automation continues by sending an immediate response to that person just to say thanks for contacting you.

You haven’t had to go out of your way to start that interaction with an interested party. You can craft that message to represent you and your business to give them the best first impression.  All while you do what you’re best at, and you can follow up knowing you’ve started a conversation with them.

That’s a simple example, yet very powerful one, of automation in your business.  The potential of what can be automated is limited by the software you use and the imagination.  Some worry that the relationships can become mechanized. But, the personal contacts remain the same or better because the incidental busy work leave more time for building the relationships.

I could go on for a while on examples and potential of marketing and business systems automation.  I just suggest considering all those tasks and busy work that you might be able to hand off to occur without your worry or time.