“To automate, or not to automate, that is the question.”
Okay, not exactly as poetic or introspective as Hamlet, but a question plenty of marketers contemplate with almost as much internal conflict. The topic of selecting the right marketing automation software, and determining if automation is even right for you in the first place, is one that is continuously debated – and often with much angst.
To assist with the process, eConsultancy recently completed work on a new guide, “Marketing Automation Best Practices.” It was created to “provide an unbiased look at the opportunities and challenges of marketing automation.” The guide benefits readers by examining questions such as:
- What is marketing automation, and will it work for me?
- When can I expect to see the results?
- How can I use marketing automation to nurture leads?
To develop the comprehensive report, eConsultancy spoke with marketing automation service and software vendors, including Neolane, as well as B2C and B2B marketers to create realistic picture of operational pain points, as well as high level opinions on strategy and big-picture issues.
Readers may find the details in the “Individualized Content Tactics” section particularly interesting. eConsultancy says that “once the foundations of a useful database have been laid on the back-end, automation software can deliver much more relevant information on the front-end: individualized content in real-time.” The guide takes on topics including dynamic segmentation and lead scoring, as well as tackling timing tactics like auto-responders or triggered email, lead nurturing, and frequency and cadence. The guide concludes with some overall benefits of continuous testing and optimization, and tips on how to get started.
If you’ve come across other good resources on marketing automation decision-making, please let us know!
