Any of our regular readers will know that we’re big fans of marketing automation — and we’re confident that any firm that starts using it will be, too.

The benefits of marketing automation software are attested to by the explosive growth it’s seen in the last few years. In 2017, the revenue for B2B marketing automation software reached €3 billion. Two-thirds of marketing leaders use marketing automation software, and about 80% of users believe that it is worth the price. However, there are still plenty of firms not using it, and many who report no plans to begin using marketing automation software. The question is - Why?

Put simply, these companies are making a mistake.

First, the basics

Marketing automation refers to a set of software that automates basic functions of online marketing, streamlining and making more effective a set of actions that traditionally had to be performed, more laboriously, by a person.

Some of the most well known names in marketing automation are HubSpot, Eloqua, Pardot, Marketo, and SharpSpring. We put some of the giants head-to-head in a series ranking the various marketing automation giants, so you can figure out which one will be ideal for your firm’s needs whether you’re doing B2C or B2B selling.

So, for those currently asking “Why do I need marketing automation?” for the first time, here are 7 reasons why.

1. It lets you super-charge marketing and sales

Marketing automation isn’t a replacement for your marketing and sales departments — rather, it’s an invaluable tool for helping those departments do their jobs more effectively.

We’ve mentioned before how marketing automation software drastically improves lead generation. The benefits to sales and marketing don’t stop there, though: many firms find that the integration of sales and marketing is one of the most attractive features of these platforms.

Specifically, marketing automation software can tell you exactly where in the sales funnel various prospects are. This removes what used to be guess-work about why leads aren’t converting, reducing one area where marketing and sales would traditionally blame the other for a failure to convert new customers, creating accountability and providing answers. Moreover, the cloud-based nature of these platforms makes the daily work of collaborating easy.

2. It keeps up with prospects like never before

Poor customer follow-up is probably the biggest sales-killer in business, but fortunately, marketing automation promises to make this a thing of the past. Firms using marketing automation platforms won’t need to concern themselves with consulting follow-up schedules or templates.

Marketing automation lets you schedule different messages to customers based on time from previous purchases, interactions with your brand, positive online reviews, and other criteria

3. No more impersonal communications

Receiving what appears to be a generic form letter or bland template is one of the biggest turn-offs for a potential customer. Fortunately, marketing automation promises to more-or-less make this faux pas a thing of the past.

Marketing automation not only lets you ensure that your emails, social media posts, and other massages contain personalized appeals. These platforms let you identify prospects based on interactions with your brand at various points in the sales funnel, letting you target them even more specifically. You can send out a message with not only their name, but targeted according to a specific area of interest and demographic information.

4. It takes a lot of the work out of social media

Social media is a growing way in which prospective customers will interact with your company and get questions answered. Fortunately, marketing automation has a lot to offer your firm’s social media presence.

With marketing automation software, you can easily schedule posts, tweets, and other social media messages across multiple platforms. Best of all, the software will let you readily interact with customers and score interactions for future leads.

5. Scalability

We’ve highlighted marketing automation as an ideal solution for small- and medium-sized businesses before. It’s because marketing automation software offers scalability as one of its most appealing aspects.

Marketing automation platforms enable a firm to easily copy entire campaigns, from templates and schedules to scores and KPIs, and replicate them on a larger scale. Thus, while you watch your firm get bigger and bigger, you can know that your marketing campaigns will stay easy through marketing automation.

These are just 5 of the reasons why your firm needs to implement a marketing automation platform in 2018. Whether you’re doing B2B or B2C business, and whether you’re a small- or medium-sized business, this software has a lot to offer. Contact us today if you’re interested in implementing marketing automation and watching your growth soar this year.