B2B marketing is a hot topic for data-driven marketers. Social Media Today’s “State of Marketing Automation” report revealed that three out of four marketers use automation tools.
Marketing automation is also a popular choice among thriving companies. Only 18% of failed companies have fully embraced technology. 72% of the successful ones do.
Image source: StartUpBonsai
B2B Marketing Automation is a great tool, but it's not for everyone. How can automation be used to your advantage?
MIG has been discussing successful automation for many years. We've now written a handbook about it.
Here's a guide to B2B Marketing Automation for maximum results, whether you're new or just need a refresher.
Takeaways from
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Marketing automation software automates repetitive tasks, so you can concentrate on revenue-generating activity.
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Automation can help you improve customer experience, align sales and marketing and generate better-quality leads.
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Automating live chat, mobile marketing and content targeting as well as email campaigns is a key area for automation.
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HubSpot is a B2B marketing tool that can be used in conjunction with Adobe Marketo. ActiveCampaign and Salesforce are also good options.
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Prior to automating your marketing campaign, do audience research, map out the buyer's path, and identify strategic locations.
What is B2B marketing automation?
Software automates repetitive marketing tasks. Automated messages are sent to leads as they move through the funnel.
Automation is used by marketing departments more than in any other sector. This software is capable of managing tasks like social media post scheduling and email marketing.
B2B marketing automation is evolving with new capabilities. Modern marketing has been enriched by automated chatbots, AI predictive analytics and other conversational methods.
How effective is B2B marketing automation?
B2B marketing automaton helps businesses increase their marketing efforts and achieve better results. Omnisend, for example, found that marketers who used three or more marketing channels saw a 287% increase in purchase rates compared to those who only used a single channel.
SMS is increasingly being used in omnichannel marketing campaigns. Automation that incorporates text messages results in a conversion rate 47.7% greater and an ROI average of 2,755%.
Customized email automation is also a standout. The average clickthrough rate is 1499%, while the open rate is 50.89%.
Image source: Social Media Today
This data does not mean, however, that B2B Marketing Automation is the panacea for marketing. The machines can only be as good as the people who program them.
A careless automation can also interfere with customer relations by removing "human touch" in outreach and engagement. A poorly executed campaign can negatively affect brand perception due to mistakes and missed opportunities.
What are the main advantages of B2B marketing automation?
B2B marketing automation has a number of powerful advantages. Here are six to consider.
1. Improved Sales and Marketing Alignment
By automating your marketing and sales efforts with a single solution, you can align your goals and your strategies. It becomes easier to convert marketing-qualified prospects into sales-qualified ones.
Image source: SuperOffice
2. Productivity and Efficiency Increased
Automating manual, time-consuming tasks can save you both time and money. Automate the following tasks to create a more productive work team.
- Create, personalize, and manage content
- Schedule and execute campaigns
- Data cleaning
- Nurturing leads
- Communication between Sales and Marketing
With the right tools, you can eliminate repetitive and tedious tasks. Your team can then focus on revenue-generating tasks.
3. Successful Data-Driven Strategies
B2B Marketing Automation can also improve your marketing strategy by ensuring that it is data-driven. For lead generation and ad targeting to be successful, you need reliable data.
Marketing teams can successfully execute these strategies with the help of automation technology. You can also easily replicate winning strategies when you know why they worked.
4. Quality Lead Generation
Marketing automation software helps you generate and identify high-quality leads. The MQLs can be nurtured and converted to SQLs much more easily.
5. Improved Lead Conversions and Higher Return on Investment
Marketing automation has been proven to increase lead conversion. You can manage your leads better by tracking their behavior and automatically retargeting.
6. Improved Understanding of Your Customers
B2B marketing automaton can provide you with a multichannel perspective of your prospects and customers. When you combine feedback from mobile and social media campaigns, you gain a holistic view of customers.
Your results can also inform future strategy. Data allows you to create more tailored experiences for every audience segment.
B2B Marketing Automation has many other benefits.
- Improved campaign tracking and execution
- Business intelligence acquisition can be improved
- Enhance user engagement and experience
- Human error reduction
- Customers can enjoy seamless multichannel experiences
Automation is a win-win situation when done correctly.
What are some examples of successful B2B marketing automation strategies?
Your circumstances will determine the best marketing strategy for your team. Several principles and strategies are consistent for B2B companies, including attention to timing and quality of content.
If you haven't done so already, here are some tried and true B2B marketing functions that you should consider incorporating.
Live Chat
Live chat software on your website allows you to instantly engage with your customers and prospects. In our fast-paced society, instant connections are essential. The first response is often what wins the sale.
Chatbots can enhance the customer experience through answering frequently asked questions, providing help and guiding customers to practical solutions.
Content Targeting
Business buyers view purchases as an investment. B2B buyers gather a lot of information before they make a decision.
You can capitalize on the desire for information of your buyers by using trigger-based targeting. Remember that the content preferences of your customers will change as they progress through the customer journey.
Early-stage buyers are more likely to seek out surface-level content, such as blog posts, eBooks, infographics and podcasts. Late-stage buyers are more interested in data-driven content, such as reports, case studies and assessments.
Automated tools can be used to offer dynamic and personalized content in response to the way visitors interact with a form or page. Forms can be programmed to automatically populate with data known by the customer. This will improve their experience.
Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing is a tactic that B2B marketers are increasingly using to great success. B2B marketing automation technology allows you to create an engaging experience for customers and prospects searching for your products or services on a tablet or smartphone.
The mobile experience is enhanced by responsive templates for email, websites, and landing pages. Use text messaging or in-app marketing as a way to engage users on a personal level. This will get their attention immediately and encourage them to take action.
Image source: Grand View Research
Lead Scoring
Salespeople do not want to waste their time with leads who aren't ready to buy. Nevertheless, research shows that buyers spend more time on the marketing side of the funnel.
Your marketing software will collect data about how leads interact with your content. The system can also give each lead a score based on the type and amount of engagement.
The sales reps will then be able to focus on hot and warm leads, and not scare away the cool ones.
Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing remains a low-cost marketing channel that offers a high ROI. Automate your campaigns and test your messages regularly.
What B2B marketing automation software is best?
To succeed in B2B marketing automation, you'll need to have the right tools. These programs have proven successful for marketing teams.
HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot offers a wide range of free and paid marketing tools. You can create drip email campaigns and segment your audience to nurture prospects.
Visual editors help you create workflows with a simple system. Connect your CRM and pull contact information to personalize your messages quickly.
Adobe Marketo Engage
Marketo is a platform for account-based marketing. The system allows your sales and marketing teams to collaborate and automate even the simplest tasks.
You can also enrich your audience information with engagement data from automated scoring. These details allow you to segment and target people based on their exact location within the buyer's funnel.
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a B2B marketing solution that's cost-effective for small businesses. You can use engagement scores to identify loyal buyers, and set up automatic reminders for more sales.
Salesforce
Salesforce is a CRM that many marketers are familiar with. Social media and email marketing are also offered by the company.
You can also create customer journeys and customize emails that work across different channels. You can also use rich features to test your content using A/B tests.
MailChimp
MailChimp has been a leader of email marketing for years and is still going strong. You can use its customer journey builder to automate workflows.
Transactional emails keep customers informed about what is happening with their account. You can also use retargeting ads and predictive segmentation.
How can you automate your B2B marketing?
Data is the key to successful B2B automation. A successful strategy will require a large volume of verified account information, as well as clearly defined buyer personas.
Automate your business with these simple steps.
1. Conduct Audience Research
Research your audience thoroughly to identify distinct differences within your target groups. Verify that audience personas align with segmentation strategies.
You may already have personas created by your marketing team to help you connect with your target audience. (If so, great work!) To ensure accuracy, update them with the latest data.
Image source: HubSpot
2. Define the buyer's journey
The next step is to define the customer journey based on the collected data. The buyer's experience is more complex today because customers interact with brands via multiple channels.
The journey will look like a "choose-your-own adventure" map, instead of a straight path. You can create a variety of roads and destinations with B2B Marketing Automation.
Create a customer journey map based on the behavior of your audience. Google Analytics can be used to chart the paths visitors take on your website.
Image Source
Take note of key performance indicators. You can draw a map by answering these questions.
- How many of your customers become loyal to your brand after the first contact?
- What are the sources of your conversions (social media ads, targeted content or email leads, for example)?
- How many interactions are required on average before a buyer makes a purchase decision?
- What are the main or most common points of fall-off?
Understanding the path buyers take to make a purchase will help you create an effective marketing campaign.
3. Automated Placements: Identifying Strategic Placements
Start by determining where automation can have the greatest impact on your marketing. Discover the best tools to maximize your most successful channels.
Rely on data and store them in central marketing databases. Use data to analyze website traffic, visitor behaviour, and campaign results.
Do not forget the following common features of B2B Marketing Automation Tools:
- Landing page development
- Lead generation and Management
- Content Relationship Management that includes functionalities for Account-Based Marketing
- Add-ons and integration with other martech tools
- Remarketing on mobile devices and other major platforms
Test and refine your results after focusing on the areas where you will get the best ROI. Add automation strategies gradually to avoid overloading yourself.
Why do businesses fail at marketing automation?
Marketing automation is not a panacea for everyone, as the statistics above demonstrate. You can learn from other people's mistakes and avoid or resolve these issues within your company.
Fail #1: Failing to include the right people in the decision
Marketing automation tools work by capturing, tracking and communicating with prospects, as well as prioritizing them. Your sales team can gain valuable insights from this area.
Sales teams should be involved in marketing automation conversations early on and often. Sales can help you decide which platform is best for your company.
The sales team should also make sure that your B2B Marketing Automation platform is integrated well with your CRM in order to qualify leads. Include sales in the discussion to find the right system for your team and make them a champion for this technology.
Fail #2: Selecting the wrong vendor
The decision to choose a new technology is a difficult one. We marketers are not tech-savvy and struggle to evaluate new technology.
You can use these elements to help you evaluate vendors:
- The complete list of marketing, IT, and sales requirements
- Goals that are clearly defined
- Customer and peer recommendations
- Analyst Reviews
- Talent review in-house
Ask vendors to explain how they will help you reach your goals. Ask for referrals of companies that have similar CRM and objectives.
Do not just look at the system of a vendor; also consider their services. Some vendors provide "Done for You", or ready-made services, to maximize your B2B Marketing Automation investments.
The service and support you receive from your vendor is just as important. You should look for a vendor that will not only show you where to click, but also how to use the platform efficiently to achieve your goals.
Ask about the vendor's success roadmap. Analyst reports can help you understand each vendor's vision for their products and how they will execute it.
Fail # 3: Not getting educated
There are thousands of tools and solutions for martech on the market today. You might be tempted to grab the first product you see (or the one that is the cheapest) and just go with it.
Don't get lazy now! You need someone to guide you through your basic skills and help you improve.
Take the time to learn more about your platform even if it is intuitive and easy to use. This will increase your chances of success in your environment. Onboarding your B2B marketing vendors can be a challenging experience.
Fail #4: No room for growth
Before you choose, clearly define the future of your business. Ensure that the platform you choose can support your growth and expansion plans. Your long-term business success is at risk!
How can you create quality content for your B2B marketing automation strategy?
B2B marketing is just one part of a comprehensive marketing solution. Content of high quality and consistency is the key to generating leads and retaining high-value clients.
MIG is here to help you keep a steady flow of quality material. Visit our Content Builder Service, or schedule a quick consultation.
We will help you generate more leads and traffic so that you can engage with customers faster along with your B2B Marketing Automation.
The B2B marketer's Handbook for Marketing Automation was first published by Marketing Insider Group.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are 3 examples internet marketing.
Internet Marketing refers to all online activities that promote products or services. Internet marketing includes email marketing, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), and website design.
These terms don't necessarily mean that you have to spend money in order to make money. There are many other ways to earn income that don't require you to spend any money. The return on each investment will be greater if you make more.
Email marketing is perhaps the most well-known form of online marketing. This involves sending out emails to potential customers, informing them about your business and its latest offers.
Another popular method to advertise is through social media marketing. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and LinkedIn allow users to interact with friends and families and share information. These sites also provide businesses with an excellent opportunity to connect with their clients and increase awareness of their products or services.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which is a technique that increases websites' visibility on major search engines, can be used to boost their visibility. Webmasters can increase their site's traffic by improving the quality and quantity relevant backlinks.
Website design is the art and science of designing websites that are attractive and work well. Website designers are responsible for creating the design and layout of websites. Website designers also ensure accessibility standards are met and that technical specifications are adhered to.
Advertisers can bid on keywords that are related to their products and services through Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC). Advertisers only pay for clicks on their ads. PPC ads often appear at either the top or lowest search results pages.
Why is it so important to define your brand?
Your company's promise to customers is a brand. A brand can promise certain characteristics and benefits that make your business stand out from its competitors. Your brand is what sets you apart from other companies in the industry.
Your brand is a symbol of authority and credibility. When prospective customers see your logo, they instantly recognize that your company stands behind its products and services. You have their trust because they respect you.
Your company's culture is also part of your brand. Your brand will reflect the passion of your employees for your product/service.
Your brand is more than just words and pictures. It's a promise that your company lives up to. It is a promise to deliver value to customers.
When you set out to develop your brand, you need to consider several factors. First, choose a name and description that clearly describes your company. You might choose Sweet Dreams Bakery if your bakery is your business. For a software company, DreamSpark Software is the right choice.
Next, you will need to decide how your company will be represented. Are you going to use a familiar symbol? Will your colors match your corporate identity? Will you use logos?
You'll also want to think about how your target audience sees your brand. Do you present yourself as helpful and friendly? Do you seem trustworthy and professional? Do you appear knowledgeable and experienced?
These are the questions you must answer before you can build your brand.
What are 5 marketing concepts you should know?
These are the five main marketing concepts
- Branding: A brand is a person's image. It's what people associate with you when they hear your name. You must create a consistent brand identity across all media.
- Positioning: Your market positioning is what you do. What is the best way to describe yourself?
- Message – This is your message's content. What is your point Why should someone buy from you?
- Marketing mix – This combines channels, pricing, and promotions to deliver your message to your target audience.
- Measurability – How can you measure your success?
What is eCommerce marketing?
Ecommerce marketing is online shopping. It's the act of selling products via the internet. This includes buying goods from companies and selling them over the web. If you are an individual vendor, this includes selling on eBay. It is possible to also start a business and sell goods for profit. The key point here is to make money by selling items online.
These are more details about eCommerce marketing
A successful eCommerce website requires you to decide what products you want. Next, choose whether you want to sell a single item (e.g. a book) or multiple items (e.g. books and DVDs).
Once you know what you're offering, you'll need to find a supplier. A supplier can be a company that makes or sells the product you're looking for. For example, if you wanted to start selling greeting cards, you'd need to find a supplier that made and sold greeting cards.
After finding a supplier, create a website to showcase the products and allow buyers buy them. Some suppliers offer templates that you can use, while others require you create your template. After you have your website built, it's time to market it. This can include posting articles to forums and blogs, advertising via websites such as Google Adwords, or sending emails directly to relevant contacts.
Promoting your eCommerce business can be done in many different ways. These include email marketing, search engines and social networks.
- Email marketing is a good choice for most businesses. It is cost-effective, simple to implement, and produces results. But, it takes a lot of time and effort to generate quality leads.
- Search engine optimization (SEO), a technique to increase a website's rank for specific keywords, is what we call search engine optimization. This is usually done by link building which improves pages ranking in search engines.
- Businesses are increasingly relying on social networking sites, such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Many people use these websites every day to stay in touch with family and friends. You can get exposure to thousands of new customers if you post interesting articles there.
- For eCommerce marketers, mobile apps can also be a great tool. People love to shop on their smartphones and tablets. An app allows customers to be reached wherever they may be.
eCommerce is now a major business. There are many methods to promote your business. You can reap the benefits from eCommerce marketing if you make wise decisions.
What's the difference between marketing or advertising?
Advertising is communication that promotes brands or products. Advertising is usually accompanied by a clear call for action, such “Buy Now!” Click here.
Marketing is another way to communicate the mission, vision and values of your company to potential customers. Marketing helps you build relationships with your current customers as well as prospects.
You might use marketing to tell the world about yourself and your products if you sell footwear online. You might talk about your background, philosophy, or commitment to quality. You might share customer testimonials. Or you might even create an event where you give away free pairs of shoes to encourage people to visit your website.
In short, marketing is about telling stories. Advertising is selling things.
What are the 4 types of marketing?
Marketing can be divided into 4 categories: Direct Mail Marketing (Traditional Advertising), Public Relations (Public Relations) and Digital Marketing. Each has different objectives, and each should be used for specific purposes. This way, you can use them together to reach your goals.
Statistics
- This allows us to deliver CPCs that are 80% less than average and CTRs 4-5 times higher than average. (marketinginsidergroup.com)
- According to statistics, 60% of online shoppers worldwide actively search for coupons before purchasing from a virtual shop. (influencermarketinghub.com)
- From 2020 to 2022, eMarketer predicts that digital marketing will grow by 36% and take up 54% of marketing budgets! (marketinginsidergroup.com)
- Today, 81% of brands around the world have affiliate programs. (influencermarketinghub.com)
- Companies that use personalization are seeing revenue increases ranging from 6-10%. (blog.hubspot.com)
External Links
statista.com
- TikTok quarterly first-time Installs 2021
- Statista – E-commerce around the World – Statistica – Facts & Statistics
youtube.com
influencermarketinghub.com
neilpatel.com
How To
20 Innovative Affiliate Marketing Strategies You Should Try in 2022
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money online. Affiliate marketing is one of easiest ways to make money online. To get started, you will need to register with an affiliate network like Commission Junction. If someone makes a purchase through one of the links, you will be paid a commission.
Here are 20 strategies for affiliate marketing that you can try in 2022
- Create a Content Calendar
- Google Adwords
- Start your Podcast
- Join A Blogging Network
- Make an email list
- Earn Cash for Reviews
- Be an Influencer
- Offer Free Trials
- Start a Membership Site
- Amazon: Sell products
- Write Articles
- Start a YouTube Channel
- Host Events
- Develop A Mobile App
- Promote Your Business Online
- Run Facebook Ads
- Register for a Twitter Account
- Increase Instagram followers
- Customer Transparency is Key
- Earn More Money In The Long Term
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By: Michael Brenner
Title: B2B Marketer’s Handbook For Marketing Automation
Sourced From: marketinginsidergroup.com/marketing-strategy/the-b2b-marketers-handbook-of-marketing-automation/
Published Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2023 13:00:35 +0000