So your CMO has adopted marketing automation and now you’ve got killer software to help you with all of your marketing needs. From social media to content marketing and email, you’re ready to watch things fly on auto-pilot without the tedious spreadsheets that you’ve been using all along. Everything is automated for you; but are you happy with your results?
If you’ve just adopted marketing automation (MA) for the first time, you may not be achieving the kind of results you’ve hoped for. So why is this happening? Let’s look at 5 common mistakes that marketers make when they use MA for the first time.
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No list segmentation
According to a Jupiter Research Study, those who segment their lists increase conversion rates by up to 355% while increasing revenue by 781%. However, the reality is that only 11% of marketers actually segment their lists.
Are you still using batch and blast emails? One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to email. Top performers are dividing their lists into groups by industry, by sales cycle, by touchpoints and demographics. MA enables you to create special lists based on any factor you want. You’ve started using marketing automation, start segmenting your lists!
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Not knowing your audience
When you know who your audience is, you are able to tailor messages according to their motivations and preferences. The most important element in customer interaction is understanding what it is your customers want and need. Our job is to present the right solution to them. And when you create campaigns around their needs, that’s when conversion rates increase. Rookie marketers fail to start with the end in mind. The goal is to understand the customer first and then use marketing campaigns to target them.
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Ignoring campaign reports
Marketing automation software has become the next step in an evolving organisation because it works to measure campaign efforts by gaining insights and metrics on all customer interactions and campaigns. MA turns marketing from an art into a science. You should be paying attention to what the numbers are telling you about your campaigns – and then execute on future campaigns best on the results.
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Having no strategy in place
Now that you’ve got a marketing automation platform (MAP), it doesn’t mean that you can start by shooting off campaigns to your audiences. It’s important to have a marketing strategy in place, first. Your marketing team has to sit down and discuss what and how campaigns will be executed. This is easier said than done. That’s why it’s wise to work with a consultant to ensure that you’re not using your MAP aimlessly.
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No testing methodology
Testing is a huge part of marketing. Your testing approach makes all the difference with marketing campaigns. Things like: was an email opened or not…Was a link clicked on or not? It’s important to test all of your drip campaigns to make sure they are optimized. One of the worst things is sending an email that doesn’t respond to the customer’s behavior. A/B split testing should also be always a part of your email marketing campaigns.
If you’re a new marketer, or you’ve just adopted a MAP, know that the possibilities are endless with an automated program. Knowing these 5 mistakes can lead you in the right direction of making each campaign count. What mistakes have you faced when you adopted MA for the first time?