Marketing automation allows companies to streamline, automate, and measure marketing tasks to increase efficiency and revenue. It helps nurture leads through content tailored to where prospects are in the buying process. This improves lead conversion rates and generates more sales-ready leads at a lower cost. Marketing automation also enhances sales effectiveness by prioritizing leads and providing activity history to reps. It provides metrics to demonstrate marketing's impact on revenue and turn it into a driver of business versus just a cost center.