The Evolution of Marketing Automation
Marketing Automation is a technology process that enhances a customer's interaction with a brand or service, automates that marketing process, and measures marketing effectiveness. By automatically tracking the success of various marketing channels, companies can streamline the sales lead generation process and strengthen customer relationships. In this graphic, voice-based marketing automation leader Ifbyphone offers a look at marketing automation in 2012. "The full evolved marketer can effectively use every channel backed by measurement of that channel's effectiveness." What does marketing automation do? 1. Facilitates better connections between businesses and consumers. 2. Enhances the marketing process from leads to current customers. 3. Teaches marketers about the role of marketing and marketing spend. 4. Provides a greater marketing accountability and ease of measurement. B2B Marketers spent about $325 million on marketing automation in 2011. Of the total dollar amount spent on marketing automation, midsize companies comprise the bulk of it at 45%. 92% of small businesses plan to increase their marketing budgets. B2B service organizations have increased spend on marketing automation by 45% and manufacturers have increases pend on marketing automation by 25%. 173,000 people on LinkedIn have listed experience in marketing automation. Among marketing automation users: 95% noticed an increased ability to measure sales lead quality. 63% noticed an increased ability to measure effectiveness and ROI. 42% improved their process for handing leads off to sales personnel. The key tools in marketing automation are lead management, web analytics, email marketing, and voice-based measurement.
