Marketing automation is a core technology that all marketers, especially B2B marketers need to implement to connect with prospects and generate the right leads for their sales team.
The time of scattershot marketing, or even broadcast marketing, is long past. Marketers need to focus on prospects that have a higher likelihood of becoming customers.
You’ve heard “right message, right time, right place” many times. It’s marketing automation that makes that happen. It’s the way to bring together data, content, email, social, web, and lead generation.
The following statistics present a snapshot of the current marketing automation landscape:
1. 42% of B2B marketers plan to test or deploy marketing automation this year (DemandGen Report)
This is a big number, which means that many B2B marketers have not yet embraced marketing automation. It’s not just batch and blast email, but understanding what your prospects are interested in, both by combining their activities and digital body language, and communicating with them about those interests. Don’t send them product information if they haven’t done anything beyond downloading an educational asset.
2. 59% of companies do not fully use the technology they have available (Ascend2)
We are all guilty of this one. Before you purchase new technology, it is a good idea to audit your current technology and your company’s use of it. If it is not utilized, fully or at all, try to understand why. Marketing automation tools can help, but not if you don’t use them. Knowing what happen last time can help you avoid those same issues.
3. 80% of marketing automation users saw an increase in leads (VentureBeat)
All marketers want to increase their lead flow, and while an increase in quality is more important that an increase in quantity, more leads is usually better than less leads. Marketing leaders are looking to increase the sales pipeline and something that increases the overall number of leads at the top is usually better for sales.
4. 12% of marketing automation users saw an increase of leads by 50% or more (VentureBeat)
The highest performers with marketing automation are doing more than just adding a shiny tool to their stack. As the previous stat reveals, there is a basic benefit to cleaning up your process that is required to implement marketing automation. But if you approach this new software with a strategic eye and really go after the right prospects in the right way, the benefit can be much greater.
5. 10% of marketers feel they are able to fully execute mature marketing automation strategies (Forrester)
Be one of the 10%. This requires a sound strategy, proper planning, and the support of marketing operations, marketing leadership, and sales. An important part of the strategy is an agreement of what constitutes success. The goals you measure will help you optimize your campaigns to continue to meet those goals, especially as they grow and change with each successful quarter.
6. 80% of B2B marketers consider it a core requirement of their jobs to understand and use marketing technology (Forrester)
If you went into marketing to avoid technology, or math, then you picked a bad time to go into marketing. Successful marketers are becoming more and more dependent on technology, so you need to know how it helps you do your job of connecting with prospects and turning them into leads for sales.
This post originally appeared on the Modern Marketing blog.
