With an ever-growing list of to do’s and only so many hours in the day, many marketers know the value of adopting tools that help automate repetitive, tedious tasks that can detract from other business priorities. When you’re starting out, though, it can be difficult to know where to start on your marketing automation journey.
In this #ContentChat, our friend Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo), founder and managing director of Super Deluxe Marketing, shared the basics of marketing automation for small businesses, including discussion of who benefits from marketing automation, how to evaluate your options (and which are most cost-effective), and tips for success along the way.
Q1: Who can benefit from marketing automation in a #smallbusiness setting?
Anyone could benefit from marketing automation, but the first step is to identify the goals of the automation to then identify who specifically on your team it will benefit.
A1: It really depends on the structure of your organization, but in a nutshell: everyone. From owners who do their own marketing to scrappy teams with minimal time, marketing automation can improve the quality of your life. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A1: Anyone who is doing marketing for their business can potentially tap into one form of marketing automation or another. How much of your business has a digital component to it may be a big driver in how much of it you can need/will use. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020
A1) #contentchat It depends on the business structure and the goal of the automation. But automation is so broad and flexible it could benefit really anyone willing to learn and implement it.
— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) January 27, 2020
A1: I would look at what you are looking to achieve with automation and what it will be replacing and how does it impact the relationships with your audiences. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #SMOS2020 Speaker (@B2the7) January 27, 2020
Marketing automation is valuable because it handles repetitive, easy tasks so that you can then focus on different priorities.
A1b: When I say that marketing automation can improve the quality of your life, it means that marketing will feel less stressful and onerous after it’s set up. It will give you more time to focus on what matters. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A1c: Companies are asking marketing orgs to do more with less every day, investing in marketing automation makes that actually possible. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
a1 SMB’s can automate aspects of their content marketing by using workflow tools such as calendar tools, tools that assist in the organization of their workflow processes.#ContentChat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) January 27, 2020
Great point! Investing in a CRM makes it so your marketing automations interact with your other tools for sales, operations, and support. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
A1: Done right, the whole team can benefit from automation. It can make jobs easier and free up time that can then be dedicated to other tasks. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) January 27, 2020
Q2: What types of activities and processes can marketing automation streamline for a small business?
Typically, SMBs can start by automating emails, applying personalization, and managing unique landing pages. Specifically, these help move leads down the sales funnel and create a better customer experience.
A2: Using a combination of marketing automation and connectors like @zapier, small businesses can automate emails, apply personalization, and manage landing unique pages. All in all it creates a betters user experience. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A2b: Trigger email sequences that draw users through the marketing funnel. Score leads as they interact with your website, trigger automated social media when a new blog is posted, retarget a prospect when they show interest in your product/service. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A2b. Sophisticated pieces of automation, like customer journey mapping, can use true/ false logic to custom tailor the messages a contact receives. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
A2: Email sequences are definitely a favorite of mine! They can be an effective way to connect with new subscribers and also to make sales. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) January 27, 2020
Other common marketing automation areas include social media management and content amplification to support your content marketing goals.
A2a. Automation can help streamline the distribution of marketing content, whether that be through email broadcasts or social scheduling. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
A2: For business processes, I see where you can schedule some social content and also trigged messages (email, SMS, Push) that are specific based on a customers actions. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #SMOS2020 Speaker (@B2the7) January 27, 2020
a2 Marketing automation can streamline tasks as
– scheduling
– content distribution
– automation of scheduled emails, newsletters
– amplifing your content#ContentChat— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) January 27, 2020
A2: For my small biz, the scheduling aspect of content automation streamlines my social media posting and email communications. #contentchat https://t.co/j2xRPYWCKC
— Stephanie Palmer (@stephannpalmer) January 27, 2020
A2) #contentchat
– create (recreate) Google campaigns
– email sends
– responses to website actions
– CRM integrations & segmentation
– etc, etc haha— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) January 27, 2020
And you can’t forget tools that automate marketing reporting, an often tedious yet crucial process for most marketers.
A2: And don’t forget about automating your marketing reporting! It can be hard to find the time to go into your tools and see how things are going—but often you can automatically have reports sent to your inbox to keep your marketing goals top of mind. #contentchat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020
Q3: What does an #SMB owner need to do to take full advantage of the benefits of deploying a marketing automation system?
To reap the full benefits of a marketing automation system, an SMB owner needs to have a deep understanding of their target audience, their sales journey, and the content that helps move them down the funnel. Without this foundation, many automation tools will likely not drive the value you are looking for.
A3: Preparation is key to success when deploying any technology solution. Making sure you have a clear understanding of who your customer profiles are and what they’ll need to receive with every action they take is a first priority. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A3b: Thinking through the entire funnel for each prospect means having content lined up and ready to fire when someone takes action on your site. If you have trouble ensuring that your stuff is working, make sure you use a testing tool like @incautomaton. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
Additionally, SMBs should assess whether they have the resources and bandwidth to invest in learning about a new technology and actually using it. This will largely depend on your automation need and the team members involved.
a3 I know this has been addressed, but it is so important that an SMB needs the commitment, time, and human resources to learn how to effectively work *any* marketing automation.#ContentChat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) January 27, 2020
A3: To get the most out of marketing automation the small business owner must know what they want to achieve using said automation.#ContentChat pic.twitter.com/KCcpvcGrOz
— Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) January 27, 2020
A3: Simply put, determine what you want the automation process to do for your small biz. And then, research and implement. #contentchat https://t.co/BsR8mD0dxp
— Stephanie Palmer (@stephannpalmer) January 27, 2020
Do your homework on prospective vendors and have a specific use case in mind before starting your search. Solutions may appear to address all of your needs, but some functions or support may come at an additional cost that is not clearly stated.
A3b. It’s also important to watch out for pricing traps when evaluating solutions. Per user pricing, which isn’t usually advertised up front, can bleed you dry. Also integration with your current MarTech stack is essential. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
Agreed. If every report or integration is an additional fee or requires engineering support, no thank you! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020
A3) #contentchat Plan. It. Out. Resources are so tight with SMBs, that you’ll want to make sure you not only have the budget for it, but the staff to learn, implement and maintain it.
— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) January 27, 2020
Q4: What are some affordable #SMB marketing automation options?
Quick level set: “affordable” marketing automation options usually cost below $50 a month, but this can scale depending on features.
A4a: First, let’s establish what “affordable” means: these systems are typically below $50 per month. Several scale pricing with number of contacts or a combination of contacts and features. So, bear that in mind. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A4b: Here are the highly rated #marketingautomation platforms by analysts: @ActiveCampaign $9/month, @hubspot free, @getresponse $15/month, @getdrip retail/$49/month, @mailchimp free/$9.99/month. Some really juicy offerings by each of these orgs. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
Also, whichever marketing automation tools you adopt should integrate with your existing martech stack.
A4. It’s most cost effective to invest in a fully integrated, complete CRM. Having a huge stack of disparate marketing solutions will lead to disorganization and chaos. You need a single access point for all relevant data so nothing slips through the cracks. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
The community highly recommends Hootsuite for social media scheduling…
A4: Hootsuite has been a lifesaver for social media scheduling! I also like Asana for project planning and MailChimp for email. All are free for the basic versions. #ContentChat
— Dr. Donald Hecht (@realDocHecht) January 27, 2020
Mailchimp and ConvertKit for email marketing…
A4: I currently use Mail Chimp to distribute my weekly email newsletter. It is free for the basic version, gathers the data for me and it is quite easy to navigate! #contentchat https://t.co/NLHVDVDLpk
— Stephanie Palmer (@stephannpalmer) January 27, 2020
A4c: I’ve been working most closely with @mailchimp and I’ve found their offering to be pretty comprehensive, affordable and the improvements they’ve made to their UI have profoundly changed the usefulness of the platform. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
@Mailchimp is such an awesome tool!
Especially for those who are newer to the game and need a free helping hand for a little bit!#ContentChat
— Kyle Hetrick 🇺🇲 (@KHetrific) January 27, 2020
A4: I love @ConvertKit for email marketing. It’s easy to use and affordable (plus they have a free plan now). #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) January 27, 2020
HubSpot for marketing, sales, and service needs…
A4: I like @HubSpot but here are some others to peruse: https://t.co/gMie0z5Vz2#ContentChat
— Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) January 27, 2020
@HubSpot is great! #ContentChat https://t.co/jIkMzoN6lD
— DiKayo Data (@dikayodata) January 27, 2020
And Maureen is going to test Drip.
A4d: @getdrip is going to be my next platform to test for my retail clients. Not only does their UI look friendly, but I love that they offer lead scoring at such an affordable price. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
Q5: What are some common pitfalls and challenges for small businesses when it comes to selecting and deploying marketing automation tools?
The first hurdle is often identifying the need for automation, clearly understanding the benefits, and evaluating how this new tool will fit in your existing tech stack.
A5: The first most common pitfall of implementing a marketing automation tool is not thinking about it holistically. Ask: how does this fit in with the other technology I’m married to? Will it connect or do I have to double data entry? #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
a5 Aside, of Time, Investment, Human Resources the challenges that I see for SMB’s are
*Understanding the Benefits* enough to implement these processes.#contentchat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) January 27, 2020
Next, finding and evaluating tools can be a significant time investment. Demo multiple tools before making a decision, and fully assess the benefits of each vendor, such as assistance in transferring data (trust us, this can become a major headache).
A5: I would say finding the right tools for your brand and having the resources to run the programs and set them up. Marketing is not a set it and forget it. It is evolving as your programs and automations should as well. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #SMOS2020 Speaker (@B2the7) January 27, 2020
A5) #ContentChat Time and experience. If you’ve never worked with an automation tool before it’s tough to know what features and integrations you’ll need. So make sure to demo LOTS of tools before committing.
— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) January 27, 2020
I absolutely agree with testing tools beforehand! It really helps when they have a free trial to take advantage of. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) January 27, 2020
Bonus points for giving you a bit of white-glove service to transfer data effectively. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
Like any new project, it will take time to set up your automation and continually fine-tune it to meet your needs. Ensure you’re ready for this commitment before adopting a new tool, and remember that there are often templates and how-tos to make your life easier.
A5b: The next most common pitfall is not seeing this as an investment. That’s an investment of time and money. Take the time to train on the #martech. Set up milestones to measure how the technology is working for you. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A5. Not following through. You have to get the automation up and running before it’s self sufficient, and even then you want to take time to reevaluate and tweak. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
Agreed. For instance, people will say “this system is too complicated” b/c they are doing things from scratch every time when it is possible to use templates, clone things, etc. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020
A5: not maintaining it! Or not personalizing the content for users. Something simple like forgetting to personalize your emails can make customers unsubscribe.#ContentChat
— Dr. Donald Hecht (@realDocHecht) January 27, 2020
A5: Like a lot of marketing tools, it takes time to learn and there is also some trial and error involved too. Be patient with yourself as you get the hang of things! #contentchat https://t.co/fS5ko5qewj
— Stephanie Palmer (@stephannpalmer) January 27, 2020
A5: Marketing automation can be easy to set up, but hard to maintain; once you set up MA, you’re owner/operator of a distributed system and its complexity.
Used to making changes on the fly on your site? Beware of unintended consequences in your MA. And vice versa. #contentchat https://t.co/GDFpnnRlxj
— iamEAP (@iamEAP) January 27, 2020
Reinforcing the above, fully invest in a technology and work through hurdles before jumping to a new system. Any tech adoption will have a learning curve, and if you’re finding that tool after tool is not right for your needs, you may need to reevaluate your needs and approach.
While you don’t want to keep a platform around once you’ve outgrown its usefulness, too often people throw in the towel and jump to a new system because the team hasn’t mastered the old one. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020
A5: I had an SMB client who basically changed marketing automation platforms every year, as they hired and fired a succession of marketing leaders. It’s going to be really difficult to make the most of marketing automation if you keep chasing shiny objects. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020
How much data is lost? How many dangling landing pages are there out there? How many leads are they losing from transition to transition…uuuuggghhh #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
Q6: What criteria should a small business consider when evaluating a marketing automation platform? How is a small-business oriented marketing automation platform different from an enterprise platform?
Many enterprise-focused solutions simply have more tools and capabilities than options tailored for SMBs. The trick is to find the tool that offers the most capabilities and enterprise-grade features at the lowest cost (factoring cost of the tool and resource costs for implementation and ongoing support).
A6: Honestly, a small business should look for almost anything an enterprise platform would offer. Each element of good marketing automation has the potential to reduce time spent on repetitive tasks by HOURS. Find the platform that offers max value/dollar. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A6a. The difference is the pricing structure. A lot of enterprise oriented solutions are overpriced because the brands’ success has made them status symbols. There is software out there that is just as feature rich, but less well known, which makes it ideal for SMB. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
A6b. Common features of exorbitantly priced, fashion statement software are per user pricing and compartmentalized features that cost extra to unlock. This is what prevents these brands for being cost effective for SMB. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
A6: Most Enterprise MA platforms started focused on SMB and just grew with their largest customers. They all do basically the same thing: trigger comms based on data.
Enterprise MA just has more data flexibility: e.g. anon vs. known leads, accounts, custom obj, etc. #ContentChat https://t.co/U1VXrVpr68
— iamEAP (@iamEAP) January 27, 2020
It’s critical to find a solution that will work with (or replace) your existing tools. When you’re just starting out, stick to addressing your needs, not aspirational goals.
A6: When an SMB is looking at marketing automation tools, the biggest thing to look for is if it can work with (or replace) your existing tools out of the box. Also, while you want room to grow, buy for what you need today not just aspirational goals. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020
A6: *Any* business has to look at their #martech stack and how a marketing automation platform will integrate with other systems. #ContentChat
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) January 27, 2020
The top criteria to assess when evaluating a marketing automation platform include the user interface, levels of support provided (24/7, chat support, etc.), access to training modules or how-tos, and whether the solution can scale with your needs.
A6b: UI complexity is going to be one of the biggest barriers to engaging with a platform effectively, especially if you’re not familiar with #martech. Also look for amazing support. Training modules mean you have a 24/7 resource to learn/solve probs. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
a6 When an SMB is looking into marketing automation systems – considerations should include:
– Does it provide enough value to justify
– Will the team embrace it
– Does it truly work for their needs
– Can it be upgraded#contentchat— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) January 27, 2020
A6: The criteria I look at is how it will help my business, how easy is the interface and what will it automate. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #SMOS2020 Speaker (@B2the7) January 27, 2020
A6) #ContentChat Simple interface. High-level, customizable dashboards. Amazing, outstanding, awesome customer service & chat support (this is literally a dealbreaker with me. I love https://t.co/tEMy7nxQTt but their 24 hour turnaround time to answer a question is frustrating).
— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) January 27, 2020
A6: Is It really going to work for you? It helps when tools have free trials so you can really test them out to see if it’s a good fit. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) January 27, 2020
A6: Lots of resources (templates, for example), onboarding tools, responsive reps and a robust knowledge base. Often #SMB marketing teams are a team of one or a small team managing lots of different tasks, so the learning curve can’t be huge. #contentchat
— WriterGirl (@WriterGirlAssoc) January 27, 2020
A6b: Transparency is also crucial – what are we getting for our $$? Small teams and small budgets don’t have a lot of time to navigate complicated pricing structures or hidden costs. #contentchat
— WriterGirl (@WriterGirlAssoc) January 27, 2020
Q7: What are your tips for the smooth implementation of a small business marketing automation system?
Plan your marketing automation implementation so that you have access to all the features you need and are extracting the most value from the tool.
A7: Map it out! Don’t half-way implement marketing automation. The world is full of organizations who don’t fully use their technology. They’re paying for functionality that literally sits there and stagnates. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A7) #contentchat a plan and a timeline. You are the expert as to how your business flow works & the people who work at the automation company are the experts there. Work together to make sure everyone is on the same page.
— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) January 27, 2020
A7. Also (and apologies if you guys already mentioned this): make sure you have a strategy in place. Marketing automation ≠ automated marketing. It’s only as good as what you set it up to do. #ContentChat https://t.co/bsM4nKv3kd
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) January 27, 2020
A7: Plan everything out and make sure it fits into your larger goals. Every rollout should include a plan to maintain it as well, not just for the first few months.#ContentChat
— Dr. Donald Hecht (@realDocHecht) January 27, 2020
Invest in your onboarding process, and designate a person (or people) who can become experts on the tool and assist with onboarding the rest of the team and advocating for the technology. If you need, hire someone to help in the process—their cost will be far outweighed by the value of a smoother tech rollout.
A7b: HIre someone to help! If you’re investing in marketing automation and you’re going to spend the time using it, focus on learning how to run it rather than build it or transition it. Hire someone to make sure it’s done right the first time. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
A7: Make sure there is great onboarding training available, or record yourself as you go through your various processes to have a documented training manual. You don’t want to have institutional knowledge lost when people change roles or leave your company. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020
A7. Learn as much as you can and invest fully in your onboarding process. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020
a7 Smooth implementation of marketing automation should include:
– Dedicated person who understands the software
– Education for the teams utilizing it
– Time & patience #Contentchat— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) January 27, 2020
A7: Take the time to educate your team on any new systems. And make sure they feel comfortable asking questions if they need help! #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) January 27, 2020
Most of all, be patient. No implementation process is simple, but by using the resources available and working through challenges as a team, you’ll start to wonder how you ever got by without that new automation capability.
A7: It always seems that implementation and integrations all have some issues along the way. Be patience, get on a call to discuss when needed and set up clear goals and timelines at the beginning. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #SMOS2020 Speaker (@B2the7) January 27, 2020
Q8: Any questions for @superdeluxemo on implementing marketing automation tools in a small business setting?
If an SMB is just entering the world of marketing automation, start by automating email replies for contact forms so that your audience knows when you will get back to them.
a8 Awsome discussion Maureen & Erika!
If you were to suggest ONE automation process that an SMB should start with, what would it be?#ContentChat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) January 27, 2020
I just mentioned this for Erika, but automating a reply for contact forms to set up expectations for when your team will get back to them. That’s a great way to connect with them! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
Revisit your automation process or series every six months to make sure everything still applies and that process is still connected to the right systems.
How often should a SMB revisit its automation processes or series?
— WriterGirl (@WriterGirlAssoc) January 27, 2020
Oh what a great question! I think if you have a set of evergreen campaigns checking on them every 6 months to ensure that everything still applies. And also make sure they’re connected to the systems that they should be connected to! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020
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