Automation benefits entrepreneurs and small businesses to generate leads and maximise the working week. As one of the most useful tools available, find out how it can work for you.
Now more than ever, people feel empowered to be enterprising. Whereas generations past would see the masses flock to big companies for a life sentence, more and more people are opting to venture out on their own journey.
Once the road less travelled, online start-ups and small businesses are sprouting up everywhere. Individual roles in the workplace are generally more segmented than ever, yet responsibilities for the modern entrepreneur continue to become broader as their scope of work expands. So how can we manage our precious time?
The only way to do this is to utilise technology that was beyond conception of predecessors. Access information and education is higher than ever before. But most importantly, the ability to sell and interact with customers is incomparable to anything we’ve seen.
We passionately believe in seizing these opportunities. Any technology that frees up our time, and takes pressure off us, is a welcome addition to our daily routines. One of our biggest and most diverse assets in this regard is our automation software. In years to come, we’ll see it everywhere but right now, we recommend you focus it in your marketing efforts.
When used properly, automation software can completely manage your marketing objectives and goals through simple systems you create. By developing campaigns, you decide how to engage with customers, whilst a computer makes sure it happens.
With simple planning all emails, social media, and other marketing interactions are looked after, no catch!
Free Up Time, Get More Done!
The technology of marketing automation not only makes these tasks easier to manage, it will actually change your working week. There’s no reason to be confined to a desk or staying late replying to emails. By using automation, you focus on what’s important and maximise the potential of every lead generated.
Amazingly though, not all organisations us have embraced these new cultures and advances in technology.
Rather than simplify their processes, reduce costs and maximise their efforts, they remain in the dark. Large businesses are able to invest in custom technology and high-profile marketing campaigns. This ability is of course, not consistent with how SME’s function. We need to make the best of what we have with limited time and resources.
As a result, we often ask ourselves how vital automation is to the modern SME. In today’s world, do small businesses need to turn to automation in order to stand a chance in competition? Our research and experience suggests so…
Research Proves the Power
Here are some findings that might begin to convince you. According to research conducted by CMS Critic, automation is having the following effects on small businesses:
Actual ROI
75% of all businesses that use an MAS (marketing automation system) see positive ROI within the first year. Many software systems can be sold with bold ROI claims, but marketing automation offers tangible returns. A consistent rise to lead generation will create opportunities to sell and resell being maximised. Increasing your bottom line, engaging with you best customers and streamlining all your marketing while you sleep is a no-brainer. Automation can achieve this for you.
Maximum Lead Generation
Companies that use an MAS generate twice as many leads as companies that only use blast email software – Basic inbound marketing strategy will direct organic traffic to your site and engage leads with your brand. This isn’t half as effective without automation however. Even the most basic contact information given by a prospective client can integrate them into your sales pipeline. Rather than generic email broadcasts, hook them into your campaigns that will keep them engaged with your brand. Should they eventually require your products/services, they’ll know where to go.
Getting More Out Of Leads
Nurtured leads through the use of an MAS spend 47% more than non-nurtured leads – MAS will change the path your customers take depending on how they interact with you. Through nurturing, engagement and the information they get is geared towards their specific needs. This is far more informative and satisfying for each clients’ different needs than generic email blasts. This is also where the potential for upsells and resells through retargeting.
Getting The Right Leads
Successful lead nurturing brings in 50% more qualified leads while cutting costs by 33% – Why should you waste so much time generating leads? If you’re not using automation, you’re either doing it yourself or hiring somebody to do it for you. Reduce your current costs of lead generation and don’t waste your time with leads that won’t amount to anything.
Covering All Your Bases
Companies that effectively use a marketing automation system have reported as much as a 451% boost in qualified leads – Sounds like a figure picked from the heavens right? Well it’s exactly what CMS Critic’s research found. Rather than personal persuasion and responses to every single lead, automation software will hook an astronomically higher number of potential customers into our marketing campaigns and channel them into a sales pipeline, respective to their own engagement.
Maximise Conversion
Companies using an MAS have reported conversion rates up to 50% – Human engagement simply can’t match what automated marketing tools can. Every lead gets personal responses and we can even gear specific campaigns to offer impulse offers depending on what we wish to achieve. One-day birthday sales? Resells based on time periods? You can now maximise your conversion rates through simple automation.
Offload Responsibility
36% of marketers state that marketing automation systems help them get more out of their marketing efforts by taking repetitive tasks out of their hands – This is an aspect of automation that we really appreciate. Before we incorporated our own systems, we were blue in the face replying to FAQs, price enquiries and other processes that were taking up our time. Automation doesn’t just work to segment and manage marketing or leads, we also use it to carry out our own repetitive tasks and relieve unnecessary pressure.
Get Ahead Of Competition!
63% of companies that outgrow their competition use marketing automation – As a final point this is the big one. If you’re not part of this 63% then how much longer will you leave it until you’re totally left behind? These systems are on a significant rise in SME’s. Infusionsoft for example, is a fantastic and diverse automation software that is geared towards small business specifically – it’s no longer a tool exclusively for big business strategy. These trends are only going one way and automation is continuing to prove itself. Business owners who resist this do little more than increase their chances of falling behind. We urge you not to be on the wrong side of this powerhouse taking over.
Think Automation Can Work For You?
The studies that support this extend beyond CMS Critic. If still not convinced, it’s easy to quickly find something more personally anecdotal. Find a businesses that you like to engage with, particularly online. It won’t be long before you find yourself in an automated campaign with at least one of them. You won’t be conscious of this, but every email you get about your abandoned cart, sale reminder or “check-up” from an old vendor is most likely now from an automated system.
Are you using automation? What’s your experience to date? If interested in learning more, check out some of our services and get in touch. We’d love to discuss how these tools can work for you.
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