Marketing Automation: 5 tips for reaching your target audience

For companies using content marketing, marketing automation is an integral part of a successful marketing strategy. In order to win over potential customers and to keep current customers happy, using push techniques alone is not enough.  

As sophisticated consumers, we are allergic to cheap tricks. Before we even know what our needs are, we should already be getting a solution to avoid unnecessary wasted time.

That's why marketing is becoming more and more measurable, with marketers segmenting leads, prospects, customers and brand ambassadors to provide them with customized solutions. And that's exactly what we need from marketing automation: a tool to identify each customer and reach them through the right channel. Marketing automation will only be as effective as you design it for yourself, so we've put together a list of 5 tips for you.

1. Marketing automation is a tool

Marketing automation is a technology-based marketing practice. You still need to define your own strategy. Marketing automation software, such as Hubspot or Eloqua, has a wide range of capabilities: it records customer behavior across marketing channels (websites, emails, social media, etc), segments groups, collects personal data, sends personalized messages, and even communicates with other smart applications. Defining these activities so that you as a company can make the most of them is entirely up to you. As with other forms of marketing, you have to get your brains in order first. The software is designed to make putting your marketing strategy into action easier and more efficient.

2. Good marketing automation is dynamic

The saying "standing still is like going backwards" also applies to marketing automation. Have you set up filters? Have you defined actions? Have you scheduled emails? Have you linked profiles in your MA system to your CRM? ... Great. It's high time for an evaluation. The behavior and composition of your target audience is changing at a rapid pace. To stay one step ahead, it's important to constantly evaluate and quickly adjust your marketing efforts. Always keep one eye on your data and the other eye on the automation process.

3. Automation is not the same as robot-generated text

When properly configured, marketing automation software can respond directly to the audience's needs. This makes marketing more personalized and targeted to a particular profile or individual. If you take the trouble to define segments, make sure you speak the customer's language.

4. Marketing automation that succeeds is proactive and reactive

Be enthusiastic and - above all - socially correct. Good service keeps customers happy, and with a little engagement, they will happily become ambassadors for your brand. Reward regular customers and respond immediately to their needs. Even if you send an automated message, every (potential) customer likes to feel heard and taken into account.

5. Marketing automation is a matter of planning

Analyze your target audience and see when they are most active. Don't flood it with messages - choose the right time.

Marketing automation software allows you to schedule messages that depend on the behavior of your virtual conversation partner. For example, you can include a new lead in an existing nurturing campaign even two days after they fill out a certain form. Put yourself in their shoes and use the scheduling feature to identify key decision moments. A good marketer knows the difference between marketing and spam.

Marketing automation doesn't change the basic principles of marketing, it only complements them. The only innovation is technology, and it can save a lot of time and money. With a quality contact list, a powerful marketing automation tool and the right content, you can go very far. All you need is a strategic partner and you'll be on your way!