Before you even consider marketing automation (MA), it’s ideal to first understand what it does and choose a tool that has what you’re looking for. After the introduction, let’s operate while coordinating within the company so that it can lead to an increase in sales.
In this article, we will divide the main functions of marketing automation into four and explain each in detail. We also introduce examples of companies that have introduced it, so please refer to it.
Marketing automation is a marketing automation and optimization tool.
Marketing automation (MA) is an automated optimization tool for promoting a company’s products and services online. It’s a way to better time and target your sales and attract prospects who are interested in your product or service, making the marketer’s job much more efficient.
MA can be used for lead generation and nurturing (acquisition and development of prospective customers). By converting to MA, you can see at a glance “when the prospective customer browsed your company’s website and when they opened the delivery email”, etc., and you can start sales at the appropriate timing. By using MA, it is possible to dramatically increase the number of business negotiations and orders.
4 functions of marketing automation
Marketing automation can be broadly divided into four types:
- Features for prospect acquisition
- Functions for managing and classifying prospective customers
- Functions for cultivating prospective customers
- Functions for data analysis
Each function is explained in detail below.
1. Functions for prospective customer acquisition
With marketing automation, you first need to attract prospective customers, so we have the features you need for that.
1-1. Landing page creation
A landing page (LP) is the first page that prospective customers who gather from dedicated sites and advertisements for attracting customers are interested in products and services and view them first.
By attracting prospective customers, it will increase their willingness to purchase, and it will be possible to acquire customer information by requesting samples and materials. In addition, information once sent from the form is automatically registered in marketing automation, encouraging prospective customers to learn and take action.
In marketing automation, it is necessary to convey the visibility and readability of the landing page and the appeal of products and services well. With the landing page creation function, complex customization can be done easily, and original pages can be created using a variety of highly designed forms. Of course, it is also possible to customize with CSS and HTML.
1-2. Form creation function
Form builder will play an important role later in landing page creation. Form creation itself is not that difficult. You can analyze which generation hits from customer information, and you will also be able to grasp data on how long people stay on the landing page.
If you can classify the attributes and degree of consideration based on prospective customer data, you can also review the content. Refine your prospects even further by creating new content that fits them.
It is a very difficult task depending on the person in charge to link the data to the analysis. If you have a marketing automation tool, you will be able to analyze it as it is by setting the form creation function.
2. Functions for managing and classifying prospective customers
Marketing automation also has the ability to manage and classify the leads you acquire. I will explain what kind of function it has.
2-1. Lead management
Marketing automation has the ability to manage leads (prospects) as a basic function. Below are some examples of what information can be managed.
- company name, personal name
- Position, assigned department
- address
- phone number
- Company site visit history
- Inflow route
- Purchase history of products and services
- Event participation information
- Questionnaire results
By collectively managing a wide range of information about prospective customers, it becomes possible to conduct optimal marketing for each prospective customer. In addition to being used for data analysis, it is also useful for narrowing down information and exploring trends. With lead management capabilities, it’s easy to extract data that is likely to drive sales.
2-2. Scoring
The scoring function is a function that scores prospective customers. The higher the score, the more likely it is that a prospective customer has the factors that lead to a purchase. If you incorporate the scoring function, you can also be notified when you clear a line with a certain number of points.
If there is a scoring function, the sales staff will be able to approach efficiently, and the probability of leading to a purchase will increase. Not only will you be able to find potential customers that you could not find until now, but you will also be able to approach people who are not interested in your products and services, and avoid leading to complaints.
However, the scoring function is only an index that meets the set criteria and is a hypothesis. Please try using it as a “target narrowing function” that increases the probability and possibility of purchasing.
2-3.SFA/CRM linkage
SFA (Sales Support System) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management System) are separate systems from marketing automation systems. SFA is also often built into marketing automation as part of its functionality.
By linking SFA and CRM, the following becomes possible.
- Customer Acquisition with Marketing Automation – Increased Purchasing Motivation
- Supporting one-on-one sales activities with SFA
- Appropriate management of acquired customers with CRM (for repeat customers)
In this way, you can take advantage of each function to meet the needs of each customer and approach them more deeply. Also, it will be possible to follow up firmly instead of just selling.
Many companies have introduced SFA and CRM in fields other than marketing to improve the effectiveness of their work. When introducing additional marketing automation, be sure to check whether the SFA, CRM, and other tools you have already introduced can be integrated.
REad Also: What Is Web Marketing? Basic Knowledge And Measures
3. Functions for cultivating prospective customers
Marketing automation has a customer nurturing feature called lead nurturing. I will explain what kind of function it is.
3-1. Segment mail sending function
Segment mail sending function is a function to send mails with suitable contents to prospective customers classified by certain conditions. For example, set a condition by an action for each user, like this:
- Deliver A content to prospective customers who viewed page A
- Deliver B benefits to prospective customers who viewed A content
- For those who purchased using B benefits, C benefits will be given next
Segment mail is different from normal one-way mail delivery from companies, and it is characterized by being able to conduct marketing while planning the optimal timing for prospective customers to think “I like it” and “I want it”. Also, unlike e-mail distribution that is just one-sided, you can distribute e-mails to people who are interested, so there is an advantage that the corporate image is less likely to be negative.
3-2.Scenario creation function
The scenario creation function is a function that advances mail delivery according to the scenario set in advance. For example, if you create a scenario like the one below, you can automatically send emails.
- Status confirmation email on the first day
- Demonstration guide mail on the 7th day
- Special discount campaign email on the 14th day
You can also set separate emails to be sent to prospective customers who have contacted you. Also, if you can build a scenario that matches your persona, you can increase the interest of prospective customers in your products and services.
Complicating the scenario settings makes it difficult to analyze the effects, so it is recommended to introduce it while watching the marketing stage. If you introduce it without seeing the success pattern, it may be difficult to do marketing on the contrary.
4. Functions for data analysis
Marketing automation also includes features for data analysis. I will explain what kind of function it has.
4-1.Web behavior analysis
Web behavior analysis is a function that analyzes the behavior of prospective customers on the homepage and each content.
- what page are you looking at
- how long you stay
- where is the inflow route
- Which product you clicked on to see more details
From these behavior histories, it is possible to read how much interest is in products and services.
For example, if you click on the product details of the same series many times to check the details, but it does not lead to an inquiry, you can ask the sales person to approach you. Even when doing business, if you can grasp the behavior in advance, you will be able to guide materials and other products.
Also, if you can read the trends that lead to inquiries, you can see the quality of the homepage and each content.
4-2. Advertisement interlocking/advertisement management function
Companies often place advertisements on their homepages and other content. Advertisement interlocking and ad management functions are functions for managing prospective customers’ tendency to see advertisements and advertisements.
With ad-linked and ad-management functions, it is possible to analyze the device that clicks on the ad and conclude the contract, as well as to investigate the engagement rate. In addition, comparisons by advertising media and the previous month (year) are smoother, and all kinds of analysis can be performed without much effort.
With ad-linked and ad-management functions, you will be able to increase traffic from ads to landing pages and make your products and services more appealing. In particular, with SNS advertising, it is possible to narrow down the target and acquire prospective customers with increased accuracy, so an increasing number of companies are introducing ad-linked and ad management functions.
Marketing automation is getting more and more
Marketing automation is becoming more and more multi-functional according to the needs of companies.
3 Marketing Automation Use Cases
Here are three examples of marketing automation implementations. Imagine what kind of results you can achieve with marketing automation.
1. Example of a SaaS vendor that increased the number of hot leads from 0 to 50
bellFace Co., Ltd., which provides a web conferencing system, has introduced “Marketo” for the purpose of streamlining and improving Customer Success .
The introduction of Marketo has produced several results, including the acquisition of hot leads with a closing rate of 50%, a 10% increase in the email opening rate, a reduction in man-hours, and an increase in the speed of the PDCA cycle. In particular, hot leads can be said to be a very significant achievement for the company, which focuses on inside sales. Before introducing Marketo, it was difficult to obtain hot leads, but after the introduction, it is possible to obtain 50 hot leads per month.
2. Implementation example of a real estate company that reduced the service development period by 1/3 and the number of responses by 2.5 times
Sony Real Estate Co., Ltd. was aiming to strengthen the ability to attract customers to its real estate trading platform “Ouchi Direct” and speed up the PDCA cycle for services, etc. For this reason, we used the form creation function to significantly improve the efficiency of marketing operations.
With the introduction of marketing automation “Pardot”, it is now possible to quickly share information between the marketing and sales departments and unify their responses. In addition, we were able to shorten the development period for new services to 1/3, and the number of responses increased 2.5 times in half a year.
3. A case study of a recruitment company that tripled the number of prospective customers
Procommit Co., Ltd. has introduced marketing automation “HubSpot” with the aim of securing excellent job seekers as it develops a job change support business that leads to career advancement.
Using the landing page creation function, it is now possible to create and update websites, etc., while greatly reducing time and costs. The number of potential customers acquired has nearly tripled.
Summary
Marketing automation, which can acquire prospects and nurture them as customers, makes the work of marketers more efficient, and creates a system in which companies can approach customers’ interests. In addition, information sharing with sales representatives will be smoother, and it will be possible to target targets, so you can expect an increase in sales.
Even if you have already introduced a system with individual functions, you will be able to see the existence of prospective customers that you could not see until now by coordinating them. If it is possible to connect the company’s products and services to purchases in a natural way through MA, it will accelerate business reforms of companies.
