The Barriers of Marketing Automation and How to Overcome Them

By Albizu Garcia On Feb 27, 2019

In today’s world, tasks are becoming more and more automated. Businesses are relying on machines and software to get things done, rather than having to do them manually. Not only does this allow companies to save time and energy, but it also allows them to be more productive. A study found that 88% of marketers said automation helped them reduce the time they spend on preparing reports and analysis, and therefore, they had more time for campaign strategies.

For marketers, turning projects over to automation can be daunting which is why many are reluctant to do so. Here are some barriers that teams may encounter when utilizing Marketing Automation, and how to overcome them.

Deciding the Right Time for Automation

There are a variety of Marketing Automation platforms available today. Most of them promise a user-friendly experience and a multitude of tools to automate processes and save teams time. One problem: Some of these tools can be incredibly difficult to use. An endless selection of features and actions can confuse marketers, and the overall complexity of the tools can be stressful. The big question marketers should ask themselves before purchasing or using an automation tool is whether or not the tool is really necessary.

Observing current processes, workloads, and goals will most likely provide the answer. For example, if a medium-sized agency is growing quickly, they’ll probably need to invest in an automation tool that can help manage increasing workloads in order to scale. 74% of marketers say that automation helps them save time, which is why many teams choose to automate tasks.

Collecting the Right Data Automatically

Another big issue that marketers face when it comes to automation is the possibility of collecting bad data. In order to automate marketing and lead generation tasks, using a tool with good data collection integrations is a must. These integrations can include automatically collecting data from website forms, landing pages, email campaigns, newsletters, social media campaigns, and more.

What marketers often find is that when data comes in from automation tools, a majority of the information is generated by bots or low-quality sources and therefore unusable. Fake accounts and bots bring in low-quality leads and can frustrate both marketing and sales teams.

To avoid collecting bad data, marketers can use tools that automatically filter out fake accounts and bots. Another way marketing teams can prevent poor data from entering their automation efforts is to discuss what their standards of quality data include before setting up their campaigns.

Delivering the Human Element

Occasionally, when marketing teams create automated email or social media campaigns, they believe that users will automatically sign up or engage with the call-to-action put in place for their specific product or service. What marketing teams must understand is that customers are constantly looking for a good user experience. They want to establish a connection with the company that is reaching out to them and not feel like they are just being aggressively pursued by an automated system to purchase a product or service.

To compensate for this, marketing teams must ensure that the human element of the process remains intact. This can be done by mapping out the buyer’s journey and detailing the variety of customer buying cycles that can take place. A report found that 80% of marketers that incorporated automation into their campaigns saw more leads, and 77% saw increased conversions. No matter the journey the customer takes to make a decision, the messaging should remain consistent and automated tasks should be paired with human engagements to provide an ROI.

Avoiding Marketing Automation Barriers

A large part of Marketing Automation that is often overlooked is the overall strategy. Marketers may think that a Marketing Automation tool will ensure they create better campaigns, thus bringing in more high-quality leads. However, this is not always the case. Marketing teams should form their automation strategies around their target markets, areas of expertise, and data quality standards to ensure that they are getting the most out of their tools and meeting performance goals.

No matter what target market businesses are after, it is important to utilize these tactics for any Marketing Automation efforts to avoid running into issues further down the line. It’s only a matter of time before all companies will need to use some form of Marketing Automation and by establishing best practices beforehand, marketing teams are sure to be successful.