Whenever there’s a new innovation on the rack, there’s always mystery surrounding it. There are some who think it can work wonders, while others who think it’s no good, and then there are those who only look at it as a distant dream. The same goes for marketing automation software. While more than 71% of the businesses have embraced it, there are still several myths surrounding it – some of which even spring from those who have adopted this technology. Let us look at the top seven myths that exist around marketing automation and try to bust them.
- It is only for Large Businesses
Marketing automation software was initially created as a solution to the myriads of business problems arising with large corporations. Over time, considering its benefits, every business has started seeking a piece of it and there are several vendors in the market who cater to the needs of businesses of all sizes. You just have to do your research and pick one that meets your business goals and fits your budget. The technology has grown rapidly adapting to the needs of various consumers and you can get software that is customized to your needs and doesn’t force you to drill a hole in your pocket.
- It is expensive
Although there is no denying the fact that, marketing automation tools do come at a certain price we can’t really call it expensive. There are different pricing levels available for the various kinds of solutions the particular software offers. There are also packages designed to fit the needs of businesses with limited resources. The reason behind this myth is that initially marketing automation software was indeed designed to fit the needs of large businesses. However, now we have in the market solutions catering to all kinds of budgets. Moreover, if you start factoring the returns that you get, you will see that it is a profitable deal indeed. With better productivity, high quality leads and higher conversion rates marketing automation software in fact offers a great ROI.
- It is Hard to implement
Now this is just not fair! Marketing automation software is here to make things easy for you. Do you know how much it can do for you right from landing pages to email marketing, social media engagement to visitor tracking and ROI reporting. The list is endless. Your staff probably just needs some getting used to. But the good news is it isn’t difficult at all. It can be used by people with different levels of technical expertise – it is no rocket science! These systems are simple to use and intuitive and you won’t even need to hire additional staff to operate these tools. Plus your vendor will always be there to help you gain an understanding during the on boarding period. They come with several variables and a great degree of personalization and as you go you yourself can incorporate complex tasks into it.
- It’s Cold and Impersonal
Several people seem to think that the best use you can get out of marketing automation software is to send email blasts to all your MQLs. An important feature they forget to use is the part where these tools help segment the audience to create buyer personas. Just because, it automates the tasks involved in the marketing process, doesn’t mean you can’t personalize it. In fact personalization is one of the biggest ways it can strengthen your marketing efforts. With segmentation, you will be able to create personalized campaigns which will appeal to and engage with different kinds of audiences.
- It’s Time consuming
When the processes are first introduces into your organization it might seem time-consuming because of the learning curve attached. However, once you get a hang of it, you will see that it saves you a lot of time by automating several repetitive tasks. All you need is to input the necessary basics and it will do the rest on its own day in and day out.
- It Works only on email campaigns
Automation of email marketing being the most common use that businesses get out of marketing automation tools, has lead a lot of people to think that that’s the only thing marketing automation systems can do. However, there is so much more that these tools bring to the table like landing pages, audience segmentation, social media marketing, analytics, pay per click campaigns etc. Marketing automation software simplifies and automates several other tasks across various marketing channels. In fact, you get the best results when you utilise all the features that it offers.
- It’s a Magic wand
With so much that marketing automation can do for you, sometimes people start to think of it as some kind of magic wand which they can just wave and sit back – watch miracles unfold. That’s not how it works. You can’t just set and forget it. You will need to monitor the results and the reports that it generates to understand what methods are getting the most engagement and user engagements. You basically work around short term goals which you bring together to meet the long term goals of the organization. It doesn’t fix all your marketing problems, it rather simplifies them and take a load of work off your hands. If you think it will just generate tons of leads without you putting in effort, you’re wrong. Eve for the genie to come out, you still need to rub the lamp.
Now that you know the facts about marketing automation, it can take away your hesitation if you haven’t gotten these systems yet. If you have, this should help you to make the most of it.
