January 9, 2020
To fit a mobile-first, social media and video marketing world, the marketing landscape is evolving, and data is driving it. As the channels used to attract and engage customers change, strategic tools have developed to increase efficiencies and help companies compete smarter.
As with any change, there’s uncertainty and hesitation as marketers and executives try to weigh the costs and benefits of a MarTech solution. And while those concerns are understandable, one thing is certain—MarTech’s here to stay and will continue to grow. As more and more companies automate key marketing functions to improve sales and reduce overhead, MarTech is becoming an essential tool to compete.
Here are 6 reasons why marketing technology is worth the investment.
1. There’s no time for guesswork—get data at every touchpoint.
It’s a fast-paced world and time is money. To effectively engage leads and customers, you need to reach them on the right channel at precisely the right time, with relevant content. Instead of guessing what works, give your employees clear insights into what’s working and what needs to be improved so they can spend more time on creative and strategic tasks.
Marketing software provides data and analytics on how landing pages, ads, blog posts, emails and more perform. Know how leads found you, how they prefer to interact with you and what it takes to convert them into buyers and then brand advocates. For example, after sending out an email drip campaign, get instant feedback on who’s viewing your email, how much time they spent, which links are clicked the most and which platform they’re viewing it on. And ultimately, prove how marketing impacts your bottom line.
2. Your competitors already use it or are about to.
Many large companies have adopted marketing automation, but it’s not just for those with deep pockets. Currently 30% of small businesses use some form of marketing automation—a number that’s expected to double in two years, and surpass 85% in five years. Now’s the time to gain a competitive edge and create a sustainable strategy rather than scramble and play catch-up.
3. Focus on prospects that matter and shorten your sales cycle.
With marketing technology, you’re able to quickly gauge—and automatically grade—the level of interest each lead has. This enables your marketing team to send your sales team high-quality leads that actually have a chance of converting. Furthermore, your marketing and sales team can engage with prospects based on where they are in the buyer’s journey, to provide relevant content to them at just the right time so they continue moving down the funnel.
4. Manage and monitor social channels with ease.
A social media strategy is key to being relevant and responsive. Marketing automation software, such as HubSpot, includes social media tools that enable you to schedule posts in advance to be published across multiple platforms from various accounts. Engagements are then tracked automatically, showing you which leads notice your content and respond positively—or negatively. By monitoring brand mentions and relevant conversations you can pivot accordingly based on your audience’s response. It’ll save your team a remarkable amount of time and effort, and they’ll be able to engage customers and leads better and resolve any complaints faster.
5. Work more effectively with less effort.
Recent studies show that on average, marketing automation increases sales productivity 14.5% and reduces marketing overhead 12.2%. With one centralized, automated platform, a single person can manage email campaigns, social accounts, customer segmentation and more. Open yourself up to new channels and have the flexibility to shift gears quickly. You’ll be able to deploy promotions and campaigns faster and measure what’s working and what needs improvement with instant data and analytics. Streamline how you interact with customers at all stages and help build customer loyalty.
6. Handle the transition to a mobile-first world.
Since mobile web usage is now higher than desktop, Google’s algorithm for ranking websites is primarily based on their mobile versions. Marketing technology ensures your content is optimized for different devices, such as desktop, mobile or tablet. And marketing automation platforms, such as HubSpot, can be managed from your own mobile device.
There’s no doubt marketing technology is worth the investment. The right platform will help grow your business, keeping you competitive in the present and prepared for the future.
