The term “B2B marketing automation” is frequently used. However, what exactly is marketing automation? Additionally, as your company expands, what sort of tools will you probably require?
A mistake that many marketers often make is diving into an automated marketing platform prematurely, without actually requiring it. Additionally, many round-ups fail to accurately consider the second part and instead feature comprehensive, expensive, all-in-one tools that may not be necessary for every marketing team.
In this article, we will discuss how to determine if your team and organization are prepared for complete marketing automation. By utilizing automations, even if you have limited or no coding skills, you can streamline processes and enhance engagements with potential customers across various platforms.
Do you actually need a digital marketing automation tool?
Many businesses today purchase a marketing automation tool without taking the time to assess if they actually require it. Despite being a popular trend, marketing automation should only be implemented once a legitimate marketing operation is in place.
It is worse to add digital marketing automation platforms before you are prepared, as opposed to not having them at all.
Only when your business satisfies all of those scenarios should you begin contemplating the utilization of digital marketing automation platforms.
Marketing Automation Tools We Recommend
1. IFTTT
Running a small business can be challenging. However, as your business expands, it becomes nearly impractical to handle all these responsibilities independently. This is when you can utilize IFTTT to automatize certain tasks that are merely repetitive and consume a significant amount of time.
IFTTT, which stands for “if this, then that,” is a tool that enables you to automate further actions for a specific event. You have the ability to generate applets centered around your desired tasks for IFTTT to fulfill.
To enable your blog posts to automatically appear on your social media pages, or receive notifications regarding activities on your competitor’s website, IFTTT simplifies these tasks. In order to perform these actions, you must establish a connection between digital applications and this tool.
2. Kajabi
Are you interested in using a single platform to capture leads through a landing page or webinar, nurture them with an email campaign, offer valuable content on your website, and encourage visitors to purchase your knowledge products?
Kajabi can assist businesses in achieving this by enabling them to market their product through multiple channels. Its main features include:
- Content marketing with a hosted blog
- Email marketing through drip campaigns
- Building landing pages
- Hosting webinars and online courses
- Building membership sites and sales funnels with pipeline builder
- Building automated marketing campaigns
If you want to enhance user engagement for your courses, Kajabi Automation offers When/Then features that allow you to specify subsequent actions when a lead takes a specific action in your sales funnel. Additionally, you can automate email marketing sequences based on different actions, making it easier for you.
3. Zapier
Zapier enables you to generate a wide range of automations based on your requirements by seamlessly integrating with more than 1,500 apps and tools. In reality, the possibilities for creating automations are endless here and rely on your level of creativity.
If you are a marketer, chances are you utilize different tools across multiple channels for your tasks. When you come across a repetitive task that involves using two or more tools, you have the option to employ zaps in order to automate this process and enhance productivity.
If you choose to use Facebook Lead Ads to capture leads, you would first need to download your leads from Facebook. After that, you would have to import these leads into your email service provider or CRM software. However, by utilizing Zapier, you can enhance the efficiency of this process by automatically transferring your leads from Facebook to your email service provider. This enables you to swiftly manage your leads within a shorter timeframe.
4. Kenshoo
Managing advertising accounts across various channels can be burdensome, but using a tool like Kenshoo allows for streamlined account management across channels including:
- Search
- Social
- Ecommerce
- Apps
By utilizing machine learning, Kenshoo can identify the intention of an audience when targeting or retargeting them with advertisements. This enables the tool to discover valuable targets who are more likely to engage with your ads, resulting in increased conversion rates across your advertising platforms.
By utilizing the cross-channel data, you can effectively target and bid for your ads based on the characteristics of your top customers. Additionally, you have the capability to establish goals and monitor progress across various campaigns. Kenshoo also offers recommendations on enhancing your campaigns through its reports.
5. Boomtrain (ZetaHub)
Boomtrain enables you to connect with prospects or customers through their preferred marketing channels by utilizing artificial intelligence. By analyzing user behavior, you can specifically target prospects on channels where they are most likely to engage with your message.
There are several marketing channels available on Boomtrain.
- Personalized website content
- Mobile apps
- SMS
- Live chat
- Push notifications
- Messenger
To facilitate the process, Boomtrain offers the option to generate automated campaigns. This enables the creation of a strong sales funnel, wherein leads receive personalized nurturing based on their interests and preferred marketing channels.
6. Sender
Sender is a cost-effective and robust email & SMS marketing automation platform that allows you to expand your business without incurring excessive expenses.
The primary goal of the platform is to aid eCommerce store owners, small business owners, bloggers, and B2B startups by facilitating the sending and automation of email & SMS marketing campaigns.
Sender is an exceptional tool for businesses looking to expand their subscriber list, boost audience engagement, and increase sales revenue effortlessly, thanks to its array of advantageous features such as smart automation, segmented lists, and a form/popup builder (and much more!).
7. Omnisend
Omnisend is a tool that is difficult to surpass in terms of comprehensiveness. What distinguishes this marketing automation platform from the rest on this list is its ability to seamlessly incorporate multiple channels into a single automation workflow, such as email, SMS, push notifications, and Facebook Messenger, among others.
By utilizing advanced targeting, split automation, and an easy drag-and-drop builder, Omnisend is a marketing automation tool that should be considered. This tool allows you to create an immersive omnichannel experience for your customers by automatically delivering messages through the channel they have chosen to receive them.
8. Marketo
Marketo asserts that it provides marketing automation for all channels and engagements. Following its acquisition by Adobe, the range of tasks that can be executed within Marketo has significantly expanded. Their comprehensive software has the capability to manage various aspects including digital advertising, social media, and account-based marketing. This renders it an excellent choice for larger marketing operations.
Conclusion
When you consider the benefits of cross-channel marketing automation, such as time savings, increased productivity, and improved marketing results, it becomes clear that it is an obvious choice.
By using these tools, you can establish essential automations for tasks that are performed repeatedly, enabling you to allocate more time to marketing tasks that you genuinely find enjoyable.
