Written by Grace Roberts

In today’s world, the term “marketer” means so many things. It’s no secret that we have a lot on our plate. Post this, send these, organise that, text them, the list goes on. What would it be like if we had a platform that did all of the heavy lifting for us? A programme that automated all your messages uniquely, building and developing deeper connections with your clients. Well, now there is and let us explain a little how it works.

Starting on your automation journey can seem like more work than it’s worth, don’t be intimidated, it’s easier than you think! We’ve pulled together our finest hints and tips to ensure you’re making the most out of your marketing automation strategy.

What is automation?

Without sounding patronising, automation does what it says on the tin. It automates recurring processes. Meaning more room for precision and less room for human error (which we’re all guilty of). In this context, automation is specifically the automated process of communicating with your customers and potential customers.

Many companies automate recurring tasks such as emailing, social posting and mobile app messaging. Not because we’re lazy, because it would be humanly impossible to provide unique hyper-personalised messages on a mass scale in a working day. We’re good, but we’re not THAT good.

Does marketing automation fit into your strategy?

We love marketing automation, but we know it isn’t right for everyone. Before you invest, take an in-depth look into your business and answer the following questions: Do you see a steady flow of traffic to your website? Do you have a nurturing strategy in place that you’re looking to expand? Have you discussed the future with your team, and all agree on targets and goals?

If you answered yes to all of the above, you’re likely ready to implement marketing automation into your marketing strategy. It is essential to understand that automation does not do the marketing for you; it just provides you with an efficient platform to scale up the delivery of your marketing messages.

What channels can you automate?

When it comes to communication, you can automate most platforms that send out messages. We focus on the most popular, very relevant and highly engaging set of channels—email, SMS, Mobile App, Print, Social Media and Telephone marketing.

How to optimise your marketing automation strategy

Make sure you’re getting the most out of your marketing automation. There are a few things to take into account to make sure you’re optimising your strategy:

• A/B Testing

Popular trends are continually evolving. Your content and strategy have to keep up. Keep testing multiple variables, e.g. subject lines, content and designs to see what resonates the most with your audience.

• Getting the most out of your data

What’s the point of having a wealth of data on your target audience and not using it? Create your buyer persona and provide them with relevant messages directly related to their interests.

• Personalising your content

People buy from people. Give your communication a human edge with personalisation and make your customers feel special. Bear in mind; personalisation can come back and bite you if your data is not kept up-to-date, there’s nothing worse than someone receiving an email addressed to the wrong name!

• Enhance your customer’s experience

To create a genuinely omnichannel experience for your customers, you have to keep some consistency. You want your marketing to flow from one channel to another whether that’s in-store, via email or through your mobile app.

How have others used it? 

We love to take inspiration from different sources to adapt and optimise our marketing strategies continually. We know it can be hard to imagine how you could be using this tool for yourself, so here’s some inspiration.

Drukwerk Deal used to have no follow-up campaigns in place. Meaning their customers

received no communication from them after purchasing. It is proved that if a customer purchases for a second time after the initial buy, a relationship is then formed and they are more likely to keep purchasing.

e-Village went on to create an exciting flow of automated communication to increase loyalty within their client base, concluding in some fantastic results when it came to engagement with their emails and ultimately an increase in revenue. Want to hear the whole story? Read it here.

Ready, Steady, Automate 

Automating your communication to your customers and potential customers can aid any marketer with their day to day job. It saves you money as a result of saving you time, leaving you to get creative and do the things you love. It reduces human error in campaigns and lets you send the right message, through the right channel at the perfect time.

Want to see how Clang can perfect your communications? See how you can switch today.