We get it, not everyone is as enamoured by marketing automation solutions as perhaps Inbound Marketing agencies such as Grow Inbound are.

Bad experiences, bad investments, complex solutions, poor ROI, the reasons for skepticism could go on and on, like any major shift from 'how we've always done it'.  

The truth is, for any organisation serious about growth at scale, techniques and technology to engage at a personal level en masse are critical as growth enablers and marketing automation is the way forward.

If you are not convinced then we have outlined 5 reasons below why you should reconsider and take a hard look again at the tools and techniques in your organisation that are going to get you where you want to be, short, medium and long term.

Customers are bombarded with hundreds of marketing messages every day.

This overload makes it hard for companies to have a genuine impact on their potential customers.

For this reason, tools for business owners to not only target their particular audience, but also drive their overall sales are essential in today's digital driven economy.

If you are still skeptical about integrating marketing automation into your business, consider these 5 ways it will generate more leads and increase sales. 

1. Reach Your Target Audience

Depending on the type of buyer you are trying to target, marketing automation allows you to divide each type of buyer into specific categories.

For example, if you are a software company trying to reach small business owners, you can gear your emails to them based on their individual interactions with your website. You can send them a series of emails which first explains the technical specifications of your product. Then, an email which explains why your product is better than the competitors. You can then hit them with an email giving testimonials from your current clients, highlighting why you are the company to buy from. In this way, you give the potential buyers the information they want as opposed to overwhelming them with things they don't need. 

2. Nurture Your Leads through the Sales Funnel 

Potential customers want to feel as if a company understands their wants and needs.

Buying new products or services is more than just a simple purchase for customers; it involves research and some planning. Marketing automation allows your company to be there for potential customers each step of the way, from the research to the final sale.

There are 5 stages of the sales funnel:

First, you must make customers aware of your brand. You can do this by sending out informational videos or how-to articles.

Second, aid your customers in their research by providing helpful guides or FAQs on the products they are considering.

Once your customers begin their research they will want to compare your product with that of other brands. Provide them with testimonials from your clients and demos on how your product works.

Before a customer can make their final decision they will want to estimate the total cost. In this step you can provide the customers with estimator tools and payment options so that they feel comfortable making a purchase.

Once you guide your leads through these 4 steps they will be ready to make a purchase and you will have made a sale and gained a new loyal customer though a measured and timely lead nurturing processes.

3. Connect with Your Audience at the Right Time

One of the many benefits of marketing automation is that you can connect with potential customers at the right time.

For example, you can keep track of when customers have viewed the prices page of your website multiple times.

Marketing automation allows you to send them out important information regarding sales or special discounts. These kinds of call-to actions will help your customer feel they are getting the personalized attention they deserve and allows you to provide them with the products they need to grow their business or complete an important project.

4. Get Better Insight on Your Customers 

A good marketing automation platform will provide you with important analytics about your customers.

It will track which customers have and have not opened emails. It will also analyze which customers have visited different pages of your website, which blog posts they have read, and any forms they may have filled out.

This information allows you to see which parts of the marketing campaign are working and which are not. You can then make adjustments and follow-up with those prospective clients who are close to making a purchase.

By having all this information, your marketing can evolve and constantly meet the needs of potential customers. 

5. Track Your Marketing ROI

This part of the marketing process has always been tricky.

The great thing about marketing automation is it takes the guesswork out of measuring ROI for marketing campaigns.

Your marketing automation software can track the amount and source of leads generated from all lead generation campaigns, and then analyze how much those leads are actually spending on your products. This allows you to see if your marketing automation investment is actually paying off. 

Marketing automation is an amazing tool for businesses to not only create sales, but reach their prospective customers in a meaningful way.