Marketing Automation

What is Marketing Automation?

What is Marketing Automation?

Marketing Automation Helps You:

  • Automate your marketing process
  • Test email campaigns
  • Generate significant ROI
  • Improve lead nurturing
  • Increase customer retention

Automate your marketing process

What is marketing automation? Marketing automation is almost exactly what it sounds like: automating the marketing process via emails, alerts and targeted messaging campaigns. Typically, marketing automation can be envisioned as a series of workflow actions that guide leads towards conversion — all without any intervention on the marketers part.

For example, here’s a simple funnel. Let’s say a user hits your landing page and downloads an e-book. You then fire off a thank you page that then thanks your user for downloading.

By using their information, this triggers your marketing automation software to send out a targeted email to that lead about a webinar you’re hosting (again, the keyword is targeted email). The lead signs up and watches the webinar and proceeds to put your product in their cart. Now you have a consistent contact for your CRM. But trouble strikes! Your lead abandons their shopping cart items. So what do you do? Your system automatically fires off a $5 off coupon in order to get them to convert. They make the sale, and your numbers go up.

Test email campaigns

Email is the bread and butter of a marketing automation funnel. But no two customers are exactly alike, and your email shouldn’t be either. Though it’s nigh impossible to send custom emails to everyone, most MA software allows for A/B testing to help you better segment and target the right lead.

A/B testing (sometimes called split testing or bucket testing) is where you compare two or more things against one another to determine which one performs better. So, with A/B testing, users will often take small segments of their customer pool and fire off two different emails in order to gauge interest. Usually, this means checking open rates and link clicks.

Testing the impact of your automated emails means a higher ROI since you already know whether or not they’re going to be valuable to the customer and return profits to your pocket.

Generate significant ROI

Automated marketing software is touted for its effectiveness and significant return on investment. And while it won’t work for everyone (because your business has unique needs), MA software can be adapted to meet most customers’ needs.

How does it generate significant ROI though? Well, when you have a list of loyal subscribers, MA software does all the work of marketing for you — a kind of “set it and forget it” approach to your marketing process. It can turn an inactive list of subscribers into an active, converting and diligent list, freeing your team up to work on additional projects.

Improve lead nurturing

Lead nurturing is an essential part of the buyer’s journey. When you nurture a lead, you drip effective, useful and personalized content out in a way that encourages leads to stay engaged up until the point of conversion.

You can probably see how automation software can play a role in this, right? When you’ve got a curated list of customers, you can send out scheduled content and hit your leads at the right time in their buyer’s journey.

Lead nurturing can take an ordinary lead and turn them into highly qualified leads through a few methods:

  • Articles
  • Whitepapers
  • Webinars
  • E-learning content

All sent automatically and without user intervention.

Increase customer retention

Customers don’t like being forgotten. One primary use of marketing automation is building and maintaining contact with user lists, ensuring past customers become repeat customers. Users of MA software can schedule weekly or monthly offers to their user lists, enticing them to convert again. After all, the best customers are your existing customers.

FAQs

Is My Business Ready for MA Software?

MA software is a game-changer for a lot of businesses. The power of constant and consistent contact has been shown time and time again to be successful, but not all companies are at a stage where they’re ready for MA software. If your business has

  • Large, inactive emailing lists
  • An overworked marketing department
  • Room in the budget
  • Little to no repeat customers

then your business might be ready for marketing automation.

When Should I Invest in Marketing Automation?

If you’ve got a steady stream of content coming down the pipe that you want to communicate to users, then you might want to start thinking about a new software purchase. There are a few additional factors to think about:

  • Are you tracking your leads?
  • Do you have a steady stream of content?
  • Are your leads highly qualified?
  • Is your content plan mapped out to the buyer’s journey?

Can Marketing Automation Lose Customers?

YES. Marketing automation can be good, or it can be bad, and I think we all know what bad marketing automation looks like: it’s constant, spammy emails that damage your brand’s reputation. It’s bombarding your site visitors with CTAs and signup windows. It’s not taking into account the direct needs of your clients and customers, and blasting out generic emails.

Good automation takes into account the needs and wants of your customers from a number of different sources, and provides consistent value to them. The most effective marketing automation doesn’t just rely on email either. It takes advantage of a number of different communication channels to reach leads.

How Do I Select a Marketing Automation Software?

When you’re picking a marketing automation platform, there’s plenty of things to consider. First and foremost: your organization’s needs. No company has the same exact needs as the other, so there is no easy solution. Luckily, we’ve created a tool that can help you shortlist your requirements, and you might do well to consult our marketing automation requirements article to get a general idea of your needs and wants. Once you’ve got your requirements down, you’ll have to start an RFP — and that’s a process in of itself. Luckily we’ve also got a guide for putting together a marketing automation RFP.

Recent Articles

Confidence Comes from Data

Marketing automation software selection is complex and beset with problems for both IT buyers and solution providers. We do three things to make it fast and simple:

FREE Software Selection Platform

Our platform provides best-practices, including requirements templates & vendor comparisons, to help you make the right decisions for your unique needs, in a fraction of the time. Try it FREE.

Aggregated Reviews

We have collected every software review available online, crunched every last word using our proprietary Sentiment Analysis algorithms, all so we can tell you how a software product is viewed in its marketplace, retrospectively.

Professional Analysis

We relentlessly collect and analyze data about software, then compile and share it so every company in has the same access to the information. The information we gain is then used in our Software Selection platform to help you find the right software.

Your Guides

Our industry journalists proudly distill the helpful information you read on SelectHub, always on the mission to share what matters to you can make your best decisions independently.

Marketing automation articles are written and edited by:

Zachary Totah

Content Manager

As SelectHub’s Content Manager, Zachary Totah leads a team of more than 35 writers and editors in their quest to provide content that helps software buyers find the right system for their company.

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Hunter Lowe

Content Editor and Senior Market Analyst

Hunter Lowe is a Content Editor and Senior Market Analyst at SelectHub. He writes content for Construction, Inventory, Warehouse, and Supply Chain Management.

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Camille Graham

Technical Content Writer and Research Analyst

A technical content writer and research analyst, Camille joined the SelectHub team in the summer of 2021.

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Divya Dugar

Market Analyst

Divya Dugar is a Market Analyst at SelectHub. She writes content for ERP, Medical and Construction.

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Hayleigh Breeze

Technical Writer

As one of SelectHub’s Technical Writers, Hayleigh researches and writes informational marketing and insurance content.

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Thought Leaders

SelectHub has sought out and invited thought leaders to contribute to our marketing automation industry articles and resources. These thought leaders ensure we deliver quality content with the most accurate information, focusing on what matters most. No thought leader is compensated for their contributions, but shares our belief that information should be democratized so everyone can make the best decision.

Ardath Albee

Ardath Albee

B2B Marketing Strategist and CEO

Ardath Albee is a B2B Marketing Strategist and CEO of her firm, Marketing Interactions, Inc., who helps companies with complex sales

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Doug Kessler

Doug Kessler

Co-Founder and Creative Director, Velocity Partners

Doug Kessler is co-founder and creative director of Velocity Partners, the London- and New York-based B2B content marketing agency (a Content Marketing Institute Agency of the Year).

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Andy Crestodina

Andy Crestodina

Co-Founder and CMO, Orbit Media

Andy Crestodina is a co-founder and CMO of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person digital agency in Chicago.

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Bryan Eisenberg

Bryan Eisenberg

Co-Founder, BuyerLegends

Bryan Eisenberg the co-founder of BuyerLegends and is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal & New York Times bestselling books “Call to Action”, “Waiting For Your Cat to Bark?”, “Always Be Testing” and “Buyer Legends:

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Kristin Connell

Kristin Connell

B2B Marketing Strategist and Director of Growth Strategy, Sojourn Solutions

Kristin Connell is the Director of Growth Strategy at Sojourn Solutions, a leading marketing operations consultancy recognized on Inc. 5000’s list of Fastest-Growing Company in America in 2019.

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Michael Leander

Michael Leander

Chief Executive Officer at Markedu

Michael Leander is the founder of Markedu and an award winning speaker and trainer. Considered a pioneer and innovator in CRM

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9 Must-Have Restaurant Marketing Tools In 2024

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August 28, 2024
Being a restaurateur means handling more roles than directors of Marvel films. Sometimes the end product opens to great reviews, and sometimes the response is less than ideal (looking at you “The Eternals”).

Regardless of the initial reception, making your restaurant stand out from the crowd is a never-ending battle. Luckily, in the dot.com age, marketing automation tools make all that responsibility juggling a bit easier. Here are our picks for the best marketing tools you can utilize to boost visibility and bookings.

Christina George9 Must-Have Restaurant Marketing Tools In 2024
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HubSpot vs Marketo: Which is the Winner for Your Business?

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August 26, 2024

There is perhaps no greater matchup in the world of marketing automation software than HubSpot vs Marketo. Any reasonable person might look at this question — comparing two of the most well-known marketing automation platforms — and shrink away. Because how could you compare the inbound marketing titan that is HubSpot to Adobe’s darling Marketo? Well, not only do we have an intuitive comparison report (found at the button below), but we’re also arming you with this guide, written from the heart, with love.

Jason KellerHubSpot vs Marketo: Which is the Winner for Your Business?
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Act-On vs HubSpot vs Pardot: Which Software is the Winner?

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August 21, 2024

Act-On vs HubSpot vs Pardot: no matter the outcome, the consumer (you) is the one who wins. Marketing automation software, as you might know, is industry-shattering tools that assist marketers in their day-to-day tasks. In fact, we might call them a marketer’s best friend. Naturally, you’d like to get right to choosing one, but your business has unique needs that need to be addressed first. That’s why we’re going to go step-by-step in assessing three industry-leading tools so that you can decide for yourself.

Jason KellerAct-On vs HubSpot vs Pardot: Which Software is the Winner?
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Email Marketing vs Marketing Automation: A Comparison of the Differences Between Them

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August 21, 2024

Almost every business uses email marketing to build and maintain relationships with prospects and customers. If you’re already using email marketing to reach out to a targeted audience and sustain a connection with the people who are most likely to buy your products or services, it may be time to take it to the next level. Marketing automation software tracks visitor activity throughout your domain so that you can encourage prospects to continue down your sales funnel.

SelectHubEmail Marketing vs Marketing Automation: A Comparison of the Differences Between Them
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The Best Marketing Automation Platforms Comparison Guide

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Marketing automation platforms fuel the business marketing engine and propel it to success. They automate and track marketing workflows across multiple channels, working tirelessly to generate, nurture and convert leads into customers.

However, finding the right solution is complicated and confusing, with many vendors claiming perfection. Our marketing automation platform comparison guide cuts through the noise and introduces you to the top five industry leaders’ features, benefits and limitations.

Shweta JoshiThe Best Marketing Automation Platforms Comparison Guide
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24 Digital Marketing KPIs And Metrics: A Comprehensive Guide

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Ever feel like you’re clutching at proverbial data straws to justify marketing spends? Welcome to the wonderful world of digital marketing.

Juggling data on conversions versus clicks versus impressions from marketing automation software can feel like you’re doing everything and nothing all at once. But fear not, intrepid marketer! Understanding digital marketing KPIs is your life raft in this data deluge.

We’ll give you the rundown on which KPIs matter most, offer best practice insights, and help you navigate the software tools you need to conquer the market. So, grab your metaphorical floaties, and let’s dive in!

Christina George24 Digital Marketing KPIs And Metrics: A Comprehensive Guide
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Eloqua, Pardot and Marketo Competitors: Analysis of Top Alternatives

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August 6, 2024
Businesses are evolving and so are their needs. With changing times, your business needs to adapt to various advancements — one of them being automation. Marketing automation software is a necessity for businesses to eliminate mundane tasks, increase productivity and achieve better ROI. Popular solutions like Eloqua, Pardot and Marketo may be top-of-the-line programs, but there are several strong competitors you should consider. Looking at alternatives helps understand a range of similar products and their features against your marketing requirements. We put together a list Eloqua, Pardot, and Marketo competitors to help you do just that.

Pragya HaryaniEloqua, Pardot and Marketo Competitors: Analysis of Top Alternatives
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Understanding the Marketing Automation Landscape

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August 2, 2024

From chatbots to big data, the marketing automation landscape looks more diverse and crowded every year. That’s why having a marketing automation strategy is less of a perk and now more of a requirement when it comes to owning a business. Customers come to your business through a multitude of channels.

Tracking individual behaviors and engagement on each of these channels poses an enormous challenge, which is why the majority of companies are turning to marketing automation software to collect, interpret and respond to consumer data in a way that encourages consistent movement through the sales funnel.

Jason KellerUnderstanding the Marketing Automation Landscape
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AWeber vs Mailchimp: Which Software is the Right One for You?

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July 31, 2024
Marketing is a tricky business. Among the many moving parts is email marketing, a central part of marketing automation software and a key pillar in your strategy. Once you’re sure that your business needs an email marketing solution, it’s time to start searching – and that’s where things can get complicated. With plenty of choices and the unique features of each product, it’s difficult to zero in on one. To make the process easier, we’ve put together a detailed study of two of the best-known email marketing platforms, AWeber vs Mailchimp.

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Marketing Automation Features and Requirements Checklist

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Do you find it challenging to manage your multiple marketing campaigns simultaneously and get consistent leads and conversions? Marketing automation software can change that. An internal survey by Salesforce revealed that using marketing automation increased lead volume by 27%, lead conversion by 30% and marketing return on investment (ROI) by more than 25%.

However, you must understand the key marketing automation features you require to select the right solution. The checklist below covers the top requirements to get you started!

Shweta JoshiMarketing Automation Features and Requirements Checklist
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Marketo vs Eloqua vs Hubspot: Who is the Winner?

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July 30, 2024

As many vendor experts would point out, marketing automation is more than just “guided email”. It’s a complex, supportive system of lifecycle marketing assistance. Marketing automation brings together things like keyword handling, lead generation and email marketing customization with other components that help shepherd customers toward conversion, and bring more power to internal sales and management teams.

Jason KellerMarketo vs Eloqua vs Hubspot: Who is the Winner?
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HubSpot vs Infusionsoft: Which Product is the Winner?

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If you’re trying to compare HubSpot vs Infusionsoft by Keap — two heavyweights in the realm of marketing automation software  — then you certainly don’t want to go it alone. Powerful marketing automation tools like these two pretty pieces of software, naturally, do a lot of things in one package. So we’ve crunched the numbers, ran the tests, and pitted these two apps against one another so you can make the best, independent decision for your business. And if you need a bit of help? We’ve also got you covered with the link down below.

Jason KellerHubSpot vs Infusionsoft: Which Product is the Winner?
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How To Create a Marketing Automation RFP

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July 25, 2024
The year was 1991. Marching through a busy office full of cubicles and pagers would never entail overhearing the words “marketing automation RFP.” Because, of course, there was no marketing automation software to speak of. It was all done by hand. Then 1992 came along, and Unica — the world’s first marketing automation software — was released. An entire industry seemingly changed overnight.

Christina GeorgeHow To Create a Marketing Automation RFP
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Enterprise Marketing Automation vs Marketing Automation for Small Businesses

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Marketing is the lifeblood of any business, and tons of resources are dedicated to carrying out this function. Many of the tasks in marketing are repetitive and predictable regardless of the size of the business operations. These tasks may include basic functions such as scheduling email messages and social media posts, organizing the contacts directory and managing content. A feedback system and the ability to track customers’ activities as they move through the marketing funnel are some of the functions that have been automated to generate data that can be analyzed to measure the impact of marketing strategies.

SelectHubEnterprise Marketing Automation vs Marketing Automation for Small Businesses
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Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement vs. HubSpot: Which Tool Is the Winner

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July 23, 2024
Picking between marketing automation tools can feel like picking your favorite Avenger. Each has unique strengths and weaknesses; personal preference and outlying factors can tip the scales heavily in favor of one character (Iron Man). Do you wish you could crunch the numbers and see a leaderboard ranking? Look no further for an objective, quantitative assessment of Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (formerly Pardot) vs. HubSpot.

Our analysts determined that HubSpot takes the top spot in this match-up! Read on for a detailed analysis of each product’s features and capabilities.

Christina GeorgeSalesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement vs. HubSpot: Which Tool Is the Winner
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16 Vital Workflows to Upgrade Your Marketing Automation Processes

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July 5, 2024
Unfortunately (or fortunately), the majority of marketing isn’t what you see on “Mad Men.” Today, marketers focus on a 5×3 inch smartphone to generate leads, re-engage past clients and boost visibility.

But manually sending emails, running campaigns, segmenting leads and typing in customer names is the modern-day equivalent of a Sisyphean task. Let your marketing automation software do the work for you. Here are 16 essential marketing automation workflows to optimize your digital marketing efforts.

Christina George16 Vital Workflows to Upgrade Your Marketing Automation Processes
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What is a Customer Data Platform? Ultimate Guide

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June 21, 2024
Customer data platforms, or CDPs, are words you might have heard thrown around in marketing automation discussions. And we know that marketing (especially on the automated front) is flush with data already. Yet, so much of that data remains worlds apart and disconnected from other strategic points of information. That’s where CDPs step in. We’ll take a dive into emerging technology and examine how these new data platforms assist marketers and marketing automation as a whole. We’ll also share a list of our top CDP products to kickstart your software evaluation.

Pragya HaryaniWhat is a Customer Data Platform? Ultimate Guide
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The Best Marketing Automation For Small Business In 2024

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Running marketing campaigns for a business is definitely not easy — it calls for doing multiple tasks simultaneously and requires you to do certain tasks that accelerate your business on a daily basis. This is even more challenging for small businesses that run on tight budgets. The good news is, even small businesses can utilize marketing automation software and perform efficiently without worrying about their budgets. Read on for more information about marketing automation for small businesses.

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The Best Enterprise Email Marketing Platforms Of 2024

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June 18, 2024
Email marketing is the best tool in marketing automation software’s belt. Creating fun, informative and engaging email campaigns is one of an inbound marketer’s most effective methods for gathering leads and retaining customers. As such, a dynamic email service provider is key to the success of your email marketing. But which is the best enterprise email marketing software? Let’s take a look!

Divya DugarThe Best Enterprise Email Marketing Platforms Of 2024
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Demand Generation vs Lead Generation: Comparison of the Difference Between Them

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Demand generation vs lead generation — they’re not as opposed as the “vs” might have you think. Demand generation and lead generation are like peanut butter and jelly in the marketing and marketing automation world. They’re different (and tasty), but work well in tandem with one another, just like their legume and grape-based counterparts. And in the ever-changing industry of digital marketing and marketing automation software, these two concepts represent pillars of stability.

Jason KellerDemand Generation vs Lead Generation: Comparison of the Difference Between Them
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Pardot vs Marketo: Which Marketing Automation Software is the Winner?

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Every business can benefit from marketing automation software. The real challenge is determining what’s best for your business. A great place to start is with two leading names in the marketing automation industry: Marketo and Pardot. But when it comes to choosing one, how do you pick? We’ve put together a detailed Marketo vs Pardot comparison to help you out.

Pragya HaryaniPardot vs Marketo: Which Marketing Automation Software is the Winner?
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Mailchimp vs Constant Contact: Which Tool is Best for You In 2024?

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June 5, 2024
Choosing between two evenly matched marketing automation tools can feel as precarious as picking your fantasy football team’s captain. Each option is quality, but there are plenty of what-ifs and outlying factors that could impact their performance (or non-performance). Like sizing up quarterbacks on DraftKings, our analysts have done a data drive into Mailchimp vs. Constant Contact.

We put these titans through an extensive head-to-head feature analysis, with Mailchimp narrowly claiming the grand prize! Buckle up as we dive into the details of how each tool performed.

Christina GeorgeMailchimp vs Constant Contact: Which Tool is Best for You In 2024?
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How to Select the Best Marketing Automation Software for B2B Marketers

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While there’s a bit of overlap between what B2C marketers do and what B2B marketers do, there are a lot of activities which are done quite a bit differently. For instance, the buying cycle is generally much longer in B2B marketing. Customers typically have to jump through many more hoops to get approval to buy, and you can lose a customer for factors completely outside your control — such as when a new person takes over procurement and already has an established relationship with one of your competitors.

SelectHubHow to Select the Best Marketing Automation Software for B2B Marketers
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