When you hear the term “automation”, your first thought as a digital marketer is “that makes things easier” and your first thought as a client is “I’m paying more for less effort?”. There are flaws in both of these first impressions.
Yes, marketing automation systems will make the job of a digital marketer easier, but they still need to know how to apply and tailor an automation system to a client. Likewise, a client might assume they’ll be paying for seemingly less manual effort, but the point of marketing automation is to obtain more data at a quicker pace and allow for a more precise implementation of marketing campaigns based on those results.
Marketing automation isn’t a brand new concept, but it is developing and digital agencies need to make sure they’re in the know.
Defining marketing automation
Within digital marketing, there are so many repetitive processes that take up more time than is necessary and, consequently, more money for services rendered. This is where the need for marketing automation came from.
Marketing automation, therefore, is the use of software programs that allow marketers to automate the mundane yet necessary marketing actions. This allows digital marketers to save time and focus their energy on more innovative and high-energy tasks for their clients. It’s also an opportunity to increase online conversions and revenue through personalised performance marketing.
Implement marketing automation in digital marketing
Because there are so many marketing practices that can be automated, there are a variety of ways one could implement marketing automation in their digital marketing company. Here at Rogerwilco, for example, one of the ways we have automated marketing for our clients is through Acoustic (previously IBM Watson). In South Africa, we are the only performance marketing company to be a certified partner with Acoustic.
This allows us to sell and utilise Acoustic Campaign (formerly IBM Watson Campaign Automation) and Customer Data Platform software. The Acoustic Campaign software is applied for our marketing automation efforts and does so through multi-channel and multi-step campaign programs, lead management and scoring which prioritises lead generation to increase our clients’ sales, as well as an artificial intelligence (AI) marketing assistant that provides analytic reports for improved decision-making regarding marketing campaigns.
The goal is to assign repetitive tasks to the marketing automation system and refine the lead scoring results into readable data that will tell the client where to focus their sales and marketing efforts for maximum return on investment. This all happens in a shorter time period than if we were to sit there and do it manually. And that’s what our digital agency is able to do for you.
Digital marketers will always be necessary
When artificial intelligence and automation processes come into the picture, it’s easy for digital marketers to be hesitant and protective over their jobs. Digital marketing companies in Cape Town don’t need to worry about becoming insignificant in the eyes of their clients. If anything, clients are going to rely more on digital marketers to stay with the current marketing technologies and interpret the data from these automated processes on their behalf. Just because a job becomes easier doesn’t mean it becomes irrelevant – we are still the industry experts our clients rely on.
Marketing automation and integrating AI into digital marketing is where the current innovative focus is. Digital marketers will always be necessary, as long as they stay relevant and innovative leaders in their industry. And that’s what Rogerwilco is and what we will always strive to be.
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